Back to school: the hard "hill" of September
We have carried out our annual survey of school expenses again, to find out how much going back to school means to the family economy.
The sum of some and others supposes an expense that families cannot avoid.
Almost 2,000 euros per student
According to the estimates of their parents, each student between 3 and 18 years old will spend, on average, a total of 1,890 euros during the next school year. However, the actual cost varies greatly depending on various factors.
Big differences
First of all, depending on the type of center you go to: in public education it is much cheaper, and on average it does not reach 1,000 euros, while those who go to a private school will pay 6 times more.
The level of studies that are going to be studied is also a determining factor in spending: it is the parents of secondary school students who, on average, must pay less money, while the return to school of younger children, with more fixed expenses , it is generally more expensive
Also the place of residence makes a difference. We do not have valid statistical data for all the Autonomous Communities, since we have not obtained a significant number of responses in all of them, but we have obtained some of them, and we can verify that, as on previous occasions, going back to school is more burdensome for Catalan families and from Madrid, which on average, per student, pay considerably more than those from other places.
500 euros in uniform, material and books
Do you have school-age children? Well, you already know that the September hill is steep: prepare about 500 euros per child just to equip them with everything they need, from clothes and shoes to textbooks and material.
That alone amounts to almost 500 euros per student, amounts that vary according to the type of center and the level of studies of each student, but which represent a good peak, which must also be disbursed practically at once.
In addition, other items must be added to these amounts: AMPA fees or other similar associations (26 euros on average), excursions (about 79 euros), insurance and other expenses for an average amount of 89 euros.
The only positive thing is that it is precisely in the items of school supplies, clothing, etc. in which there are savings options: follow our tips to save on going back to school.
And every month, a little more
Add it up and go on, because each month you have to add up the cost of dining (and sometimes breakfast, something more common in public centers), the route (or the cost of transport), extracurricular activities (languages, sports, music...).
Free education... or not
But above all, the largest item of expenditure is schooling itself: what marks the greatest differences is precisely the fact of paying or not paying tuition and fees each month. Because as we know, in public centers education is free, while private ones are paid and in concerted centers a voluntary contribution is usually established, which means an outlay for most of those who attend them. On average, this expense represents more than 1,200 euros in concerted education and, on average, 4,492 in private centers.
It is this amount that marks the enormous differences in the cost of going back to school and explains that, while for some it means about 1,000 euros per student, others pay 6 times more.
