How Can I Afford Private School?
Private school is more affordable than you might think. Though tuition and fee payments can seem like a lot at first, there are many options that private schools provide to families that make these payments affordable. Most schools provide financial aid, scholarships and payment plans. Furthermore, if you are looking for a private school in the state of Florida, such as private middle schools in Tampa FL, additional state scholarships are available.
Finding the right fit
First and foremost, you should find a school that fits your family’s values and needs. If you are looking for a Christian education for your child, you should look for a private Christian school. If STEM is important to you, look for a school with a good STEM program.
Additionally, it is beneficial to compare tuitions of different schools that meet your needs. Some schools ask for tuition that is unreasonable for what the school provides. Other schools do not provide financial aid or scholarships. These are things to take into consideration when searching for a private school.
Financial aid
Most private schools provide some type of financial aid. Financial aid helps cover some of the cost of tuition, and in some cases fees as well. Unfortunately, many families think that they will not qualify because of their household income. They think that they make too much to be eligible, so they do not apply. However, the average salary of families who apply for financial aid is $100-150K, and many families receive some financial support. You will not know if your family qualifies unless you apply, so we recommend that you do!
School scholarships
There are a number of scholarships available to help with tuition costs. Many private schools offer scholarships, including athletic, merit-based, and academic scholarships. Scholarships benefit both the school and families. The school has the opportunity to attract a more diverse group of students, and families can take advantage of the lower tuition rates.
State scholarships
The School Choice Office through the Florida Department of Education has a number of different scholarships for families. If you are looking for a school in the state, such as private middle schools in Tampa FL, or an elementary or high school, your family or child might be eligible for these scholarships:
Scholarships for low-income families.
The maximum qualifying income has raised over the past year so that more families are eligible for this resource.
Scholarships for dependents of military personnel.
Scholarships for children with disabilities/special needs and siblings of children with special needs.
What is considered a “disability” varies widely among private schools. This definition greatly depends on what each school can accommodate. Your child may not be accepted into a school, not because they do not want you there, but because they do not have the resources to provide assistance that will benefit your child.
Some disabilities that many schools recognize include ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), speech and language impairments, developmental delays, mental and emotional disorders, and physical impairments that require accommodation.
Students that have an Individualized Education Program (IEP) or a 504 from public schools are eligible for the McKay scholarship and the Family Empowerment Scholarship for Students with Unique Abilities (FES-UA). Both these scholarships are in place to help fund a family’s choice of a private education for their child with disabilities.
Financing plans
Most private schools also offer financing plans for families. These payment plans are in place to alleviate the burden of having to pay tuition in full. Instead, these plans allow you to pay smaller monthly fees throughout the school year.
South Tampa Christian Schools
Are you looking for a private Christian school for your child? We might be a great fit for you. Bayshore Christian School is a South Tampa Christian School for grades pre-K through 12th grade. We offer low tuition rates, as well as financial aid, payment plans and scholarships for additional support.
Contact us, today, if you have any questions about financing, as well as if you have any general questions about our programs!
Is Private School Really Worth It?
Deciding where to send your child to school can be difficult, especially if you are trying to choose between public schools and private schools. You might be wondering if enrolling your child in a private school would make that big of a difference in their life. After all, from an outside perspective, private schools can appear to just be smaller schools that cost more money and require students to wear uniforms. However, there is a lot more to them than those things.
Sending your child to a private Christian school gives them the opportunity to create a foundation for their faith. Building this foundation doesn’t just stop at elementary or middle school. Enrolling your child in a private high school in Tampa FL will provide a continued space for growth in their faith to prepare them for college and beyond.
Is private school right for your child?
Though we believe that private school is worth it, how much of a positive difference it makes for students depends on a few factors.
It depends on the family. Some children may benefit more from attending a private school than others. This is especially true for students from Christian families. Unlike most public schools, Christian schools in Tampa FL have character development lessons incorporated into their curriculums. Additionally, the teachers have the opportunity to teach about God, so these lessons are often faith-based. Enrolling your child in a private Christian school provides them with the opportunity to learn and develop in an environment that encourages living how God has called us to live. This stands true for high school-aged students as well. We recommend looking for private high schools in Tampa FL so that your child can continue to grow their faith into adulthood.
It depends on the school. It is important to find a private school that lines up with your families values and priorities. When evaluating different private schools, we suggest that you ask about their beliefs about things such as teaching methods and behavior management strategies, as well as about their doctrine of faith. Attending private school may be the right choice for your child, but finding the right private school can greatly impact how “worth it” it is to send them there.
Christian schools in Tampa FL
Bayshore Christian school is a private Christian school in Tampa FL with a vision to shape young people in Christ to make an impact on the world. We offer curriculum for pre-K up through 12th grade. Contact us, today, if you are searching for a private Christian school for your child. We might be the perfect fit for you!
What is the Difference Between a Public school and a Christian School?
There are a lot of differences between public schools and Christian schools. One of the main things that all Christian schools have, including Tampa FL Christian schools, that public schools do not have is the freedom to incorporate God and Christianity into their lessons. Other differences include curriculum, class sizes and cost.
Freedom to talk about God
The biggest difference between public schools and Christian schools is the ability for teachers to teach about God in their lessons. In public schools, teachers are not allowed to teach using their own religious beliefs. However, in private Christian schools, they are allowed and even encouraged to teach about God in the classroom.
Freedom to choose a different curriculum
Public schools are required to teach using a curriculum mandated by the department of education. There are certain lesson objectives and topics that every public school has to cover, and teachers have little freedom to deviate from those topics or how to teach them. Each private Christian school, however, has the freedom and autonomy to choose what curriculum they teach. Not every Christian school in Tampa FL uses the same curriculum or uses the same teaching style. They are able to deviate from each other, as well as from the required public school lessons and topics.
Tuition and fees
Public schools do not require a tuition payment and only have small fees for things like extracurricular activities. This is because they are funded by the government and receive tax money. Christian schools are private, and therefore do not receive any support from the government. Because of this, students who enroll pay tuition and fees.
Inclusion of character education
Throughout childhood and adolescence, children are learning not only about subjects like math and English, but they are also learning about who they are and what kind of person they want to be. Christian schools have the freedom to aid in that development. Many private school curriculums will incorporate character development into their lessons to help students learn about things like creating good habits and using manners.
Smaller class sizes
The average public school in Florida has 25 students per class. This is usually per one teacher, and sometimes the schools are so overcrowded that they have to add more students. In contrast, Tampa FL Christian schools have an average class size of 19 students, and sometimes there is more than one teacher in the classroom.
A more personalized education
Christian schools are able to provide a more personalized education because of the smaller class size. Teachers are able to get to know students on a deeper level in order to aid students in areas that they need. Students are also able to get to know their peers better and create stronger connections in Christian schools compared to in public schools.
Christian schools in Tampa FL
Are you looking to enroll your child in a private Christian school in Tampa FL? We might be the school for you! Bayshore Christian school has programs for grades pre-K to 12th grade.
Contact us, today, if you have any more questions about the difference between public schools and Christian schools, or if you are interested in enrolling your student at Bayshore!
Why Do Private Schools Cost So Much?
One of the most noticeable differences between public schools and private schools is the cost to attend. For public schools, there are no tuition payments, and you typically only pay fees if your child participates in extracurricular activities. In contrast, private schools have a required tuition and fees for each student enrolled.
This is because private schools are responsible for directly paying all of their teachers, faculty and administrative staff, unlike public schools who receive funding from the government and tax-money. Whether you’re looking for a private preschool in South Tampa or a South Tampa middle school, it is important to know how your money is being spent.
Tuition
One thing private schools have in common is that most of their proceeds go towards payroll of teachers. Public school teachers are paid by the government, so the schools are not directly responsible for paying their staff. Private schools, on the other hand, are required to pay their staff and do not receive funding or tax money from the government. Therefore, they require a tuition payment from students to cover teacher salaries.
Fees
Private schools are also responsible for paying other faculty and administrative staff. The fees that you pay for your child when they are enrolled help pay these employees. Some of these fees that you might be required to pay are:
- Admission fees
- Application fees
- Acceptance fees
- Testing fees
- Extracurricular activity fees: these fees are only for students who participate in these activities such as athletic fees and performing arts fees
- Curriculum fees
- Other: fees for other services, such as before and after school care and field trips, that are optional.
Additional funding
Though most of the money you pay to send your child to private school goes towards paying the staff, it is used in other areas as well. Some of these things include:
- Campus improvement. When areas on campus need to be fixed or upgraded, such as classrooms or playground equipment, private schools are directly responsible for coming up with the money to fund these improvements because they do not receive tax money.
- School provided technology. Many public South Tampa middle schools and high schools have devices, such as laptops or tablets, available that students can borrow for the day or share with their peers. In contrast, most private schools provide students with their own devices that they can use and take home while they are a student enrolled at the school. Technology is expensive, and therefore some of the fees that you are paying will go towards those items.
- Profit. Bayshore Christian school is a nonprofit Tampa FL Christian school. However, other private schools may be for profit. This is something that we recommend you look for and consider when deciding what private school is best for your child and your family.
Private Christian Schools in Tampa FL
Bayshore Christian School is a Tampa FL Christian school that provides education to students grades pre-K to 12th grade. If you are looking for a nonprofit, fairly inexpensive Christian private school, we may be the school for you.
Contact us, today, if you have any additional questions about our tuition and fees, or if you would like to enroll your student and join our community.