calhockeymom

How do other parents handle unexpected costs from the school? My son is getting financial aid for part of his tuition but we were just informed that his sports team will likely go to Europe this Spring at a cost of thousands of dollars. What a great opportunity but also yikes! Is it appropriate to ask for financial help to pay for the trip? Is it common for schools to give help with something like this? We are already stretched very thin with the tuition and other school expenses, computer, uniforms, travel to school and home costing more than we thought etc. Any advice on approaching them on this? The trip is during spring break but not presented as optional.

dodgersmom

Just be direct. You're certainly not the first financial aid family that's found themselves in this situation, so there's no need to be embarrassed. There either is or isn't a financial aid fund to help cover things like this. So, they may cover the entire cost, they may cover part of the cost, or they may not be able to help you out at all. Just ask - and the sooner, the better.

By the way, uniforms may also be something the school can help you out with.

All of this varies from school to school. So, for prospective parents, it's always a good thing to ask as many questions as possible. The reality, though, is that there will always be something you didn't think of!

P.S. About travel, I'd recommend, if possible, using an airline that will refund the difference if a ticket price drops after you buy it. I use JetBlue and almost always get a significant refund sometime between my way-in-advance purchase date and the eventual date of departure. The refund goes into my son's JetBlue account and helps offset the cost of the next ticket!

ChoatieMom

For new BS parents, it might be a good idea to resurrect this thread:

Unexpected add'l BS costs besides tuition, room & board

This year, Choate required all students to have iPads, but did provide financial aid to make it possible.

wcmom1958

Dodgersmom is right. Just ask. Our son was able to go on a spring trip last year because the school helped us out -- when I asked. Our D, on the other hand, likes to come home for breaks so we've never asked.

calhockeymom

Thanks for the encouragement. I sent an email to the coach. We'll see.

dodgersmom

You may also want to contact the financial aid office directly. Good luck!