Paying for a Private School or Program
Boarding Schools & Residential Treatment - Outdoor Programs & Summer Camps

More Information on Paying for a Private School or Program

If you have health insurance, read your policy carefully and contact your carrier to find out exactly what services are covered and for how long.  Many insurance plans and health maintenance organizations (HMOs) may provide mental health benefits but limit your choice of provider and services.  HMOs usually will require a referral from a medical or mental health professional.  Mental health services typically require payment of deductibles.  Read Know Your Health Insurance Benefits.

UnitedHealthCare Children's Foundation offers grants that provide financial relief for families who have children with medical needs not covered or not fully covered by their commercial health benefit plan.  The Foundation aims to fill the gap between what medical services/items your child needs and what your commercial health benefit plan will pay for.

The Friends of Families with Children in Crisis Foundation provides financial assistance in the form of  collateralized loans to families where a lack of financial resources jeopardizes a student's continued enrollment in a therapeutic residential program.

Residential treatment programs for behavioral and drug-related problems are tax deductible as a medical expense to the extent they exceed 7.5% of adjusted gross income [Urbauer Case: Charles F. and Kim K. Urbauer vs Commissioner - Docket No 11173-90, Tax Code Memo 1992-170, Filed March 24, 1992].  Talk with your tax accountant or tax attorney for advice regarding tax deductibility of specific programs and how this may or may not apply in your individual situation.

Tuition may be paid by Special Education funds via local school boards.  If you wish to seek reimbursement from your school district, do not remove your child from public school and place him or her in a private school until you have consulted with a lawyer and complied with the notice provisions of applicable federal and state laws.  You risk losing the option of recovering the tuition fees from the school district in a due process lawsuit.  Visit Special Education for helping resources.

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Mental Health Patients' Bill of Rights ~ You often don't discover what your managed care plan or health insurance plan covers until you need services. This is especially true for mental health care and substance abuse treatment.

Private Schooling for "Confinement" Does Not Qualify for District Funding

Staying Together: Preventing Custody Relinquishment for Children's Access to Mental Health Services ~ When private or public insurance plans will not pay, many parents face a painful dilemma: to get the mental health treatment their child needs, they must turn their son or daughter over to the child welfare or juvenile justice system.

Teaming Up: Using the IDEA and Medicaid to Secure Comprehensive Mental Health Services for Children and Youth (pdf) ~ This publication is designed to inform practitioners — IDEA attorneys and advocates who are not familiar with Medicaid, and Medicaid attorneys and advocates who do not know the IDEA or who have little experience in using Medicaid — how they may obtain the services and supports needed by children with emotional and behavioral disorders.