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Brisbane families are coughing up hundreds putting their children’s names down at multiple private schools as competition for spots surges, while some pay significantly more to accept a position sometimes years before kids walk through the gates.
Adria Cunningham said she had recently added a second high school option for her daughter to “hedge her bets”.
“I’ve had conversations with other parents, and they indicate things like ‘we’ve got our name down for little Mary at four different schools’,” she said.
The Ashgrove mum said her son was easily accepted into a nearby all-boys Catholic school, so “it just did not cross my mind that we needed an alternative option for her”.
While families eyeing state high schools see demand play out through catchment areas – with properties in in-demand areas reaping price hikes as high as 25 per cent – for parents choosing private-sector schools, competition hits hip pockets through enrolment lists.
Catholic and independent sector schools in Brisbane require families to pay up to three charges before students begin their first day at the school, often years in advance.
Almost universally schools charged an application fee, with some schools requiring a sum to confirm a child’s place at the school, and others an advance on enrolment fees. In some instances, schools will charge all three.
While Cunningham said her family had absorbed upfront costs, other parents told Brisbane Times these upfront costs could sometimes turn them away from schools they had otherwise considered, as it could indicate the scale of future costs.
Most private schools in Brisbane charge a non-refundable fee for applying to the school, averaging about $240.
Parents opting for lower-fee private schools in Brisbane could expect to pay as little as $50 to $100 to lodge an enrolment application. On the more expensive end, Brisbane Grammar School requires parents to pay $650 per child.
Families can also expect to pay a $3100 fee when they accept a placement offer – payable several years in advance – and a non-refundable advance tuition fee payment up to $2500. For year 5 and 6 students, an advance of $2000 is required.
While the advance payment comes out of tuition fees, at least 60 per cent of the fees paid before lessons begin is absorbed by combined application and confirmation fees.
Last year, Brisbane Grammar reported it received over $1.4 million from these fees.
Anglican Church Grammar School and Brisbane Boys’ College charged families the highest application fees, at $590 and $550, respectively.
However, both schools did not charge an advance on tuition fees, making upfront costs for families roughly $2800 for each school.
The three schools also charged the highest all-inclusive costs for year 12 students for any Brisbane independent or Catholic school.
Brisbane Girls Grammar School charged the third-largest upfront amount, requiring parents to pay a combined $4600 to enrol a year 7 student – including an application fee of $500.
Last year, the all-girls secondary school reported just under $1.2 million in these combined fees, roughly $460,000 of which came from applications.
Amanda Watt, executive director of support and advocacy body Queensland Independent Schools Parents Network, said schools were generally transparent about their fees, and which components were refundable.
“Most families understand there are administrative costs involved in managing applications and waitlists,” Watt said.
She said families exploring private schooling often factored in application costs from the outset as part of a “conscious financial commitment” to their child’s education.
However, it was increasingly common for parents to sign up across multiple waitlists, Watt said, particularly in metropolitan zones.
“What’s consistent is families are increasingly thoughtful and deliberate, researching their options and planning ahead, including financially where possible,” she said.
Watt said competition was highest for key intake years, including prep, year 5, and year 7.
Across Brisbane, independent-sector schools were more likely to require advance payment of tuition fees over Catholic schools – although just under half of Brisbane schools across both sectors did not require any early payment.
Within the Catholic sector, schools such as St Thomas Moore College and Mount Alvernia College required an upfront bond or “holding rebate”, which the schools informed families would be returned once their child graduated year 12.
St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace charged families the most for an application of any Catholic school, at $325.
In combined upfront costs, Ashgrove all-girls school Mt St Michael’s college required the largest sum, totalling $2850 from application, confirmation, and advance tuition fees.
Low-cost schools were split evenly across both sectors, with Clairvaux MacKillop, Northside Christian, and St Thomas More colleges all requiring less than $100 for an application.
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