Private schools in America and in Utah are a diverse group of institutions ranging from expensive preparatory academies to tiny, inexpensive religious schools. They are housed in historic buildings, churches, new campuses, homes, and even in shopping centers. They are for high academic achievers, for students with special needs, for students of particular religious backgrounds, and for students who share none of these characteristics. The only broad characteristic private schools share is that they are privately owned and operated, and thus are not bound by many of the restrictions that apply to public schools. The most common myth about private schools is that they are only available to the wealthy.
Many private schools offer tuition assistance to students from low-income families.
A Sutherland Institute survey of Wasatch Front private schools indicates that 66 percent offer tuition assistance, and some discount as much as 20 percent off the cost of tuition. Most myths are born from a truth that becomes distorted over time. The myth that private schools are available only to the wealthy was born of the reality that most families with children in private schools have to make significant sacrifices to finance their choices not to use public schools. The above survey showed that 73 percent of Wasatch Front private schools have no academic entrance requirements. The myth of academically elite private schools comes from the reality that private schools tend to have high rates of student achievement.