Passaic | Imamother

amother

Lavender

Sun, Oct 13 2019, 9:24 am

amother [ Pink ] wrote:

I know that this thread is from a while ago but I'm having a very hard time with understanding how everyone in Passaic is managing financially with the super high tuitions. The tuition now in the ykp elementary school in Passaic is now about fifteen thousand a child!
We have three kids in the elementary school and have always paid full tuition (one of our children graduated already and is in mesivta)
My husband Bh earns a nice salary and we are still struggling! It seems like most of his paycheck goes to the tuition.
One of my friends mentioned that many people in Passaic are getting tuition breaks- does anyone know if this is true?
Are a lot of people in Passaic not paying the full tuition for ykp?

Tuition is $11k not $15k. There are additional fees of a couple thousand per family not per kid.
I pay full tuition but almost every other person I speak to does not especially once they have a few kids in school. There is a reduced rate for klei kodesh/kollel but most working families get breaks as well.

amother

Salmon

Sun, Oct 13 2019, 12:04 pm

amother [ Lavender ] wrote:

just curious how do you feel about the fact that you pay full and most people don't. we used to live there and left. I was nervous I would feel very resentful especially since I had only one kid in school at the time so all those extra fees would be going that one child's tuition, thats a lot for one kid...

amother

Amethyst

Sun, Oct 13 2019, 12:42 pm

We paid full tuition for years until we just couldn’t. Now we still pay an enormous sum but the full number was close to my husbands take home pay. We literally couldn’t make ends meet. No one gave us a hard time when we requested a discount—-We have always lived relatively simply considering my husbands salary and position. When we were able to pay full we felt great but now we feel like we’re doing our best. I know a lot of my friends get help from the parents for things like yom tov clothing, renovations, but we happen to not be in that position. It could be that that’s what’s confusing you.

amother

Pink

Tue, Oct 15 2019, 6:06 pm

Thank you for the responses-
I am still confused
How does one qualify for a tuition break? If someone is getting help from parents they can still get a tuition break? How much of a break does ykp give? Do most of the working parents really get breaks?
This seems like a bit of a mess to me. we don't have much parental help and we don't go on expensive vacations- almost all my husbands salary goes to all the tuitions we have. I just don't want to have resentment- if families are getting parental help, and living a more luxurious lifestyle and still getting tuition breaks this would be a problem for us. It would be terribly unfair to hear that we have been one of the only ones paying full tuition all these years while almost everyone else has been getting a break and living a higher lifestyle than us! I understand about kollel families getting a break but what about working families that are earning an income of between 100,000- 200,000? It sounds like a large income but after taxes that just basically covers a large families (about 5-6 kids) tuitions, and some other expenses

amother

Salmon

Tue, Oct 15 2019, 6:12 pm

I've heard under 200,000 with a "normal" sized family is not a lot in passaic and this was a couple of years ago. I suggest applying for a break. ask the school how to apply. Resentment is a real thing. We moved to a place where we could pay cheaper tuition. I think this whole idea of charging a lot to force some people to pay while everyone else gets tuition breaks doesn't engender good will.
I say this as someone who payed more then I had to if I applied where I currently live, for 2 years, because I believe in paying for my own kid.

amother

Tan

Tue, Oct 15 2019, 6:32 pm

amother [ Salmon ] wrote:

What's a "normal" sized family?

How many families really make over $200K?

amother

Amethyst

Tue, Oct 15 2019, 6:39 pm

I would assume that the ones getting luxurious perks are paying full tuition ( Let’s say for example that they’re earning between 100-200k like you. Without parental help they’d be living the same as you, but their parents take them on vacations, buy them homes and help renovate them, etc.) It doesn’t really matter though...if you need a break just ask for one. Why be bitter? It’s unlikely that you’ll be refused based on the responses here.

amother

Pink

Wed, Oct 16 2019, 9:00 am

I would apply but I doubt that a family earning between 100- 200,000 would get a tuition break- or maybe it would just be a very small break which wouldn't help much.
It's not that I'm resentful- I'm really not. I just feel that if there are families that are getting a break but than doing major renovations or going on expensive trips with help from parents something is not right.
Really the tuitions should be lowered - it's gotten so out of hand. And people need to be honest about their financial situation to the schools. If they are getting help etc... the schools should not know about it. It's unlikely they would get a break if the schools knew they were getting outside family financial help.
I also just don't understand how
people are managing here with all the crazy high tuitions. If people are paying pull tuitions how is there money left over for anything else? That's why I'm trying to find out if most people are getting breaks- and if they are how are they qualifying?

amother

Pink

Wed, Oct 16 2019, 9:04 am

Plum-
You wrote that you're paying full tuition as are many of your friends-
This is to YKP? How are all your friends able to make ends meet here with the mortgages, high property taxes etc...?
You don't find that almost all the salary goes to these tuitions?

amother

Gray

Wed, Oct 16 2019, 9:37 am

amother [ Pink ] wrote:

If you have a medium size family ie- 3/4 kids in school and you apply for a break in ykp you will most probably receive one of your income is between 100-200k how much depends on whether your income is closer to 100k or 200k

amother

Amethyst

Wed, Oct 16 2019, 10:01 am

Again, it’s not that complicated. Why assume the worst about people? If their houses are renovated and they are taking luxury vacations-it’s really hard to keep that a secret. In general there is an erlichkeit in this town. My friends who get help from parents pay full tuition. Their parents just help them live a better lifestyle than they could with the pittance left over after tuition payments. And if someone is doing their best and needs a break and then their parents offer to help them fix up a bathroom, must they say “no, send it to my Yeshiva?” Of course not. Are there people abusing the system? Keeping their Gucci loafers to wear only outside of Passaic and getting tuition breaks? Probably. But not the rule at all. And until you ask for a break you don’t know what you’ll be told. Have you asked for a break and been rejected? Then why the blame game?

amother

Pink

Wed, Oct 16 2019, 10:14 am

Passaic is the most amazing and incredible place to live!
It's full of very special people and we want to stay here- I'm just honestly trying to figure out how people could afford it here while paying full tuition -
like we've been doing.
I'm not assuming the worst of people- I know that most people are honest and good.
I was just trying to find out if most people are getting tuition breaks - even with a decent salary (which after taxes
doesn't leave much left over for anything but the tuitions)
A few families told me they get tuition breaks but they do go on nice vacations, etc...
So I'm confused about the whole system

amother

Linen

Wed, Oct 16 2019, 1:26 pm

amother wrote:

To my knowlege YKP is not hard to get into AT ALL.

Tuition is approximately $10k/year (less for preschool). We pay full tuition but my impression is most parents don't.

I agree. Please also be aware that in Ykp is a huge school. Six parallel classes per grade for boys and girls. High Morah turnover with a lot of Morah’s literally being girls 18-19 years old straight out of seminary with no teaching experience. There is also nobody to talk to - it’s the administrations way only. So if your child ever has an issue you will have very few people if any to talk to.

English education in both the boys and girls divisions is weak. Especially boys after grade five or six. Math is horrific in both.

I say this as a ykp parent and if you ask around off the record people will easily tell you this.

amother

Aquamarine

Wed, Oct 16 2019, 1:54 pm

amother [ Emerald ] wrote:

Any YBH parents here? Curious how generous they Are with tuition breaks

I am a ybh parent yes they have a scolorship program it requires a lot of information. I hear some people say it's easier to work with them then outhers. I think it really depends on if you really need it or just want it . I do knew someone that switched to ykp Bec they were easier to deal with financially.
Also I keep reading about the Home renovations most houses here are small and only 1 bathroom I have a lot of friends who put in an extension, that came out cheaper than selling and buying a bigger house.
I really love living hear I love the people I love my kids school and the no pressure of keeping up with everyone. The issue of the cost of school and some people paying more than others happen everywhere.

amother

Blush

Wed, Oct 16 2019, 2:23 pm

At one point DH made over $200k/year and we got a break (from YKP). We have more than 3-4 kids and were heavily in debt at that point and Bh they didn’t give us a hard time (although we were nervous to ask). BH we’ve pulled ourselves out of debt at this point and now pay full tuition.

But yes, it’s incredible how much money a frum person needs to live...