The lowdown on "gifts" to private schools

[Anonymous]

I have a DC who will be attending private school in the fall. Does this mean we are expected to make gifts to the school beyond what we pay for tuition (which is hardly chump change!) ? And if so, what is the range of what is expected? Are there consequences for NOT contributing?

[Anonymous]

I have heard all kinds of "rumours" on this - - -would love to hear from actual parents who are in the "know" at the actual schools. Someone said Beauvoir expects an extra 3-5K......and imply that to get into St Albans or NNCS you better ante up. Wonder if that is really true?

[Anonymous]

Sidwell Friends has an annual fund for current parents - called Fair Share (see http://www.sidwell.edu/support_sfs/annualfunds_fairshare.asp for details). Participation outweighs dollar amount in importance - according to the web page 95% of current parents give. Our $250/year contribution seems fine. Others that can afford to give more - do and the school appreciates that. I have found other ways to 'give' (volunteer, etc.) and those efforts are also appreciated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have heard all kinds of "rumours" on this - - -would love to hear from actual parents who are in the "know" at the actual schools. Someone said Beauvoir expects an extra 3-5K......and imply that to get into St Albans or NNCS you better ante up. Wonder if that is really true?

Current Beauvoir parent here. I have never heard that contribution affects chances at STA and NCS.

[Anonymous]

I think every private school does fundraising. Participation, even in small amounts, generally is expected. I would be surprised if failure to give would impact chances of admission to NCS or St. Alban's but giving in very large amounts probably helps.

[Anonymous]

This is our first year and we have paid the amount the school has indicated is the difference between the cost of each student and the fees which is circa 5000. It's hard to know what the norm is - we did not feel comfortable asking anyone. We have been told that the donations get published (with names ) so I guess at some point this year we will know what others contribute.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is our first year and we have paid the amount the school has indicated is the difference between the cost of each student and the fees which is circa 5000. It's hard to know what the norm is - we did not feel comfortable asking anyone. We have been told that the donations get published (with names ) so I guess at some point this year we will know what others contribute.

PP, do you feel comfortable disclosing the name of the school involved?

[Anonymous]

The gap between tuition and operating expenses at most of the more competitive independent schools is around $3000-4000. Most of these schools publish the list of contributors and the amount donated. Sometimes the information is available for those within the school's community. Sometimes the information is available to the public at large. I recall seeing the list of donors for Beauvoir as part of their admissions literature.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The gap between tuition and operating expenses at most of the more competitive independent schools is around $3000-4000. Most of these schools publish the list of contributors and the amount donated. Sometimes the information is available for those within the school's community. Sometimes the information is available to the public at large. I recall seeing the list of donors for Beauvoir as part of their admissions literature.

It seems to me that if parents are expected to make up the gap, the schools should just increase the tuition. For some parents $30K is already a hit, its a bit misleading to tell parents up front that the tuition is X and then use the operating expenses gap as a "excuse" to squeeze more money out of them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems to me that if parents are expected to make up the gap, the schools should just increase the tuition. For some parents $30K is already a hit, its a bit misleading to tell parents up front that the tuition is X and then use the operating expenses gap as a "excuse" to squeeze more money out of them.

Although I do agree that it would be nice to know up front what the actual costs are, there are a few reasons for keeping the tuition below actual costs. Whether these reasons justify the decision is a debatable question. One reason could be that some families might be able to afford the stated tuition but not what the tuition would be if all costs were paid by tuition. Not everybody contributes the 3-5K to make up the gap. Some might even contribute more, in effect subsidizing those who don't contribute. Some families might also be discouraged from applying if the tuition were actually listed at $30K. Another factor that I've heard thrown about is that the contributions that you make to the school are tax-deductible, whereas tuition is not.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The gap between tuition and operating expenses at most of the more competitive independent schools is around $3000-4000. Most of these schools publish the list of contributors and the amount donated. Sometimes the information is available for those within the school's community. Sometimes the information is available to the public at large. I recall seeing the list of donors for Beauvoir as part of their admissions literature.

At our DS's school it is definitely above $5000 and that is what we paid. Not sure about other schools though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The gap between tuition and operating expenses at most of the more competitive independent schools is around $3000-4000. Most of these schools publish the list of contributors and the amount donated. Sometimes the information is available for those within the school's community. Sometimes the information is available to the public at large. I recall seeing the list of donors for Beauvoir as part of their admissions literature.

At our DS's school it is definitely above $5000 and that is what we paid. Not sure about other schools though.

Yes, I heard another parent say that at many of the selective schools, the "gap" is about 20% to 25% of tuition.

[Anonymous]

My DS goes to Sidwell. The tuition covers about 80% of the actual cost of the education. As was previously posted, parents participate in the "Fair Share" program, some contribute $25, others significantly more.

There is no pressure to give over and above tuition, and as with any other school, many parents and guardians volunteer time and other considerations beyond money.

[Anonymous]

There is SOME pressure to give in that they start the fall with an annual giving campaign and have a "thermometer" display out by the carpool drop off. And publishing the names and amounts of donors/donations in one of the two annual magazines that are sent to all families is both a nice way to recognize genorosity as well as a gentle push to non-contributors. But a good portion of the money collected goes to scholarships and teacher training, etc. so one doesn't mind participating too much. The schools have a real interest in helping their graduates get into good high schools, so I would not be concerned about your level of contributions affect on your DC's chances. Just do what feels right for your family and relax. For some, that definitely means volunteering time only, but that time is greatly appreciated!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There is SOME pressure to give in that they start the fall with an annual giving campaign and have a "thermometer" display out by the carpool drop off. And publishing the names and amounts of donors/donations in one of the two annual magazines that are sent to all families is both a nice way to recognize genorosity as well as a gentle push to non-contributors. But a good portion of the money collected goes to scholarships and teacher training, etc. so one doesn't mind participating too much. The schools have a real interest in helping their graduates get into good high schools, so I would not be concerned about your level of contributions affect on your DC's chances. Just do what feels right for your family and relax. For some, that definitely means volunteering time only, but that time is greatly appreciated!!

Totally agree with pp with respect to the pressure to give and publishing of contributions. We get regular reminders about annual giving and the contributions are published.