Yes, You Can Afford Private Education in Clearwater, FL at Lakeside Christian School

One of the most common reasons people don’t choose a private school for their children is because they don’t believe they can afford it. What many parents are surprised to learn is that there are several scholarships available that put private school within reach for nearly every family of every income level. Thanks to legislation expanding school choice, private schools across Florida accept millions of dollars in scholarships each year to ensure greater access to better education.

In this brief article, our team at Lakeside Christian School, an affordable private elementary school in Clearwater, FL, has shared a few of the scholarships available to help you remove the barrier of finances from providing your child the education they deserve.

Scholarships Accepted by Lakeside Christian School

At Lakeside Christian School, we want to remind you that YES! You can afford a private education at the best private school in Clearwater, FL. This is made possible through a combination of affordable tuition and the following scholarships to fill in any financial gaps or needs:

Step Up for Students: Step Up for Students scholarships are a product of the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship Program that was started in 1998 to help lower-income families have a choice in where their children went to school. Step Up for Students in Clearwater, FL allows parents the opportunity to take their children to participating private schools if they felt they were not being served with quality in their local schools. The Step Up for Students scholarship program is different because it targets students who tend to have the most limited options for improving the quality of their education. Families who are active duty military can also qualify for this scholarship.
McKay Scholarship: The McKay Scholarship Program for Students with Disabilities provided nearly 30,000 Florida students with special needs the opportunity to attend a participating private school during the 2020-21 school year. The McKay Scholarship Program also offers parents public school choice. A parent of an eligible special needs student may choose to transfer the student to another public school. This scholarship is now combined with the Gardiner Scholarship. Currently, the McKay scholarship is available to all students currently in the Florida Public School system who have a qualified IEP or 504 plan for specific learning issues.
Family Empowerment Scholarship: The Family Empowerment Scholarship (FES) is a scholarship program offered by the State of Florida through the Department of Education. It is intended for low-income and working-class families. This is different from the Step Up program.
AAA Scholarship Fund: The AAA Scholarship Foundation awards scholarships solely to qualifying low-income, disabled and/or displaced students. The AAA Scholarship Foundation is one of the only approved 501(c)(3) nonprofit scholarship organizations exclusively serving qualifying low-income, disabled and/or displaced students through these tax credit scholarship programs in multiple states.
FACTS Program: The FACTS scholarship is available to all parents who desire that their student attend Lakeside Christian School. This is an income-based scholarship designed to help create more affordable tuition.If you don’t qualify for the Step Up for Students scholarship, you still may qualify for other scholarship opportunities. Lakeside Christian School is committed to granting scholarships to families in need, which is why we created the FACTS scholarship. This scholarship is generously provided by our donors and helps those who are not recipients of Step Up for Students in Clearwater, FL.

If you don’t qualify for the scholarships above, you may still be able to use the FACTS program. This in-house scholarship is designed to create more affordable tuition for low-income families and is available to new families who have decided that Lakeside Christian School is right for them. Financial aid is available to all qualifying families through a process called FACTS. FACTS is an online financial aid assessment program.

It should be noted that currently the McKay and Step Up scholarships do not cover 100% of tuition costs.

How to Apply for Scholarships at Lakeside Christian School

Once you’ve realized that private school is within reach, the next question we often get is how to apply for scholarships that are available as well as their deadlines to apply.

Many Christian elementary schools in Clearwater ask that parents apply for scholarships prior to admission, however, you may find it more beneficial to speak with the school you are considering directly. School advisors will help guide you through the process of both applying for admission and applying for financial assistance.

Each year, Lakeside Christian School provides over $250,000 in scholarships to qualified families. Our team can help you navigate the ins and outs of applying for scholarships and financial aid and will discuss any deadlines so that you have plenty of time to apply and meet those deadlines. You’ll benefit from speaking with Step Up for Students participating schools in Clearwater, FL.

Lakeside Christian School wants to help you make the right decision for your family. With over 40 years of experience and a diverse student body of children who participate both in virtual learning and/or an in-person setting, Lakeside Christian School is built on the biblical principles of loving God and loving others. This care is demonstrated through the warm, respectful relationships among staff and between staff and students, and uses a tailored approach to your child’s education. If you’re interested in learning more about how we challenge all of our students to achieve their academic and personal goals, give us a call.

For more information and to schedule a tour, please call Jim Jensen, Administrator at (727) 477-8542.

If you would like to learn more about Lakeside Christian School, one of the Step Up for Students participating schools in Clearwater, FL, please give us a call at (727) 239-7808 or schedule a tour of our campus.