Toronto's Upper Canada College recently expanded its grant and scholarship programs to attract primary and secondary school boys from a wider variety of backgrounds.

The world of private schools can be mind-boggling in its variety, its maze-like application process — and especially its costs. Yet more and more parents are venturing in, motivated by concern over dwindling public school resources, the desire to foster a child’s special interests, or simply because they want to surround their offspring with certain religious or cultural values.

And the schools are increasingly reaching out to welcome them, with even traditional, elite institutions working to broaden their student populations.

Upper Canada College, for example, is the alma mater of many of Canada’s future leaders and magnates. It recently made news by substantially expanding its grant and scholarship programs to allow primary and secondary school boys from a wider variety of backgrounds to enter its hallowed halls.

According to the Federation of Independent School Associations, there are more than 1,700 private institutions in Canada, catering to almost any desired specialization: Arts, sciences or general academics; religious affiliations (about half of all private schools); co-ed or single-sex, day or boarding. Schools that follow a specific educational approach, such as the Montessori or Waldorf (Steiner) method, may be best known, but there are others that offer customized hours, focus on multiple languages, or nurture a social consciousness or ethnic identity.

Resources and costs

Whatever their niche, private schools often boast a lower student-to-teacher ratio, greater curriculum diversity, better classroom resources and higher assurance of university preparation than the public system — though parents should take none of those qualities for granted, especially if the school lacks accreditation.

Tuition costs are almost as wide-ranging as the school profiles, and usually increase with the child’s age. Parents are looking at $5,000 or more a year for students who live at home, and close to $40,000 for boarding school — more if it’s outside Canada. Montessori schools, which share a teaching philosophy but are run independently, charge on average $5,000 for a primary, part-day program and closer to $10,000 for full-time students.

"As a general rule, schools which offer specialized instruction programs, such as the teaching of children with attention deficit disorders and dyslexia, will charge more than schools offering so-called ‘standard’ programs," says Robert Kennedy, a long-time school teacher and administrator who runs an online guide to private schools.

But tuition is just the beginning.

Books, various class supplies, meals and busing are usually extra. Many schools require that children have laptops, charge fees for overnight trips and after-school care, and demand uniforms. New students face registration fees of several thousand dollars. Even the application process costs money — $100 or more a pop, which can quickly add up when applying to several schools.

Footing the bills

So how does a middle-class parent afford such an investment?

First, figure what you can pay by going through your assets and monthly budget.

Then look for help. Financial aid programs are now common at independent schools. Most private schools want a diverse student body and encourage successful applicants to apply for financial assistance. That assistance can take the form of a scholarship or grants and bursaries.

The latter two are typically based on need (some schools automatically award bursaries to incoming students). The amount of aid a school makes available will depend on the criteria of its aid programs, the size of its endowment and how much the school wants to recruit your child — but it can be as much as the full tuition (though this is a taxable benefit). And many schools have been beefing up their fundraising to boost financial lures for the best candidates.

To ease the cash strain, many schools offer tuition payment plans that allow parents to split the cost over monthly payments. Additionally, siblings of existing students often get a break on tuition.

As one private-school admissions director said, "My mandate is to not let money be the reason that a child doesn’t come to our school."

Aside from the schools themselves, parents can turn to community organizations, such as local clubs or churches, many of which may help fund the schooling of deserving students. Ontario and Alberta residents can also tap Children First: School Choice, a program affiliated with the conservative Fraser Institute, offers grants of up to 50 per cent of an annual tuition (up to $4,000) at an independent school for elementary-level children of low-income families.

If the numbers still don’t add up, parents may have to limit the private school to only a few years. But which years should those be?

It’s a common dilemma and opinion is divided. Some experts believe that high school is where education matters most, as it prepares kids for university; others argue that private middle schools can help kids meet the demands of high school.

Others still, including many educators and psychologists, stress the early years.

"I have always felt very strongly that early education is critically important," says Kennedy. "That’s the time when the child learns to read and write and conceptualize. Small classes and plenty of individual attention will help immensely."

The closer attention smaller classrooms allow can help identify learning problems or special talents early, for example.

And there’s another compelling reason for non-upper-crust families to look at an early private education: Primary-level education generally costs less.