Average Cost of Private School in Georgia
Are you looking into sending your child to a private school in Georgia? If you are then you are on the right article. I have gone and read all the cost ranges of private schools in Georgia and have figured out how much it will cost you to send your child to a private school in Georgia.
The average private school tuition in Georgia is $11,099 per year. The average tuition of a private elementary school is $11,025 per year and the private high school average is $11,936 per year. There are outside factors that affect this average rate, such as school supplies and scholarships.
I have compiled the different factors that affect the cost of your child’s private school education and talked about them below. Continue reading so you can make an informed decision on whether or not a private school is the right choice for you and your child.
Cost of Private Elementary and High School
The average cost of a private school in Georgia is $11,099 per year. This covers a lot of things pertaining to your child’s education. This includes paying the salary of the staff, the supplies in your child’s classroom, the overhead costs of rent and cleaning supplies, and any extracurricular activity your private school may have.
The average tuition in a private elementary school and high school differs. The average cost of a private elementary school is $11,025. On the other hand, the average cost of a private high school is $11,936.
The reason why there is such a large gap between the costs of elementary private school and high school private school is extracurricular activities, councilors, and clubs. These extra services bring more fees. Even if your child does not participate in any of these services, all students share a bit of the cost to fund the individuals that do so all students have equal access to these services.
The reason why I have not included the cost range of a private middle school is that there really are no private middle schools. Middle school is more of an American Public School concept. Most private schools include middle schoolers split between elementary school and high school.
Outside Cost for Private Schools
In general, it costs more to send your child to school in Georgia in comparison to the rest of the country. The national average for school supplies is $110.78 for elementary-aged children, $270.76 for middle schoolers, and $304.61 for high schoolers. This covers school supplies like paper, pens, backpacks, etc., but there are still other fees associated with going to a private school.
The national average for extracurricular fees like field trips and clubs is $150 in elementary school, $250 in middle school, and $350 in high school. If you add these up with the other national expenses, that means the average parent will spend $260.78 on the elementary school child, $520.76 on their middle schooler, and $654.61 on their high schoolers.
These costs are for both private and non-private school children. There is no way around these fees. To make matters worst in Georgia these numbers are higher.
In Georgia, the average parent will spend $1,017 on their elementary student, $1,277 on their middle schoolers, and $1,668 on their high schooler. These numbers include both school supplies and extracurricular activities. Inflation in Georgia is higher than in the rest of the country, which is causing the amount of money a child spends on their school-aged children to be so much higher than the national average.
Still, when you are budgeting for your child’s education, remember these numbers so you can have a realistic budget for school supplies.
Private Special Education Schools
If your child has special needs and the reason why you are sending them to private school is so they can get an education catered to their needs, you are unfortunately going to spend a lot of money. The average cost of private special education is $21,163. This fee does not cover any outside expenses talked about above.
Private special education costs more because the school will need more equipment. They need devices to help children with physical handicaps, and they also pay extra for teachers with a higher education that qualifies them to help children with special needs.
Georgia is well equipped with special needs schools. There are 40 special needs private schools in Georgia, so your child will have options of where they go to school. You can find a school that is more in your budget or a school that is more specialized to your child’s unique circumstances.
Some of the best special needs private schools in Georgia are Porter Academy, the Piedmont School of Atlanta, and Ellis Center. These schools are equipped with some of the best teachers and therapists to help your child to receive the best education possible.
Scholarships for Private School in Georgia
Luckily, there are some good scholarships for private school children in Georgia. One scholarship is the GOAL scholarship program. GOAL is for children who have been enrolled in private school for at least six weeks. This proves that the child is serious about their education in the private school setting and therefore will not waste the tuition money.
The GOAL scholarship is granted to children based on financial need. The more of the need the more GOAL is willing to offer. At most GOAL will give 90% of your private school’s lowest tuition.
The GOAL scholarship does have an income cut-off. If your household income is more than $211,238 then you do not qualify to obtain the GOAL scholarship.
Another scholarship is the Pay it Forward Scholarship. This scholarship equally splits up the scholarship money set aside for your private school to all eligible applicants.
In order to be eligible for the Pay it Forward scholarship, you must be a student and be a Georgia resident. Students in Pre-K, Kindergarten, and 1st grade are automatically eligible. Students in 2nd grade and above must have either received a scholarship, previously gone to a public school for six weeks prior to enrolling in private school, or have been homeschooled for one year prior to enrolling in private school.
If your child fits these standards they should be able to get some money.