Counting the Cost of Your Child’s Education: “Hanggang Saan Aabot ang 2M mo?”

There’s nothing more important to parents than securing their children’s future. That’s why investing in good education has always been their top priority. Why wouldn’t they? Not only will education enrich your child’s mind, it also opens doors of opportunities for their personal growth. Sounds like a really good investment!

But while parents want all the best for their children, having quality education can also come with a hefty price tag. With the TRAIN law in full speed and the crazy inflation rate in the country, the real question is: how much does it cost to send your children to school?

Here are 3 key things you need to remember for your child’s education:

 

Tuition

A school’s tuition fee takes the top spot in your child’s education expenses.

For public schools, tuition for basic education is waived since it’s being subsidized by the government. Thanks to the Free Tuition Law, this has also been extended to state universities and colleges starting this school year 2018-2019. On the other hand, private schools vary in its fees depending on school type and location.

Here’s a quick estimate for your child’s annual tuition fee around Metro Manila schools:

ACADEMIC LEVEL	PUBLIC	PRIVATE
Pre-school	–	29,000- 280,000
Grade school	–	70,000- 200,000
High school	–	100,000- 1,238,610
College	–	80,000- 280,000*
Total	–	~242,000- 1,998,610

*may vary depending on number of units

To be on the safe side, expect a 10% increase every year when allocating budget for your child’s tuition fees. That way, you and your savings account won’t be left in shock year after year! #advancemagisip

 

Extracurriculars

While there’s tuition to pay every school year, a big chunk of your children’s expenses also go to extracurricular activities. These may cover class funds, school supplies, and even field trips! It may sound extra, but it’s going to be really helpful when you factor this early in the budget. Look through this list to give you an idea about some of the additional expenses you will incur throughout the school year.

EXTRACURRICULAR EXPENSES*	ELEMENTARY		HIGH SCHOOL		COLLEGE
	Public	Private	Public	Private	Public	Private
PTA	200	250	300	350	450	560
Other fees	150	1,500	200	2,000	266	2,660
Books	–	3, 000	–	3, 800	–	4 807
School supplies	800	1,600	900	2,000	1,012.50	2 500
Other instructional materials	200	800	260	950	338	1,125.75
Uniforms	500	1,000	600	1,400	720	1,960
Total	1,950	8,550	2,160	10,100	2,785.50	13,612.75

*Figures projected from data published in Private Costs and Benefits of Adding Two Years to the Philippine Basic Education System by Roberto de Vera and Jennifer Aimee Tan

While these extracurriculars can be pretty daunting, there are some expenses you can choose to cut down such as school supplies, instructional materials, and uniforms that can be used in the next years. There’s always a way to save, save, save!

 

Allowances

Now that your child’s all set for the academic year, another important thing to think through is how much baon your child should get everyday (their fave part!!). Although allowances are highly relative from one child to another, it’s always good to allot just enough to cover the basics like food and transportation.

In deciding on the amount, here are some things you should consider:

Child’s age

• A grade schooler’s baon is different from your college student’s allowance. Little kids usually can’t handle large amount of money yet so giving it to them daily would be the best way to go, while you can start teaching your teenager how to budget by giving their allowances weekly or monthly.

Length of school day

• When you know what time your child’s daily schedule, it will be easier for you to allot money enough for a day’s activities. Do you have to give them lunch money tomorrow? Are they going on a field trip this weekend? Different activities call for different expenses.

Transportation arrangement

• Since transpo usually takes a big chunk of the daily expenses, it’s good to know the best route going to school. Would it be cheaper to take the school bus or is there a better option for commute? Knowing these things can save you both time and money. That’s big savings right there!  

Cost of Living

• While you’ve already included the extracurricular activities in the computation, there are certain costs that go beyond the budget. For a college student, these usually come in the form of daily photocopying of lecture notes, going to exposure trips, and investing in internet for research purposes (and the list goes on!).

 

Raising a child can be really, really challenging and expensive (no doubt about this!). For one child alone, you can start saving up around Php 41,652 (public) and Php 2,058,044 (private) to cover tuition fees and extracurricular expenses from preschool to college. Plus allowance!

Don’t worry though, there’s no doubt that the smart parent in you can find tipid tips and hacks that can help you stretch the budget and lessen the financial stress that comes with sending your children to school.

 

Check out scholarships and other financial assistance for your child’s education at Edukasyon.ph and apply now!