Tuition - is this normal??

amother

Tue, Sep 02 2008, 9:59 pm

amother wrote:

Or this?

If a school could truly get parents to commit to giving all of their tzedaka to the school, then it should be able to charge much much less tuition. For example, if I paid $30k in tzedaka to the school and then $10 k in tuition, the school would still be getting $40k, but I would get the benefit of $30k of it coming in pre tax dollars - which would save me about $12k a year. The problem is, that if it is a quid pro quo, then there's legal issues. But if it is a non-enforceable understanding....? My DH is friends (from childhood) with a Catholic priest. That is EXACTLY how the church does it. That's why a lot of catholic schools have tuition in the $4 - 5k range, and provide an excellent education. The bishop tells each family that their "tithe" is $X amount and their tuition will be $Y amount...and then they do it. Is it binding? Could the school sue the parents if they failed to pay their "tithe"? No, it couldn't (and that's why it's not illegal, at least arguably). But on the other hand there's a strong moral incentive for parents to do what the bishop asked of them, just as we will do what the leading rav of our city would tell us to do. If the parents don't follow through, I bet they don't get the same deal the next year!

Our school tried this for a few years. In the end not enough people paid and they raised tuition.

lednam

Wed, Sep 03 2008, 12:54 pm

my son is starting school this year(he is almpst 5) and I am very nervus we have to py 5,000 for the year and I have another boy in play group which is 200 a month. and a baby on the way,
but my DH said that it is very importent to pay full tuition, just like shabbos food expenses that is called "lo min haminyan" that whatever g-d decides every year it is not taken out of that.
but it is still hard and I dont know what I am gonna do(and I only have one kid in school) so I wish all of you luck and you should be zoche to good kids cus of that.

hila

Tue, Sep 16 2008, 10:56 am

Chew ( cant pronounce the rest of your name)

It is nto crazy - BUT ... you may save on school tuition.
However salarroes are much lowere here, so unless you have a job, and income, you can still be badly off.

And the tuition is not free - you always pay some of it.

Add to that the extra taxes and stress of EY you should think it through.

Of course you get the bonus for doing all teh mitzvot you can ONLY do here.

Learn about shmita and experience it. Take challa with all teh EY halachot. Trumo and maasrot are real .
Prozbol, hakhel, the kotel on your doorstep (or at MOST a 4 hr drive) , chagim in the air. etc

I could tell you lots of advantages.

But dont do just for the cheap tuition.

chewbaccasita

Tue, Sep 16 2008, 11:03 am

Thanks for your reply. My husband and I have lived in Israel before, and we did have a bad time financially. I think it could be better now b/c he has gotten some more useful job experience, but I am still concerned. I know we won't save money that way, I just think it might be the only way to give my kids a jewish education.