The biggest deterrent for most families when it comes to choosing private education for their children is the price tag. Though adding private school tuition to the pile of bills can be daunting, some Whitefield families have shared a number of things that they do to make affording tuition easier.

1. Use A Budgeting Tool

Many families find that making a budget and sticking to it is important when trying to afford tuition. Using an envelope program like GoodBudget allows families to take each month’s paycheck and allocate funds to each area of spending. Filling the tuition and bills envelopes first and then filtering leftover income into other envelopes helps to prioritize spending for the month.

2. Keep General Spending Low

Paying tuition first is important, but sometimes that means there is not much left over for groceries, eating out, and extras. This is where many Whitefield families find that a few tricks come in handy! It helps to plan weekly meals before going grocery shopping to only buy what will be used. Make eating out a treat rather than an expectation. Have birthday parties at home, make family trips to the library rather than the coffee shop, road trip instead of plane trip, and take advantage of hand-me-downs. The list is endless!

3. Use the School’s “Discounts”

Many private schools offer a variety of incentives when it comes to tuition. Some schools will provide tuition discounts in increasing quantities per child in each family. Also, schools sometimes give discounts if tuition is paid in a lump sum rather than monthly.  Financial aid can be helpful as well as used uniform sales. Whitefield has a uniform closet where excellent condition used uniforms are available at a fraction of the original price.

4. Find More Income

When the budgeting and belt-tightening just aren’t cutting it, some families decide to add a part-time job. Many parents at Whitefield have found that starting a side job like selling baked goods at the farmer’s market, doing part-time office work, or babysitting in their homes are ways to bring in some extra income without committing too many hours.

5. Keep the “Big Picture” in Perspective

Educating and training their children in the way they should go is arguably the most important task for parents today. Parents make sacrifices for their children on a daily basis, and many parents believe paying for a Classical Christian education is one of those important and sometimes life-changing sacrifices.  It is important to remember, however, that the difficult life changes that may come with paying private tuition are temporary.  Greater financial freedom will come after graduation, but the skills and training the children receive is permanent.

If you’re interested in a parent-generated tip sheet of more great ways our Whitefield Academy parents make tuition work for them, click here to download.