How much of a seminary tuition discount did you get?

amother

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 9:48 am

On another thread someone said they got a $7,500 reduction with both parents working and being ineligible for fafsa. I was surprised because from hearing my friends talk, they seemed to have been given way less of a reduction than that, and these are people who are eligible for fafsa. I’m curious, how much of a reduction is typical? How much did seminary actually cost you in the end (including flights and spending money)?

amother

Cerulean

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 10:09 am

Many seminaries don't give any break at all. Some seminaries may give more of a break to someone who is not eligible for Fafsa because that means those parents are going to have to pay more out of pocket.
I was given a break by my daughter's seminary for next year. They gave me two amounts-a smaller break if she does end up getting Fafsa, and a bigger break if she doesn't.
I am wondering if anyone has any information on whether Masa will be available for next year?

amother

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 10:14 am

I have a 12th grader currently and am not hearing about massive tuition breaks. The seminaries seem to have much longer waitlists this year. They had to be strict about the number of girls they could take due to covid regulations. Why would they offer a huge discount to a girl when they can instead take someone from the waitlist? But, maybe I’m wrong.

amother

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 10:17 am

Anyone that feels comfortable posting numbers, it would be so helpful! I have an 11th grade daughter so this is important for us as we start making plans for her. I didn’t let my 12th grader apply to several places she was interested in because I heard they wouldn’t give reductions. Was I wrong?

amother

Magenta

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 10:17 am

I got a full scholarship and paid only for my airline ticket. My parents couldn't afford and our Rav was of great assistance, he wrote a letter to the seminary asking for a scholarship for me.

amother

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 10:22 am

I guess to clarify, I would love to hear what reductions are being given to families where both parents are working and they’re not in a difficult situation financially or otherwise. I had thought that massive reductions are (and should be) given to girls from hard situations. My curiosity is about girls who BH are in stable families with regular middle class incomes.

cat81

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 1:18 pm

amother [ Cerulean ] wrote:

Care to provide a number on your tuition breaks?

cat81

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 1:23 pm

amother [ OP ] wrote:

Need income total not just both parents working, as combined income can be $100k or $200+.

I assume you mean FAFSA grants not loans which I believe is open to all if signup thru a college with Israel program.

How much of a reduction have you heard about from your friends?

For the upcoming 2021-2022 year, excluding those in chinuch and/or serious financial trouble - I’ve heard about $1000, $1500, $3000, $4500, $5500 and $7000 scholarships for different Bais Yaakov Seminaries that charge in the $25k range.

Last edited by cat81 on Wed, Mar 10 2021, 5:53 pm; edited 5 times in total

amother

Linen

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 1:37 pm

No discount, but the price was not excessive to begin with. ($17000, chabad seminary) we also got a grant of about $6000 from Masa bh. Both of us are working but we have a few kids with tuitions. Not US citizens so fafsa doesn't apply. I guess some seminaries charge a lot more but are then able to give discounts to those in need. This seminary is known to never give discounts, but does charge a fairly reasonable tuition.

Airfare was about $1000 in total over the year. not sure, we are in Europe so airfare is rarely above $500 a roundtrip and she came home once. My daughter was not a big spender, I don't remember giving a fixed amount, probably a couple of hundred a month or so, and she had some of her own money.

amother

Scarlet

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 1:52 pm

Bjj usually gives 10,000 off as a chinuch scholarship. They don’t look at finances before accepting. They will take a girl with no money over a millionaire if she deserves to get in.

amother

Coral

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 1:59 pm

amother [ Scarlet ] wrote:

Bjj usually gives 10,000 off as a chinuch scholarship. They don’t look at finances before accepting. They will take a girl with no money over a millionaire if she deserves to get in.

That is absolutely not true. Asking for a scholarship is part of the application. It is included right in there with the rest of the information they ask for. Most other seminaries don't ask about this before accepting.

amother

Denim

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 3:10 pm

If someone is in huge financial trouble, how is a $7k discount going to help them? I would assume that would mean they’re barely making ends meet, perhaps in debt. So how are they affording the rest of the bill for this “luxury”?

amother

Blush

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 3:15 pm

amother [ Denim ] wrote:

Sometimes it's $7k from the seminary, plus Masa and FAFSA, then a local scholarship, then the girl puts in money she's been earning through high school, and that covers it.

amother

Amethyst

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 3:41 pm

amother [ Scarlet ] wrote:

Bjj usually gives 10,000 off as a chinuch scholarship. They don’t look at finances before accepting. They will take a girl with no money over a millionaire if she deserves to get in.

I don't think this info is accurate!!!
Standard scholarship is $4000.
Anything more has to be discussed with them. They don't give discounts so easily!
It's true acceptance to the seminary doesn't depend on finances!!

amother

Coral

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 3:57 pm

amother [ Amethyst ] wrote:

It's true acceptance to the seminary doesn't depend on finances!!

At least that's what they say. Especially with BJJ, you can't know what the real reasoning is behind acceptances and rejections.

amother

Amber

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 4:01 pm

I went to a seminary that only gives scholarships to chinuch families. It is so backwards because they don't ask for financial information, they just assume all chinuch families are poor.

My parents are not in chinuch but their income is the same or lower than many chinuch families. My mom called and begged and pleaded for a scholarship but they refused. So my friends from chinuch families who lived a much nicer lifestyle than I did, or who had wealthy grandparents who were footing the bill, got a scholarship

amother

Slateblue

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 4:19 pm

amother [ Denim ] wrote:

For me $7,000 means all the difference in the world. We are not in "huge financial trouble" but are a regular family with two working parents and lots of tuition to pay. We have been planning for seminary since our daughter was in elementary school. All extra expenses, including the plane ticket, are coming out of her hard-earned pocket, but she is fine with that because that was the expectation all along. $7,000 is the difference between being able to send her and not being able to and the seminary understood that. I am not going to stop paying tuition for one of my other kids in order to send my daughter to Israel for a year. $7,000 is a full year's tuition for another one of my children.

amother

Silver

Mon, Mar 08 2021, 5:03 pm

My parents qualified for Masa but no FAFSA. I went to seminary for $7,000, which was almost a $12K reduction at the time. My principal negotiated on my behalf. My parents are middle-middle-class and get the worst on all ends.