How much Victorian private school parents are being slugged for extras

As the cost of living surges, the price of compulsory extras at private schools keeps creeping up — and now the hit to parents’ pockets can be revealed.

At Wesley College the year nine off-campus Clunes program adds $4950 to the total bill. Picture: Mark Stewart

Private school parents are slugged more than $7000 in compulsory extras a year, taking annual fees to well above $40,000, the Herald Sun can reveal.

The price of school laptops, camps and excursions continues to creep upwards, putting additional pressure on as parents also facing soaring cost of living increases.

One of the highest is Caulfield Grammar, which charges year 9 students $7084 for camps and excursions on top of tuition fees that reach more than $35,000 by year 12.

At Wesley College the year 9 off-campus Clunes program adds $4950 to the total bill, along with laptop and excursion levies of more than $3000.

Trinity Grammar in Kew charges more than $5000 in some years for computers and camps, bringing fees to at least $42,000 in year 9.

Trinity Grammar in Kew charges more than $5000 in some years for computers and camps, bringing fees to at least $42,000 in year nine. Picture: Mark Stewart

Such fees do not include the cost of extra tutoring, music lessons which can be $100 an hour and uniforms which can cost $250 for items such as blazers.

The highest extras bill is the additional $30,000 charged for year nine Timbertop students at Geelong Grammar – a full year boarding program.

In comparison, some schools such as St Leonard’s College have no publicised extra charges, with the year 12 tuition fee of $35,812 inclusive of camps, technology and excursions.

Other lower-fee schools also charge extras, including $500 at East Preston Islamic College and around $300 for computing at Parade College.

Kate Hill, an executive at Futurity Investment Group, said parents were not always aware of the additional compulsory costs. “We have a lot of parents coming to us to calculate the real cost of education,” she said.

The highest extras bill is the additional $30,000 charged for year nine Timbertop students at Geelong Grammar – a full year boarding program.

“There can be huge costs in extras for government schools as well as private schools for costs outside of tuition fees.

“Coming out of Covid, parents are keen to support their kids and make up for missed opportunities,” Ms Hill said.

“This may mean going on every camp instead of just one or getting extra tutoring to help them catch up.”

CEO of Edstart Jack Stevens said that “while some schools have compulsory extras listed separately from tuition, we’re seeing more schools consolidating these items into an all-inclusive amount on their fee schedule which we think gives parents a more accurate view of how much they’ll need to budget for”.

Despite these additional costs, the independent sector continues to grow, with more than 150,000 students in the state choosing non-Catholic private schools, according to the latest ABS data shows. The sector grew by 2.3 per cent in 2021, an increase of 3451 students.

Some schools such as Scotch College are so popular that their applications for day places in 2023, 2024 and 2025 are now closed.

Caulfield Grammar charges year 9 students $7084 for camps and excursions on top of tuition fees that reach more than $35,000 by year 12. Picture: David Geraghty

While 89 per cent of private school students are at institutions charging $7500 or less, the remainder attend schools such as Geelong Grammar where fees have now hit $46,000 for day boarders.

International boarding students at schools like MLC, Scotch College and Geelong Grammar now pay more than $80,000 a year.

A letter to parents at Wesley College from the principal Nicholas Evans and chair of the council Rachel Webster notes that the school fees have increased by 4.75 per cent, which is below the inflation rate of 6.1 per cent. The school’s eight-week year nine Clunes program has increased by $150 to $4950. The school’s controversial new infrastructure levy, which is $1750 for each senior student, assists with campus and technology upgrades.

This is despite the school receiving more than $30m a year from state and federal governments.

When informing parents of the 4.5 per cent increase in 2023 tuition fees, Trinity Grammar told parents to bear in mind that “in the past five years, there have been two occasions when fees were maintained at the previous school year’s rates”.