<p>I’m curious how other parents feel about the constant barrage of messages, emails and letters asking for more money? If the 40K+ tuition wasn’t already enough, every other time I open the mailbox there’s a new request for more money.</p>
<p>I also find it curious that the only thing sent in the physical mail are requests for funds. All communication about student progress/grades/etc. has all been moved to electronic portals. What’s the message in that?</p>
<p>Is this a pervasive trend in private schools?</p>
<p>Private schools rely on private funding. No school’s tuition covers the full cost of attendance. This has been covered ad nauseum here. Each school has its own approach to attempting to cover the gap. This is the time of year that schools are looking for contributions to their Parents Fund or Annual Fund or whatever they call it to give everyone a chance to participate at whatever level they can. If you can’t contribute (even a dollar?) or find the correspondence offensive, the letters should fit nicely in your trash can.</p>
<p>For most schools, the true cost of operating the school runs to $70-80K per year per student. The gap between that true cost and tuition typically comes from the school’s endowment. So, your child is benefitting from money that previous generations donated. </p>
<p>Not sure what school you child attends but at SPS, although grades, advisor reports, etc. are available online, they also come through the mail. Frankly, just online would be totally fine with me. More eco-friendly and cost effective. </p>
<p>As far as the school asking for money, SPS has a Parent’s Annual Fund and the goal is 100% participation. That’s the only fundraising event of the year for all parents. Of course, any school would love you to give as much as you can but any size donation is appreciated - $20, $100, $1000, whatever. My suggestion is to right a check for what you can afford. Once your child gets to college, you’ll realize what a relative bargain BS is for all you get. :)</p>
<p>Yes, next question…:)</p>
<p>The advantages of maintaining the tuition at present levels (~$40k) and asking for voluntary donations for the balance of the operation costs (~$70-80k) are that:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>setting the tuition at the full operating cost will likely price the schools beyond the means of many of the present non-FA families</p></li>
<li><p>the donations are are tax-deductible, while tuition payments are not</p></li>
</ul>
<p>…and even a small donation can help schools get grants or elicit larger donations from donors who care whether the school has support from its current stakeholders. Most families on FA can usually afford to write at least a very small, tax-deductible check, in order to contribute to the percentage of current parents donating.</p>
<p>Considering the benefits, and the considerably-higher-than-tuition cost of educating, housing and caring for each student in a boarding school, it does not seem untoward to me that schools would ask for contributions toward their endowments.</p>
<p>Honestly, we don’t get the barrage. We are members of a boarding school community and a private school community. We get one solicitation for a contribution to both annual funds, and once the contribution is made, we don’t hear another peep until the following year. There is usually a follow up thank you note or phone call, but never another request for funds.</p>
<p>I think the annual fund contribution just “goes with the territory”. We are happy to contribute, but did hold back a contribution many years ago, when we felt the school was headed in the wrong direction on an issue of importance to us. If your school is undertaking a Capital Campaign then you can expect more communication and solicitation.</p>
<p>To add to what HarvestMoon said, we also didn’t/don’t experience a barrage… just the Annual Fund and, since Harvest mentioned it, one year a Capital Campaign letter. </p>
<p>The barrage seems to come later… as an alumna I get far more paper correspondence than I’d like from my old schools (high school and undergrad), despite also being on their e-lists. However, having spent my academic career benefiting from a variety of merit scholarships and financial aid, I consider my continued contribution a personal obligation.</p>