Are K-12 public schools tuition-free?

Public K-12 schools and online schools for K-12 do not charge tuition fees. Private K-12 schools do charge tuition, often rivaling the cost of colleges.

Public government-run schools do not need to charge tuition. The money to run these schools comes from the state, federal or local government. However, schools that are not run by the government must charge tuition to stay functional. The National Association of Independent Schools puts the price tag of most private school tuition between $10,841 and $37,017. However, this cost varies depending on if the school is a day school or a boarding school and if the school is associated with the NAIS.