Tuition & budgets
Private school costs beyond tuition: a family budget checklist
Start with tuition for your child’s grade and schedule. Add every required fee and service your family will use. Subtract only aid confirmed in writing.
Reviewed 2026-09-08 · Which Private School editorial guide · How we work
Use the right grade and schedule
One price page may combine half-day preschool, full-day kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school. Catholic schools may show parishioner and standard rates. Other schools include meals or fees. Record the exact program and school year beside every number.
- Entering grade and school year
- Half-day, full-day, day, or boarding
- Standard, parishioner, employee, or sibling rate
- Items already included in tuition
List each required charge once
Application, testing, enrollment, and re-enrollment charges may sit outside tuition. A deposit may count toward tuition at one school and add to it at another. Ask admissions to mark each item as included, required extra, or optional.
- Application or assessment
- Enrollment deposit or seat fee
- Technology, books, or supplies
- Tuition insurance or payment-plan fee
- Uniforms, meals, or transportation
Price the services your family will use
Optional costs can become practical needs. A working parent may need daily care. A student may need a bus, lunch plan, athletics, tutoring, or trips. If the price is unknown, use a labeled estimate and keep a buffer instead of entering zero.
- Before-school and after-school care
- Summer care for calendar gaps
- Sports, arts, clubs, and trips
- Learning support or tutoring
- Driving, tolls, or bus service
Separate annual cost from cash timing
Dividing annual cost by 12 helps with planning, but a school may bill over 10 months or require an early deposit. Ask when the contract binds, what happens after withdrawal, and which payments can be returned. A lower annual price may still be hard if more is due early.
- Deposit amount and due date
- Number of tuition payments
- Installment fees
- Withdrawal and refund formula
Count aid only when confirmed
Texas says generally available discounts should remain available to TEFA families. A school may still consider TEFA when setting need-based aid. For 2026-27, the standard approved-private-school award is $10,474, but funding, enrollment confirmation, and eligible charges matter. A waitlist place or future application is not money in the budget.
- Build one budget without pending funds
- Use the final written school-aid offer
- Ask which charges are program eligible
- Keep family-paid and program-paid amounts separate
Sources & last checked
- Texas TEFA: tuition, fees, discounts, aid, and refunds ↗ · Checked 2026-09-08
- Texas TEFA: 2026-27 amounts and timeline ↗ · Checked 2026-09-08