Do I make too much for Financial Aid for Private School Tuition?

I think that since you're a single parent you have a good shot at receiving some financial aid. How much depends on a wide variety of things: how much financial aid you can receive (% of tuition which varies based on the school), the financial state of all the other kids that apply for financial aid (schools only have a set amount of aid to give each year), how big your loans (if any) are etc. Being a homeowner could help or hurt you. When my wife and I filled out the SSS form (organization that determines how much you can afford and sends the info to the schools), we found out (much to our surprise) that they took into consideration how much we owed on our house vs the current market value. They counted that equity as possible income which didn't help us considering the boom in real estate these past few years.

Absolutely go for it. We got financial aid for our daughter's preschool, even though I thought we wouldn't qualify. But a friend encouraged us – the worst they can say is 'no' – and we received $5k off the $24k annual tuition. Our income (2 parents, 1 kid) was roughly $140k gross at the time. The application process can be exhausting (they want to know evvverything) but very worth it in the end!

You are well within the range for aid; definitely apply. The amount available varies school by school, but my guess is you will be offered reasonable aid most places you apply. Cast a wide net to see, though. Good luck!

Each school's financial aid is different and every one's financial situation is different. In our case, we are dual income around $160k combined but also have some assets. We did not qualify for much the first round but we appealed the decision and received a much more generous package. I have a co worked who didn't get anything the first time around and she appealed and got financial to cover half of their tuitions. Good luck! 

I work in Admissions at a local independent school and have some role in the tuition assistance process.

Every school has their own aid criteria and budget - no two schools are alike in that way. Qualification for assistance doesn't necessarily mean that the school will have the resources to cover all of the need/requests for aid that they receive; typically larger schools have more tuition assistance resources, but it really does vary. With that said, I've worked at schools in different cities, and my gut is that you would qualify for assistance based on your circumstance.

With regard to the process, many schools utilize an online tool that takes into account all of your assets, liabilities, the cost of living, and so forth. Through this tool, they can determine your available resources. In some cases, the form can be shared across a shared platform to several schools of your choosing (through FAST or SSS, etc) so you don't have to do it too many times. It is a fairly tedious process and you do have to give a good deal of financial information (I apply for assistance for my own family). However, finding the right school for your child is truly invaluable --- so I think it's time well spent. 

Of course, we are also blessed with many wonderful public options in the East Bay too so hopefully it will all work out to your liking.

Hope that helps!

My circumstances are similar to yours and I get 72% financial aid at my child's school (meaning I pay 28% of tuition and most of the extra expenses). So, yes, definitely apply.

You definitely should apply. The cost of living here is so high that a single working parent with a mortgage to pay should be offered something. Good luck!