This has proven to be one of the most popular posts on this blog, so it’s time for an update. The good news is that the update comes with more resources!
Although the big bills are for college, the reality is that many students are not well served by their public high schools. We could argue all night and all day about why that is, but they just aren’t. Meanwhile, I had a great time at a Catholic high school, and my kid attends one now.
My general advice would be to put your money toward college than toward high school, but I also understand that many people are better off in private high schools. I certainly don’t think that my experience or the experience my kid is having should be limited to people who can afford the tuition. Many private schools see part of their mission as getting people out of poverty, and many others simply want diversity among their student body.
A friend who teaches seventh grade in the Chicago Public Schools recently told me that many of his students were interested in private school, but he didn’t know what to tell them. Because my husband and I looked at private schools for our child (we looked at public schools as well), I had some ideas to share with him, and I thought I would share them with you. If you know a child who would benefit, please, pass this information on. These programs all in the Chicago area, but there are similar programs all over the country. I know that my alma mater in Youngstown, OH offers a ton of financial aid, thanks to so many generous alumni.
So, here’s my list:
Several kids attend Loyola Academy through Boys Hope Girls Hope. They actually board at the school, and it’s a phenomenal program for kids who have complicated family lives. It’s not like a foster or group-home placement – the kids apply to go there. I recently met a graduate of the program who is in his first year of medical school, and he just gushed about how much he loved Loyola. I thought it was a great sign that a kid on that kind of full ride had a great experience.
The Jesuits operate several mission high schools around the country. They have two in Chicago, Christ the King and Cristo Rey. Both are funded through a work-study program that lets kids work off their tuition and get work experience. They are great programs, although I’ve heard they are incredibly competitive.
The Archdiocese of Chicago has a scholarship fund called the Big Shoulders Fund for its schools. Students apply through the high school they want to attend.
There’s a program at Latin School of Chicago called High Jump to prepare kids for college prep high schools. I’m told that several private schools use it to screen students for their scholarship programs. Students apply in 6th grade.
The Daniel Murphy Scholarship Program offers scholarships and academic preparation programs to several different high schools, including day schools in the Chicago area and boarding schools elsewhere in the country.
Chicago Lights is a tutoring program at Fourth Presbyterian Church. That’s the big church across from Water Tower Place where my husband’s grandmother was apparently married twice. (I married into an old Chicago family, which is not the same as old-money Chicago family. Alas.) It prepares students for college prep high schools, and it offers a scholarship program for the kids who participate.
Another program that combines scholarships with academic support is the HighSight Organization. It works with private schools all over the city.
HFS Chicago Scholars, which used to be a scholarship program for graduates of Holy Family School, now serves kids throughout Chicago. (Holy Family School has since closed.)
African-American students should check out Link Unlimited, which has a long history of helping kids pay for high school and succeed when they get there.
If you know of any others, please put them in the comments. Education is so important! It shouldn’t be a luxury.
