Parents pay up to $500 to get their child on a private school enrolment waitlist

DESPERATE Victorian parents are paying top private schools hundreds of dollars just to get their child on a waiting list, despite having no guarantee they will be enrolled.

DESPERATE Victorian parents are paying top private schools up to $500 just to get their child on a waiting list, despite having no guarantee they will be enrolled.

Non-refundable payments are being made to elite schools for children from birth, a survey found.

Melbourne’s St Kevin’s College is among the most expensive in the country, with fees of $500, followed by St Bernard’s at $300 and Genazzano F. C. J College at $250.

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Gavin Thursfield moved to Mt Martha mid-last year with his daughter Brooke, 16, and needed to pay a $150 application fee to get into Balcombe Grammar. Her application was successful. Picture: Ellen Smith

Haileybury and Siena College charge $220 while Brighton Grammar, Firbank Grammar, Loreto Mandeville Hall and Wesley request $200.

Independent Schools Victoria chief executive Michelle Green said the fees covered the cost of “managing and administering applications for enrolment”.

“These costs can be reasonably significant, especially if a school is in high demand,” she said.

“By paying the fees, parents are indicating a level of commitment to enrolling their child — a commitment that’s important for school planning and consideration of issues like class sizes.

“It’s up to individual schools whether they apply such a charge. In some cases it’s deducted from tuition fees if the enrolment goes ahead.”

A recent finder.com.au poll of 540 Victorian parents found 5 per cent said they had paid application fees for more than one private school.

Wesley College requests parents pay $200 to get their child on the school’s enrolment wait list.

Finder.com.au insights manager Graham Cooke said some prized schools were cashing in on parents competing for limited enrolment places.

“It’s a classic case of demand outstripping supply,” Mr Cooke said.

“The argument is it’s administration costs (but) anything more than $150 seems unnaturally high.

“Some schools seem to be taking advantage of high demand. Parents are willing to make financial sacrifices for their children.”

Schools also imposed the charges to try to “cut the wheat from the chaff and make sure applicants are serious about children attending”.

Mr Cooke said the cost was too prohibitive for some, especially if they had only just had a baby.

Haileybury College charges $220 per child on the wait list.

TOP SCHOOLS APPLICATION FEES

St Kevin’s College: $500

St Bernard’s: $300

Genazzano F. C. J College: $250

Haileybury: $220

Siena College: $220

Brighton Grammar: $200

Firbank Grammar: $200

Loreto Mandeville Hall: $200

Wesley College: $200

Bialik College: $150

Fintona Girls’: $150

Geelong Grammar: $150

Korowa Anglican Girls’: $150

Melbourne Grammar: $150

Mount Scopus: $150

PLC: $150

Toorak College: $150

Xavier College: $150

Sacre Coeur: $135

Camberwell Grammar: $130

Ivanhoe: $120

Ruyton Girls’: $110

Trinity Grammar: $110

Caulfield Grammar: $100

Clarendon College Ballarat: $100

Lauriston Girls’: $100

Scotch College: $100

Shelford Girls’: $100

St Andrews: $100

The Kind David School: $100

Tinters: $100