Not paying full tuition but have new cars-lavish lifestyle

amother

Tangerine

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 12:30 am

amother wrote:

If you worked at a school that issued bouncy checks, it went on bank fees. I worked for a school (not for long!!!) that paid over 100k in bank fees in one year due to bounced check fees

Ouch. Are the schools aware that people are struggling and worrying and depriving themselves to pay tuition, while they WASTE this much money? I think the administration should be personally required to pay for these kinds of mistakes, instead of passing on the costs to overextended parents.

I remember when a certain large school advertised that they got an auditor into the school, who figured out how to save $1 MILLION annually. I was simultaneously impressed (wow! they brought in an auditor to save money! how responsible, and how brave to open the books!) and disgusted (do you know how many parents had tuna fish for Shabbos and had kids teased for their old shoes to cover all of those wasted funds?). P.S. They didn't lower tuition after realizing these savings, obviously.

amother

Firebrick

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 12:38 am

amother wrote:

They probably paid back debt.

amother

Plum

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 2:08 am

amother wrote:

The only answer is full transparency & accountability

amother

Slategray

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 10:39 am

Well there isnt full transparency in my towns' schools. And, since schools are getting tzedeka money from donors at their dinners....then shouldnt schools not be allowed to reject ppl in the community....the schools' motto is "give us ur tzedeka money and we will be in charge of everything like admissions, budgeting...without letting u know or have say......oh, and ppl may be giving tzedeka at dinners only to find out their chikd was rejected by the same school.

Sorry, majority of schools are just as dishonest as ppl who are spending lavishly without giving more to tuition!!

Also, the more money the schools get from government does not decrease the tuition and doesnt increase teacher salary. We see this with upk schools still charge..but ill be more than happy paying no money and having my kid go less hours so upk is free for me but schools dont do this!!

If board members have such privelege to make decisions then all full tuition paying parents should have a say too!! Why are board members more "special" to make a decision on how to spend our money?? Are they giving extra??

Also, just like ppl pay for weddings with no discounts so too there should be some type of payment plan where schools require parents to keep paying until all paid up..but only if parents have a say in the budget.....
In my school they tell parents that a discount in tuition is considered a loan and if they make more money or win lottery...they must pay it all back...

But, dont worry hashem will hold everyone who is lying/dishonest/ corrupt so if u dont like this system(I dont) complain to Him after doing ur hishtadlus(op u said u already complained to the cfo)....He has amaster plan..

amother

Cerise

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 11:02 am

amother wrote:

Don't get me started with upk. Can someone please explain to me how schools charge full tuition when your child in a upk program for kindergarten ? Shouldn't it be free ?!

Not all schools do this. My school is very honest about how much they are receiving per child from upk, and that amount is deducted from the tuition of any child signed up that year.

amother

Violet

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 7:56 pm

Right now DH is out of a job. Not his fault but the company was downsizing. Almost my entire salary goes to tuition. Literally- I did the math. For next year we will need to ask for a break at the rate things are going as we cannot survive like this. I don't make that much (am doing further training to get better jobs IYH in the future) and have less than 1000 a month to pay all bills- electricity, heat, rent, food, clothes, gas for my car so I can work... It doesnt add up and luckily we saved a little so we make ends meet. But we technically don't as we live from savings. We are frugal- hand me downs, I shop only sales/clearance, use coupons, no takeout, no manicures, no birthday gifts or Chanukah gifts for the kids (a few relatives got a few). My Sheitel is threadbare but won't even be able to get a used one. Who can think of a vacation or to buy needed stuff or repairs....
I pay full as we cant negotiate now mid year... And I resent anyone who gets a discount who does the above. Our heat is barely on. Literally- sleep with socks, 2 blankets, sweatshirts if need be.
We don't qualify for anything program wise. Not that I make that much but because DH worked during this year.
If you have extras after you negotiated with the school then you should pay up. Too many people asking for help means less available for those who have nothing right now.

southernbubby

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 8:18 pm

amother wrote:

Thanks for confirming what I was yammering about for 30 pages Very Happy

Those who pay full, and have a greatly reduced quality of life, especially compared to those on scholarship, need to speak up.

May Hashem help you.

amother

Teal

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 9:14 pm

Amother violet, surely you can call the schools and negotiate. I remember a few years ago a family member who had been paying full lost his job, and after trying desperately to find the same income level had to go tell the schools his kids were in (masores and chaim Berlin) that he couldn't make the payments. They were extremely understanding. About a year and a half later, he went back to full, but they never demanded back pay or made him feel embarrassed.

amother

Babyblue

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 9:18 pm

amother wrote:

Amother violet Hug

I would be very surprised if the school is unwilling to renegotiate now that your dh is unemployed. Have you tried?

The schools can't throw you out mid year if you stop paying. That is a rule the schools must follow.

Amother violet you should tell them what you said here. And tell them you can only pay X and you plan to apply for a scholarship next year.

amother

Violet

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 9:42 pm

amother wrote:

They take checks the summer before and charge you a fee if it bounces. Plus won't let you enroll for next year. I can't pull them out because I need to work and DH goes on interviews, networking events, and may have a job IYH at any time. He is well educated and in a field that should earn enough but just can't find anything.

We are stuck and davening he finds a job soon. Our savings is running low. We watch every penny AND pay full tuition.
I will apply for reduction if need be for next year and will prove we haven't done anything extravagant. Check credit card statements, our bills etc. we aren't hiding cash, fancy gifts, or cars under our parents names. It's basic bills only.

And for those who say the heat shouldn't be below 65... Come to my place. No one has frostbite.

amother

Denim

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 9:45 pm

amother wrote:

I also make slightly too much.

In the school I send to, the policy is to put two months of tuition on hold if someone loses their job. After two months, if the person is working again, they want to redistribute the tuition for those two months over the rest of the year, if possible. Otherwise, they renegotiate again. And they also negotiate again if the person hasn't found a job.

This is a well-off parent body where most of the families go on fancy vacations a couple of times a year. (Not us. We have paid full tuition and never take a fancy vacation. The most we've done is to drive to a nearby city and stay in a motel for a few days, and we've only done this a few times over the years.) But they understand that if circumstances change, there's no money for tuition. Try to talk to them. You don't just need a break; you need a reprieve for a while until your husband is working again.

Good luck.

amother

Sapphire

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 9:46 pm

DH lost job as well. We have no income. We have a special needs child. We applied for government benefits, and got a denial letter, stating we don't qualify, we make to much. Not even for SSI. We put in a claim, did an appeal, tried applying again and got same response, sorry denied.
Who does qualify, many people who play their cards right and work off the books or partially on... they receive government benefits.

amother

Denim

Tue, Jan 01 2019, 9:53 pm

amother wrote:

This is horrible. Call the bank and stop those checks. Write the school board and the administration a letter. Explain to them that you can't pay and you have stopped the checks; that you are informing them now that they should not cash them at this point; and that if they try to cash them and they incur a fee, you will not pay it because you have forewarned them of the situation. Make sure you put this in writing.

Our school uses FACTS Management System, and they just put a hold so that no money is deducted from your account if that's what you have discussed.

Professionals especially take a long time to find a job. The interview process itself can take months. Everyone lost at least three weeks just now with the holidays. What kind of a school doesn't understand this?

You have my sympathy and tefilos that your husband will find a job soon. I am in this situation now, so I really understand. Except that I am lucky that my kids' school understands.