Investing In (and Affording) Private School

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With today’s college graduates facing high unemployment rates and the most dismal job market in decades, it’s more important then ever for tomorrow’s degree holders to be equipped with a quality education that will make them outshine the rest.

For some parents, that means going beyond public education and investing in private, independent schools with a more robust curriculum to prepare their kids for the real world. More expensive you think? Absolutely. But one mother has discovered how you can provide your child with a specialized, above-par education in an affordable way – even in this economy.

In search of a reputable school for her son, Sandra L. Frazier was underwhelmed by what the public schools in her Maryland neighborhood had to offer.

“I was looking for an environment where my son would have the opportunity to be able to try anything,” says Frazier, author of "Private School - It's Not Just for the Wealthy Anymore: A Parents Guide to Getting Your Child Prepared and Accepted into Private School" (A Better Tomorrow Publishing, $14.95). “I wanted him to have math classes that challenged him. I wanted him to know art history. And I wanted community service in his life so he would always know how to give back.”

Frazier considered private schools, but found the price tags too high. Until she discovered she could apply for financial assistance and grants to help ease the cost. After three years of researching and tackling the process to get her son into an independent school, she did it and now has her youngest daughter attending private school, too. With her newfound expertise on the subject, Frazier penned a book to help other parents accomplish the same task.

“It’s so key and crucial right now,” says Frazier, who works with a health insurance company. “The indie schools each have a mission statement to build empowered students. Because of the economy right now, you want future-thinking children so they can compete in the marketplace, so they can grow and learn. It’s going to put them so far ahead. You’re really investing in their future.”

We recently sat down with Frazier, who shared some of her best tips for affording and preparing for private school.

Click here to see her tips.