So...who exactly is the tuition committee?

amother

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 1:32 pm

We were just informed that our tuition is being raised by $2000 per child, according to the tuition committee. We have 3 in this yeshiva. Don’t really think we can afford it right now, but maybe this will be a better year, please G-d?

Anyway, this got me wondering...I never met anyone from the committee. Have you? Does your child’s yeshiva have an anonymous group of people who make these decisions? Do they meet with people personally? Do you plead your case or just accept whatever their decision is?

It got me wondering if they’re a group of rich ppl - like most of the board - who have no clue what it’s like to have no cleaning help at all and not send kids to day camp. We already don’t do either one. Or are they people like me who are just trying to help out the school?

I know this is a hot topic here. I’m trying to do the right thing, and feeling very targeted right now. Please be gentle with me.

My husband is going to flip when I tell him. It’s been very stressful over the last few months.

amother

Sienna

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 1:49 pm

I wonder as well.

Couldn’t pay my balance for the 2019-2020 school year.

We were informed that we need to write a letter informing why we were unable to pay the balance.

Sent back an email stating my husband’s parnassa was severely impacted due to COVID-19.
I thought the school would understand that due to the nature of the field my husband is in, our financial situation is unstable.

They sent us a contract for the upcoming school year, along with a notice informing of a tuition raise that is non-negotiable.

happy chick

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 1:52 pm

$2,000 is not a normal raise. 10% is that max, I believe. So even if you were paying $10k per child last year, that would be only $1,000 (which is insane too, don't get me wrong). You need to keep calling your school and insisting on speaking to someone who can help you.
As a parent of quite a few children in th system bh, Ive been there more than once in more than one school.
Persistence pays off. Keep calling. Don't give up. Hashem should help you shouldn't have to do this, ever again.

amother

Brunette

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 1:56 pm

Idk. Bh I always paid full tuition and never asked for a reduction before. One of my sons are changing schools this year and the tuition in the new school is 20k more than the old school. I did ask for a reduction for the first time ever. (for various reasons he needs to change schools and this is our only option for this year) I was really nervous since their reduction package and so much personal info. At the end of it, they asked how much we were willing to pay. I put in a nice amount I think (8k more than the old school) bh they took it and didn't ask questions. It would have been super hard for me had they asked a bunch of questions.

I have no idea who the tuition committee is.

amother

Burgundy

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 1:56 pm

I can only speak to the MO schools I know, where the committee members' names are public. And I know of at least one board president who insisted on not knowing which families were getting scholarships, so that parents would feel free to approach the board about their issues and not worry about their scholarship status. That kind of firewall creates a culture of trust.

amother

Coral

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 1:59 pm

The tuition committee is made up of the ones who donate the most money to the school. They want their kids to get the best grades, and they want their kids with behavior problems to be shielded from consequences.

Speaking from experience.

crbc

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 2:10 pm

Call the school back and tell them that you cannot afford the raise! I made this mistake once ! Remember if you pay it this year you will have to pay it every year until graduation. Call the school back and tell them that you cannot afford it ! You will see that the school will work with you B'H!

amother

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 3:22 pm

amother [ Burgundy ] wrote:

Thank you for this comment. Why isn’t it transparent in all schools?

My kids school is a bit newer, they only brought the board in recently, but I feel that it’s wrong for them to hide behind the title “tuition committee.” I am very transparent about our finances and expenditures. They have a 5 page pamphlet to fill out before we got our original break.. It was embarrassing enough to fill out in the first place. If I knew who they were, I’d go down to meet them. Even though I know it would be brutal for me. We try to live simply. Maybe we can squeeze out a bit more for them, but I think it would be more respectful to have a discussion with us about it, not just make demands.

amother

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 3:24 pm

crbc wrote:

It’s hard not to feel guilty. Maybe we could swing it. The $6000 could go to school or to my sons braces. It’s literally the same amount and I have it set aside for this year. He needs the braces badly, but they also need to pay their Rebbeim and teachers. They have been having a very hard time too. How am I to know which to spend it on?

amother

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 3:27 pm

happy chick wrote:

Amen, thank you!

Curious where you got the 10 percent amount from. We were paying very little for a long time. They are kind of holding that against us. I feel that they should have slowly increased over the past few years instead of coming at us with a $6000 increase at once. Maybe for them it’s not a lot of money. But I do feel somewhat obligated because they were very understanding until now.

amother

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 3:29 pm

amother [ Sienna ] wrote:

Lots of hugs! I get it.

May this year be so much more profitable that you more than make up the losses!

amother

Mistyrose

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 5:43 pm

amother [ Coral ] wrote:

I’m sorry that that was your experience. This is certainly not true of all boards at all schools and it would be a shame for people to be misled by your post.
Certainly, there are some wealthy parents on the board and that is useful for the school financially. But the board is usually diverse and includes parents who can offer professional advice (doctors, lawyers, accountants, HR) and some board members can’t afford full tuition either. This allows them to actually empathize with other parents who are struggling and treat them with sensitivity.
Most board members are asked to give money and give of their time and it doesn’t mean their kids get special treatment!

amother

Fuchsia

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 5:52 pm

Committee? LOL

They refer to a committee on the forms.

It's just like the "Board of Trustees" only less real.

At least there are known names for the Board of Trustees, although that's just really to dole out work so the principal doesn't have to do it. But the principal still makes all the decisions despite what the Board might express.

The committee is just the principal and how they are feeling that day about your family.

thunderstorm

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 5:56 pm

By my kids it’s the school administrator and his assistant and in the other two yeshivos it’s the Rosh yeshiva themselves . All really nice understanding people.

Last edited by thunderstorm on Wed, Aug 19 2020, 6:27 pm; edited 1 time in total

happy chick

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 6:26 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

In the past, when I haggled with the committee, they would tell me they're raising me less than the 10% mandated. It's possible it's my local schools policy.
But in the working world, raises are usually between 5-10%, based on how often raises are given. Maybe it's the same.

amother

Fuchsia

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 6:28 pm

happy chick wrote:

I don't know what working world you're in, but I want to be there!

My company's raises are 1-3%.

happy chick

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 6:33 pm

amother [ Fuchsia ] wrote:

I don't know what working world you're in, but I want to be there!

My company's raises are 1-3%.

How often? If it's very year, that makes sense. If it's every 4-5 years, that would be the same.

amother

Fuchsia

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 6:35 pm

happy chick wrote:

How often? If it's very year, that makes sense. If it's every 4-5 years, that would be the same.

Yes, every year. Usually closer to 1% in the last few.

But my property taxes and healthcare premiums go up more than that every year so...

happy chick

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 6:36 pm

amother [ Fuchsia ] wrote:

Yes, every year. Usually closer to 1% in the last few.

But my property taxes and healthcare premiums go up more than that every year so...

Yes. As well as tuition.

ruchelbuckle

Wed, Aug 19 2020, 6:40 pm

In the 2 elementary schools my kids have attended, the board and tuition committee are totally separate. They often have no overlap. The tuition committee in my kids current school is made up of outsiders— people who are former parents, community members, etc,...: they are detached from the current parent body. My friend told me that she and her husband once had to “plead their case” to them and she didn’t know who any of them were.

If you were on the tuition committee, would you want it publicized? I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t want people coming up to me at simcha and at the grocery store asking me if I saw their application, or complaining, etc... If you have a problem, you can find out who to speak to.