How to Search For Free or Assisted Tuiton Boarding Schools for Problem Teens
Free boarding schools are practically non-existent. These institutions require an immense amount of funding in order to operate -- schools for troubled teens even more so, as they often include therapy and professional disciplinary help. While normal boarding schools sometimes offer scholarships and sponsorships, such is usually not the case with schools for children with disciplinary issues. Though free is not an option, there are financial assistance opportunities in the form of payment plans and discounts based on your income and credit status to help relieve the pressure of paying for the help your child needs.
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Instructions
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Go to the Teen Boarding Schools website. This site helps you assess your student's needs based on his behavior and find the right solution for him. Here you can access information about boarding schools, residential programs, summer camp opportunities and therapy options, all for troubled teens.
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Select the problem your teen is dealing with from the disorders drop-down menu in the search box. Typically, afflictions like Internet addiction won't return results for boarding schools, but selections such as adolescent issues and substance abuse will. These search terms indicate the common behavior problems that would traditionally be addressed in a boarding-school setting.
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Select the region of the United States you wish your child to go to or leave the selection as "Any" to see all the results that pertain to your child's needs. Then, choose boarding schools from the "Type of Treatment" menu and click "Search."
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Scroll through your returned results and click on those institutions that are of the most interest to you. You will be redirected to a new page that tells you a bit more about the school's program, gives you the address and website, the school's licensing and accreditation, as well as the type of conditions they treat.
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Make a list of the school you like, and then visit each of the websites individually. At the main site, each school should have a tuition and financial assistance tab. If they do not, then click on the "Admissions" tab, as this is where the financial information is most likely to be.
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Read through the school's options and call the number for an admissions representative to discuss your needs as a parent and as a family. Typically, you will see two options offered for financial assistance: a private loan or a payment plan. Talk to the representative about both of these, as only the school can offer you a payment plan and each individual institution may work with different loan agencies. Keep in mind, that not all schools offer a payment plan and it is their right to change the terms and conditions of these plans at any time.
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Discuss the opportunity with your family. Private loans can be a risky undertaking, especially when the monthly cost of a boarding school for a troubled teen is around $6,000 or more, as of January 2011. Talk to the school representative and investigate each of the financing institutions that they work with to make sure you are getting the best deal.
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Look for loans that don't require collateral, don't have prepayment penalties, allow up to six months or more interest free, may postpone payment until after school and have a low interest rate. Compare each of the loan options available to you and try to choose the one that meets each of these criteria.
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Ask critical questions of the financing institution. Private loans are usually based on a variable interest rate meaning your rate could change, i.e. increase, once a year or as often as once a month. Make sure to find out these stipulations and read the loan contract carefully so as not to apply for a loan with an initial low interest rate only to end up paying more in the end.
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Consider other options outside boarding school if the case is not severe or you find that the endeavor would be financially unsound. Those options include boot camp programs provided by local police stations and prisons, which some parents are against, or the Job Corps program. Job Corps is free career education that combines discipline with an academic environment to helps young people find their path in life. It is funded by Congress and usually only available to those families deemed low income. Keep in mind with this option, however, that if your teen is resistant and does not go, this program will not help them.
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