Tuition going up
at private schools

Parents have been notified of
increases ranging from 2 to 5 percent
at some schools

By Debra Barayuga
Star-Bulletin

Private schools are raising tuition for the upcoming school year, but not as high as in past years because of Hawaii's poor economy.

To help ease the effect, schools are increasing their financial aid budgets for students who qualify.

Letters notifying parents of tuition increases began going out in January with increases ranging from 2 percent to 5 percent at some Oahu private schools.

Tuition increases for 1998-99 at Punahou, though substantial, are the lowest in 20 years, said Bonnie Judd, Punahou spokeswoman.

"We're trying to soften it by our commitment to the financial aid program and keeping the increase relatively smaller."

Average tuition increases for Punahou in the past have been about $500, with increases as high as 9.9 percent in the 1996-97 school year. Next school year's tuition reflects increases of $430 to $450.

Tuition will rise from $8,600 to $9,030 for grades K-3; $8,900 to $9,350 in grades 4-6; and $9,200 to $9,650 in grades 7-12.

At St. Andrew's Priory, where tuition for grades 6-12 will go up by 2 percent, an increasing number of parents are applying for financial aid, said headmaster J. Stevens Bean. About 25 percent of St. Andrew's nearly 500 students are receiving financial aid.

The upper grades at St. Andrew's will see an increase from $8,075 this year to $8,235 next year. Tuition for grades K-5 will remain at this year's level of $7,965.

The Dumarans of Maili prefer to make sacrifices now to continue sending their 4- and 7-year-old to private school to instill in them good habits and a foundation for learning.

"I'd rather invest the money and time upfront and let them pay off later," said Gene Dumaran, an investment officer with a local bank who is being laid off in May.

He and his wife, Jan, will have to make some adjustments and seek financial aid for their children to attend Hawaii Baptist Academy, where tuition is going up 2 percent this fall.

At Damien High, tuition will go up by $250 for all grades 9-12 from the current $5,000, said Jared Ikeda, business manager at Damien.

"We're trying to keep the tuition low for families who can't pay $10,000 but still get the private school atmosphere, quality education and college preparatory courses.

"In terms of the spending for education here, we feel they're getting a terrific deal."

Some school officials say they don't expect enrollment to be affected by the tuition increases.

"When it's gone up between $150 and $300, it hasn't impacted enrollment at all," said Russell Valente, admissions director at St. Louis.

St. Louis is seeing increases of $200 in grades 6-8 and $300 in grades 9-12, but with substantial increases in its financial aid budget as well, Valente said.

Although the number of applicants to Hawaii Baptist is smaller than in previous years, the school still received twice the number of applications for openings in upper grades and three times the number of openings in kindergarten, said spokeswoman Brenda Hicks.