A school tuition invoice is for any public or private school to request payment for a student’s enrollment. Tuition is normally billed before every semester or 4 times within the calendar school year.

Paying School Tuition

School tuition must be paid in full before an academic period begins. That goes for all levels of schooling that requires tuition to be paid including early child education, high school (private), or college (public or private). Parents that are able to put up 100% of funds for their child  to enter college won’t have to apply for financial assistance. If financial assistance is needed, it should be something that is planned at least a few years ahead of time to ensure funds are available before the start of the academic semester. The only time tuition doesn’t have to be paid is when a student is granted a scholarship. Scholarships can be given out for reasons due to academics or athletics. A scholarship can be lost if a student does not uphold to the standards of satisfactory during their tenure at school. Those needing help with tuition should use the resources of the FAFSA in order to apply for financial aide. In order to be eligible, students must demonstrate the need for financial aide, be a US citizen (have a valid SSN), and be registered with the Selective Service. Use the FAFSA4caster to estimate your eligibility for federal student aid. There are primarily 4 ways a student can pay for their school’s tuition:

• Cash – If having the full amount to pay for college at the beginning of the semester, one can simply pay with cash.
• Grants / Scholarships – A type of financial aid in which a student does not need to pay back. Students will need to maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to keep hold of their grant.
• Work Study – Students can chip away at their college tuition by taking on a job within their school.
• Loans – Students can borrow money and pay back the loan (with interest) when they obtain a job after graduating.

Average College Tuition

Private School Tuition – The average cost of tuition at a 4-year private college costs $41,468.

Public School Tuition – The average cost of tuition at a 4-year public college costs $19,488. State universities are public schools that charge a tuition that costs less for in-state residents. Because public colleges are cheaper, obtaining a student loan is far easier.

Sources: (National Center for Education Statistics)

Is Private School Tuition Tax Deductible?

The IRS does not allow parents to deduct school tuition costs from their federal tax liability, therefore school tuition is not tax deductible.

Alternatives

• If a child is in need of special private education due to a disability of some kind, parents can set up an ESA (Education Savings Account) to receive public funds and apply it to their child’s private school tuition.
• Set up a 529 plan (account), which is a tax-advantage savings plan for college savings. Parents are able to pre-pay and lock in college tuition at today’s rate and take tax-free withdrawals when paying for education expenses.