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Private schools have numerous benefits, such as personalized attention and challenging classes that prepare students for college.
However, you also have to pay to attend, causing you to wonder, “How much do private Catholic high schools cost?”
We’re here to help you learn more about the average cost of private schools and how you can save money on tuition. Let’s dive in!
How Much Do Private Catholic High Schools Cost, and How Can You Save?
The tuition at private high schools costs an average of $16,040 a year. However, many families manage to pay much less than that.
Let’s go over some ways you can save on tuition costs. Also, learn about options to pay for tuition without struggling financially. Then, you’ll be ready to take the next step and enroll in a private Catholic high school.
Financial Aid
You likely know that you can apply for financial aid when it’s time to attend college. However, you might not realize the same is true for private Catholic high schools.
Many of these schools offer need-based assistance to students who qualify. You can renew the financial aid each year until graduating from high school.
Academic Scholarships
If you excel at school, you might qualify for an academic scholarship. Some scholarships put as much as $5,000 toward the cost of tuition each year, making private schools much more affordable.
So, before answering the question, “How much do private schools cost?” you need to see if you qualify for such a scholarship.
Merit-based Scholarships
Merit-based scholarships are yet another way to save on the cost of tuition. These scholarships are often awarded to students who excel in certain areas, such as youth ministry or STEM subjects.
Merit-based scholarships are also available to students with immediate family members who are active-duty military or armed forces veterans.
You can even get a merit-based scholarship if an immediate family member is an alumnus of the school. These are just some of the merit-based scholarship options you’ll find at the top private high schools.
Discounts for Paying Tuition in Full
Some schools offer a discount for students who pay their tuition in full before classes begin. This can reduce the cost by several hundred dollars. While that might not sound like a ton of money, it adds up over four years.
Don’t worry if you can’t pay in full, though. While you won’t get a discount, many private schools offer monthly payments, allowing you to break the tuition up into something much more manageable. You can learn about this and other options when applying to a private Catholic high school near you.
529 Plans
Many parents use 529 plans to send their kids to private schools. At one point, families had to use the money inside of these plans to pay for college education, but now, they can also use the funds for private high schools.
A 529 plan offers numerous benefits that make it easier to afford private high schools. For example, you’ll enjoy state and federal tax breaks on the money that goes into the 529 plan.
By avoiding paying high taxes, you’ll save quite a bit on private Catholic high school.
Are you worried because your son is almost in high school, and you’ve yet to set up a plan? Fortunately, there are age-based options that allow you to be as aggressive or conservative as you want with your investment. That means you can take steps to grow the account quickly.
Education and Private Loans
If you are still coming up short after exploring your other options, you can obtain an education or personal loan to fund tuition. Education loans are usually preferred since they have lower interest rates.
You can use this loan to borrow the total cost of tuition and have to use all of the funds for school-certified expenses.
If you want more flexibility, you can choose a private loan. While the interest rate is higher, you will have the freedom to use the money to pay for tuition and other costs, such as home repairs.
It’s worth noting that loans won’t reduce the cost of attending a private school. However, they can make paying tuition more manageable.
So, explore other ways to save first, such as scholarships and financial aid. Then, you can get a loan on top of that if you are still short.
By securing scholarships and aid first, though, you can significantly reduce the amount you have to finance. That will take some stress off your shoulders while paying for private high school education.
Learn More About Paying Tuition At A Catholic High School
Tuition and fees at St. John Bosco Catholic High School are $15,535 for students in grades 9-11 and $15,675 for seniors. This puts the school cost below the national average. Additionally, you can save by getting an academic or merit-based scholarship or applying for tuition assistance.
You can learn more about paying for school by reaching out to St. John Bosco’s Admissions team. On the other hand, if you are already ready to apply, you can create an account and submit your application online.