Elite Melbourne school slashes millions off fees
An elite Melbourne school has slashed millions of dollars in school fees for 2020 as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a toll on family finances.
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One private school has given parents five million dollars off school fees during 2020 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Trinity Grammar, an elite boys’ school in Kew, has confirmed for the first time the level of discounting it has offered parents as a result of extensive periods of home schooling and the cancellation of many school activities.
According to the myschool website, Trinity Grammar received $4.3 million in federal funding in 2018 and raised $44 million in that year alone from fees and charges from parents.
The $5 million represents an income loss from fees of around ten per cent.
Principal Adrian Farrer told parents in a letter on Monday the school’s financial position remains sound due to staff wage freezes, quarantining of capital expenditure and the maintenance of the current fee levels in 2021.
“The school year has been like no other, and we trust the level of financial support provided by the school to acknowledge the changed paradigm of learning has aided and assisted all families during these times,” he wrote.
Mr Farrer confirmed that the school would offer preps to year sevens and VCE students a refund of the 2020 term four fixed charge, which is around $300.
Years eight to ten – which do not return to campus until next week – will get a further five per cent off term four fees, which will be about $400.
The school, like many other private colleges, has frozen fees for 2021 at 2020 levels and will not increase fixed charges.
Mr Farrer told parents that the fee freezes were possible in part because staff agreed to not have a pay rise this year.
Most private schools, like Trinity Grammar, continue to offer hardship provisions to individual families, with some parents donating their discounts back to the school to help others.
“We wish to focus our support efforts where it is most needed. The hardship program provides for revised payment plans, time extensions and in serious cases some short-term fee concessions,” Mr Farrer told parents.
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