<p>My d is going to Bentley Univ in Fall. She was offered nice merit packages at several schools, but not at Bentley. So we're looking at about 48K a yr. She is going to a 3 day orientation at Bentley in June to select classes for the fall, do some placemt testing etc. On the last day, they have invited parents to come to a parent orientation. It's on weekday so we'd need to take time off from our jobs, but both my h and I want to attend. We were surprised to discover that they are charging $25 per parent to attend! I assume we will just meet faculty, maybe attend session on what to expect in the coming yr, and maybe have lunch. Can't understand why they would charge parents $50 to attend this brief event, esp when parents may need to travel a distance to/from school, and stay at a hotel. I definitely feel we're being nickeled and dimed. Paying 48K and they can't cover cost of a lunch and sessions for parents? Is this a common at other schools as well? Anyone else encountered this?</p>
<p>There was a cost associated with our parent orientation, too. They explained that orientation is a separate program from the academic departments and they fund themselves - so they charge students and parents for orientation events.</p>
<p>we are also being charged, and more than that…</p>
<p>There was no charge that I recall for parent’s orientation, nor for freshman parents weekend, nor for junior parents weekend. We were welcomed as honored guests.</p>
<p>I guess some schools take the airline business model - charge for luggage, charge for food, etc.</p>
<p>We paid for parent orientation at both of our kids’ colleges. The costs covered the breakfast, and luncheons they served us during the orientation time, and the “stuff” they gave us (hand outs, information, etc). I had no problem with the fee as it was very nominal. Simply put…where my kids went to college, it would have cost us a LOT more than $25 each to eat.</p>
<p>Parent orientation, however, is not required. It is optional. We both attended for our first child, but only one for the second. Count your blessings that it’s only one day. Where my kids went, the parent orientation was TWO days which also required housing costs. And in the case of one of my kids, an airline ticket for the parent, and a rental car were also needed. $25 a person sounds like a bargain to me!!</p>
<p>For us it’s over $100 per parent. It’s a two-day program. Fortunately it’s just over an hour from our home. Initially, just my husband was going to go, but my daughter wanted me there. I decided that in the scheme of things an exta $100 wasn’t going to cirpple us … but I’m expecting a nice lunch :)</p>
<p>yup I had the same experience as thumper1. Orientation involved two days, overnight, planet cost, etc. Younger child is going this summer. They are charging me and it will mean a long drive, one night on the campus, a night before at a hotel (they do placement at 8am and it is a 5 hour drive for us), etc. Orientation is just the beginning of opening your wallet…</p>
<p>Wow, had no idea this was a widespread policy. Guess I was lulled into thinking we’d be guests, because we attended open house/family days at 3 different schools (incl Bentley) for accepted- but- yet -to- enroll -students/parents, all of which were at no charge and were more expensive for the schools since the numbers of invitees were much greater. Guess once you register the (free) party’s over!! Thanks for your responses, nice to know it isn’t just one school.</p>
<p>Some schools (UChicago, eg.) charge for freshman fall orientation.</p>
<p>no charge for us. (We were only welcomed one day and were provided a lunch and a talk by the president of the college which we skipped and the head of the school of computer science which we attended.) No charge for son’s weeklong orientation which followed.</p>
<p>We are charged for a one-day parent orientation…$70 for the two of us to go. Oh well, I figure it will make us both feel more comfortable with DD surroundings, we’ll get the lay of the land and hopefully get clued in on how things run at her new school.</p>
<p>Any fee is ridiculus. With four year tuitions in the hundreds of thousands and they have the gall to charge parents and their checkbooks to ask questions is insulting. Of course, it’s all about the $$$$$.</p>
<p>I paid $300 for myself and my dad to go to orientation next month (not to mention hotel, travel costs…)</p>
<p>My D had to pay, and parents had to pay, and there was a separate younger siblings program for pay if needed. They do orientation up right, we had breakfast, lunch, dinner, wine and cheese and dessert, tours of the city, performances by a popular local group, information sessions. It was fun, but I did skip some because I had a sister in the area I went out with sometimes instead.</p>
<p>We paid for tickets to the big (and delicious) dinner after Convocation. Daughter ditched us to hang out with new friends - we were glad that she had met so many kids in only an afternoon.
As a sidelight, the tasty spread included lots of grilled foods, the theme of the meal being sort of mediteranean/greek/middle eastern… Chicken on skewers, hummas, pitas, great veggies, and one that got more than a few kids from small towns confused… beautiful seared and seasoned cubes of tofu on skewers. Welcome to the bigger world!!!</p>
<p>When would you hear if they were going to charge for these things? I never paid for our oldest daughter but maybe its changed in five years?</p>
<p>The orientation fee for the student was part of our initial deposit. When she registered for a particular orientation session was when she could register a parent/sibling, and pay then.</p>
<p>Older ds’s state university charged for the parent orientation. I don’t remember the cost (he graduated May 2008), but I think it was something like $25-$45 for the one day…? I don’t think there is a charge for the parent orientation for this next one’s parent orientation.</p>
<p>No parent orientation at D’s school ( I already discussed this in separate thread), but we are paying $300+ extra for D’s orientation plus cost of transportation and hotel (she has to be there at 9:00 AM , so we have to stay the night before). Orientation is required.</p>
<p>She is my oldest so I will admit that I was a little surprised at this, but it looks as if this is pretty much the way it is now.</p>
<p>At S1’s LAC, there was no charge for parent orientation. At S2’s university there was…parents were not required to go and it lasted two days during the summer before freshman year. I have less problem paying for orfientation at that school, then all the extra fees for mandatory lab courses, music courses, etc.</p>