Raising children is expensive and literally everyone knows it. Have you ever had a kid who loves berries? Then you’re probably hurting your wallet too. But nothing could prepare me for extracurricular tuition. You might think there would be a registration fee, and if things were going well, a monthly class fee, but honestly, it all adds up: equipment, costumes, recital fees, game tickets, travel fundraising. And the worst part is that extracurricular activities can become very important for children. It doesn’t matter whether they become professional baseball players or not. Is it about being part of a team, making a commitment, and working hard at something over and over again until you get better and better at it? It builds incredible character.
you know. if You can afford it.
In a post to the subreddit /parenting, one user had to vent about a specific extracurricular expense: the cost of a child joining a marching band. The original poster (OP) wrote, “My second child is starting high school next year and is eager to join marching band. I was in marching band in high school too, so I wasn’t opposed to her joining. Discipline would be good for her, and now I know how much it costs.”
OP goes on to share that there is a non-refundable $450 fee for the child to join the marching band. “$450 is two weeks worth of groceries for us,” OP added. “In comparison, most high school sports cost between $75 and $150.”
OP also mentioned that marching band also takes a lot of time. Three weeks of band camp and practice are required throughout the summer. When you factor in gas, band camp supplies, instrument maintenance, and everything else that comes with an activity like this (there’s always a need to order t-shirts, take pictures, buy food, etc.), it’s no wonder we all feel a little stressed.
And the comments were thoughtful.
“I think our band fees were around $600. For three years we had a band kid and a color guard kid, and they both played in the Winter Winds/Winter Guard group, so it was $600 per school year x 4,” one commenter wrote.
“I had to pay $700 for the first of five (out of five) payments for my child’s marching band membership. Our marching band is a large competitive band and will be marching in the Rose Parade next year, so the amount has increased,” another woman shared.
Some commenters even told the OP to contact the school and ask for help. One user wrote, “I think the school would want to help, especially if the OP’s child is well-behaved and interested in music.”
Unfortunately, as mentioned in several comments, this type of pricing is not limited to bands or high school activities.
“Performing arts is crazy! Instead of a marching band, we have a theater in our house! It’s so expensive. At least $200 for every performance, and we can do it four times a year!”
“I play school cheer, volleyball, softball, football, and soccer. The cost of it and the time it takes is unbelievable.”
“I’m not in band, but my daughter wants to start playing travel volleyball. It’s $2,900. And cheer is another $900. I understand your pain.”
“Unfortunately, it’s not exorbitant. The cost for high school lacrosse in my area is about $450, plus fundraising.”
“My 8-year-old son dances competitively, which costs about $80,000 a year for his junior year.”
Everything costs money, from auditioning for your child’s school musical to attending the fourth grade science fair. Most have upfront, non-refundable costs (sign-up fees, registration fees) and require all “add-ons”.
And much of the cost of extracurricular classes depends on the organization that runs it. Recreational leagues in your city may be a little cheaper than third-party sports organizations because they don’t have to pay for things like renting fields or adding additional insurance, and they may already have some of the equipment you need. School sports and activities are highly dependent on the funding a school receives. Has arts funding been cut? How much money do they get paid by the athletic department? Do you have booster clubs or sponsors that can help fund games, practices, etc.?
It’s also very difficult to feel sorry about the cost when you know how important these activities and extracurricular activities are to children. There are numerous studies on the benefits for children, with some finding that getting children involved in extracurricular sports and extracurricular arts has the greatest benefits over choosing one or the other.
That means some parents are paying for multiple extracurricular classes per child. According to a 2023 Lending Tree survey of 2,000 consumers, 62% of parents with children in extracurricular classes are stressed about costs, with the average cost being $731 per child per year.
Considering most monthly classes only last through the school year and some sports seasons last only a few months, $731 doesn’t need to be that popular. If you have three kids, extracurricular tuition can cost you about $220 a month.
And with gas, groceries, taxes, and everything else going up in price, I can’t help but feel a little bit attacked by my 5-year-old’s monthly dance class bill.
