<p>Not the same question, and didn’t mean to solicit posts from people who have no interest in the topic or who would rather answer the supposedly same question in another thread. I would move right past this thread.</p>
<p>123mama, but I think sometimes it’s just a practical matter. I would want DC attend events that are organized or offered by the school with their friends. In a sense, life at BS is already <em>hard</em>. I’d want to avoid this kind of distraction… The school sponsored activities are controlled by the school. It doesn’t mean they have to be all free. After all, to prioritize and budget their money is a lesson to learn as well, but from the school’s perspective, they should try not to make these activities means to make some kids “feel bad”. </p>
<p>I think we are talking about what the mandatory fees cover in different schools, and whether certain components of the mandatory fees should be mandatory.</p>
<p>One could then suggest that you could help parents by posting the specific school your DC attends and what fees you consider fair and unfair. Surely you are able to provide a comprehensive list to support your claims.</p>
<p>DAndrew, I agree that it’s a matter of practicality, I just come to a different conclusion. 
I also agree that BS is hard, in several ways, <em>but</em> I found DC1’s adjustment issues were mostly ones related to dealing with high school, not because it was boarding–and I definitely leave room for the possibility that it may be different for DC2–different school, different kid. IMO, economic differences are part of school and life, already dealt with before high school; again, not specific to boarding. I do realize this may be a different experience for kids coming from more homogeneous schools and neighborhoods. </p>
<p>As I stated before, I would hope some activities will be included (both on and off campus), but it doesn’t bother me if all aren’t. </p>
<p>This thread did begin with mandatory costs and fees, but if we’re looking at comparing net costs, I think it’s important to address the unexpected, seemingly hidden costs. I think I posted on the other thread referenced, I wish we had a clearer idea of these more squishy fees/costs before BS for DC1. In speaking with other parents, these do seem to vary quite a bit among the different BSs.</p>
<p>Most activities are not covered. It’s not possible to do that without raising tuition - and in the end, middle class families will be hurt the worst as the cost goes out of their reach. So I’m not sure trying to look at explicitly stated fees in the initial packet will give a fair appraisal of the actual “net” cost of attending an individual school.</p>
<p>Students are expected to buy (or supply) their athletic equipment, their books, their materials. That means making choices. Want to play squash but can’t afford a raquet - then have to choose something else. Charges are also applied for many incidentals (for instance transportation to the band’s music performance, and clothing rental/cleaning). Which is why parents started the hidden fees thread. Parents can try to discern “net” present value by looking at mandatory fees (such as a technology fee) - but in the end, those fees end up being a drop of water in an ocean unless the student has a full scholarship that includes those things and a stipend for incidentals. For instance, at one school I spoke with, students on full aid also get a stipend to allow them to eat in the grill so they don’t feel “different” as long as they don’t go overboard. And certainly when I was attending Exeter one of my friends received music lessons - something I could not afford. If anything - the latter caused some degree of resentment among those of us who were paying partial tuition which was a hardship for our families. </p>
<p>Better to estimate the breadth of the hidden fees (for the spring break trip overseas, or the volunteer trip outside of the state, dorm fees, activity fees, prom fees, laundry fees, proximity to take-out food, etc… …) and help a student understand that life isn’t always about equal - but prioritization within a budget. Our daughter was walked through her budget before she left and as a result, has been judicious about how she allocates her funds and ours.</p>
<p>And actually - she commented that the students on her campus who have to budget carefully are doing better and are less cavalier about money than those with unlimited funds available and no one telling them “no.”</p>
<p>^^Yes, very important to acknowledge, discuss, and make sure the budget is understood before the DC leaves for school. Budgeting is all about priorities, and people have different priorities. Not better, just different. </p>
<p>I do admit that I believe this area is one of several where “our” BS kids are ahead of the game when they get to college.</p>
<p>Well, this thread is making me appreciate Choate (although my information is only as current as last year). All uniforms and transportation to and from school sponsored events- concerts, althletic events, and meals while off campus were covered by the school. Sometimes food off campus was just a drive through McDonalds, but covered. Choir robes provided and maintained by the school, and athletic uniforms and practice clothes right down to the socks- washed for the kids and issued back at the gym every day. So prospective students, ask at revisit days. One unexpected cost was hoodies/T shirts to promote dorm bonding, but those were voluntary.</p>
<p>
I have been on this forum long enough to know how to have a discussion and make my opinions known without revealing the school(s) I am associated with, which is not against the rules of College Confidential in any way. Please stay on the topic if you want to make any comments in this thread. Otherwise you are just being rude and spamming.</p>
<p>123mama and baystateresident, thank you for your input. I think in this context, what’s important for people to look into is not “hidden costs” that are not included in tuition and mandatory fees but the possible “hiddent benefits” of higher tuition fees. Do schools with lower tuition fees offer significantly less “perks”? Do those perks matter to your family and the student? Do you prefer some of the cost to be discretionary or mandatory? I personally would like to pay a lower tuition fee only if most on-campus actitivities, the occasional off campus trips, and on- and off- campus atheletic events are covered. I can accept the fact that some of the activities are not “free”, but they shouldn’t be prohibitive to some enough to make a “class division” among students. </p>
<p>In general, schools with larger endowments can afford to charge lower tuition fees but that doesn’t seem always true. I think it also has something to do with the scale of economy, what the schools feel important should be part of the BS experience and should be factored in the tuition fees, etc. </p>
<p>I hope this thread, if nothing else, can remind the families to look into the tution fees they are about to pay and find out what the “real deal” is - for those who are “cost aware” and are picking a schools among more than one options anyway.</p>
<p>
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<p>Yes, I agree that the kids know they come from different backgrounds. Looking at my eldest child’s charges at school, it’s mostly notebooks, books used in class, and the occasional snack. Most events on campus are free, and transport to the mall or movies is also included. That isn’t true for every school, I gather from other threads on this topic. </p>
<p>Students’ families pursue very different activities at home, and that’s normal. I’m not arguing that all students should be in denial about their different backgrounds. On the other hand, the social side of the time at boarding school is part of the total, life-changing experience. For example, I would rather that all students be able to go to a school dance on campus on Saturday night, without worrying about an admission fee. (made-up example. Others may know of a more appropriate example. A shuttle-bus to the movies?) </p>
<p>Students may choose to watch movies in their common rooms, but I’d hate to think some students would always miss group social events due to the cost. On a practical level, it’s probably easier to monitor the behavior of hundreds of teens at a central event, than try to monitor various smaller groups dispersed across campus.</p>
<p>I don’t consider volunteer trips during breaks to be the sort of thing which should be covered by tuition. Some may disagree with me.</p>
<p>Stratification which can have unfortunate effects years later. I was speaking with another alum from my alma mater at an alumni event. He had attended our college on scholarship, and currently interviews applicants. I had the distinct impression that he would have reservations about a kid on scholarship attending our college, based solely on whatever he experienced back in the 70s. I attempted to tell him that the climate had changed radically, by the late 80s, and had improved even further since then. I don’t think I was able to change his mind.</p>
<p>Lawrenceville:
</p>
<p>Kent:
</p>
<p>Boarder Fees for 2012-13 at Choate
Tuition: $48,890
Health Fee: $140
Health Insurance (addendum to family’s current coverage): $210
Health Insurance (primary, required of all int’l students): $931
Technology Fee: $750
Tuition Refund Insurance: Auto-enrolled, included in tuition</p>
<p>(1% discount on tuition if paid in full before 7/2/12.)</p>
<p>^^Like the “auto-enrolled, included in tuition” tuition refund insurance. Since it’s either required or highly recommended in most schools, taking out the insurance, Choate tuition is effectively a few thousand dollars less! (Right?)</p>
<p>@DAndrew: I guess so, but there isn’t much that makes $48,890 look like much of a bargain…</p>
<p>Here is a recent thread on the Parents board about hidden costs:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1291390-unexpected-addl-bs-costs-besides-tuition-room-board.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/prep-school-parents/1291390-unexpected-addl-bs-costs-besides-tuition-room-board.html</a></p>
<p>@Chotiemom, I agree but I thought I had set a pretty high bar before you. 
@GMTplus7: This thread is not about “hidden costs” though. You see, “hidden costs” are costs you don’t see from tuitions and mandatory fees, but supposedly you will get some or all of them wherever you go to school. On the other hand, many of them are really discretionary spending, or at least you might be able to find “bargains” somehow to reduce the cost… The tuitions and mandatory fees however are non-negotiable and the difference of tuition fees from different schools can be thousands of dollars apart. For families that are “cost aware” and have more than one comparable schools to choose from, this is what they should look into: by paying more, do you get more? Or by paying less, are you actually NOT paying less because what you pay doesn’t cover all you NEED?..</p>
<p>It is also a reference point for FA receiver. By substracting the amount of award from tuition + mandatory fees, they get to know how much they pay. Sometimes one school can offer a lot more FA in dollar amount than another school but because it’s more expensive you actually end up paying more out of pocket…</p>
<p>DAndrew,
</p>
<p>Yes, that is true for many hidden costs, but a killer hidden cost is travel, i.e. if one of your school choices requires air travel and another doesn’t. The far away schools can also add on overnight hotel stays for parent visits.</p>
<p>DAndrew, I think it’s important for parents comparing prices and packages to look at costs that aren’t listed as mandatory, but aren’t optional. I agree, some of the things listed on the other thread fall under what I consider discretionary spending, but some don’t.
As GMT pointed out, travel fees are necessary–even if you’re driving, gas prices are $. Books and supplies aren’t optional, some schools seem to have a more active network than others for kids to buy used. Some schools have mandatory trips (ie, service), not included in tuition, is there an option for less expensive trip? Laundry doesn’t have to be done by the pricey laundry service, but it does have to be done. Kids who are going to school in a different climate than their home will need items not budgeted for in years past. </p>
<p>*I am not looking to be argumentative or negative, just realistic. These are all things I’m taking into consideration when comparing costs.</p>
<p>Are all textbooks NOT included in the tuition price? If so what is the typical price of textbooks annually. For some reason I assumed ( unlike college) that textbooks ( as in most secondary schools) were included.</p>
<p>Oura, textbooks, assigned readings, supplies, are not included in the tuition price. Maybe there is a BS where it’s inclusive, but none that I’m aware of. My experience is, however, limited. </p>
<p>Books can be really expensive, much like college. Most of the schools I’ve seen info on say to expect btw 450-850 a year on books and supplies. YMMV. On the bright side, there is half.com, buying used from students who took the course the previous year, etc.</p>
<p>@123mama
Thank you for the info on books!</p>