Real decreases in government funding are putting pressure on fees, says CACGEL. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
Parents in Catholic schools across the Canberra and Goulburn Archdiocese face fee rises of up to 7.5 per cent rise for 2027, as well as the annual building levy hitting $1000.
Catholic Archdiocese Canberra and Goulburn Education Limited (CAGEL) has given parents early notice of its 2027 fees schedule.
The fee increase follows an up to 10 per cent hike this year, driven by teacher salaries, travel and excursion insurance, computer technology, books and stationery.
CACGEL executive director David de Carvalho said real decreases in per-student base government funding were putting increased pressure on fees.
“We know fees can be a concern for many of our families, so we strive to keep fees as low as possible,” he said.
“At the same time we must ensure schools have the resources they need to meet the rising costs of providing a quality Catholic education.”
Fees for ACT primary schools will climb up to six per cent, while four of the five Catholic ACT secondary colleges across all year levels will lift fees 7.5 per cent.
Fees for a Year 12 student at St Mary McKillop College for 2027 will be $11,960.
At Merici College it will be $16,455, St Clare’s College $14,186 and St Francis Xavier College $13,720.
St John Paul II College’s increase will be contained to a six per cent increase in recognition of the very significant increase in 2025.
Fees for a Year 12 student there will be $14,757.
In addition, 2027 will see the third and final increase in the building levy first introduced in 2025, rising $375 to $1000.
For ACT primary schools, the average fee increase for a family with two children will be $870 (inclusive of the building levy).
Total fees for a family with two children in an ACT primary school will be $8137 (inclusive of the building levy).
The annual fee for one child at all but three ACT primary schools will be $4758, not including the building levy.
For St Benedict’s Narrabundah it will be $4231 , St John the Apostle Florey $4641 and St Clare of Assisi Conder $4632.
The overall fee increase for CACGEL schools in NSW will be six per cent.
CACGEL said no family would face an increase in the combined tuition fee and building levy that exceeded 12.5 per cent.
Mr de Carvalho said CACGEL believed no child should be denied a Catholic education because of an inability to pay fees.
He said families could apply for fee remissions based on their particular circumstances.
CACGEL principals were available to talk through their school’s educational offering with every family.
“I assure every parent and caregiver that our schools deliver excellent learning experiences for students through evidence-based teaching practice and high-quality resources,” he said.
“We also offer sibling discounts which makes our schools more affordable for families.”
Fees for 2028 and 2029 will be announced in the first half of 2027 to give parents certainty.
In August, Mr de Carvalho prepared Catholic school parents for a shake-up in fees as the system plans for growth, aims to make fees fairer and braces for looming changes to Commonwealth funding.
Speaking at the launch of the 10-year Apostolic Action Plan, Mr de Carvalho said CACGEL was aiming for a 25 per cent growth in capacity to cater for 30,000 students across the archdiocese, up from 24,000.
That would include upgrades and new schools, such as more co-ed secondary schooling options on the south side of Canberra.
Mr de Carvalho said that without more government funding, there would be pressure on fees, so there would need to be a change in how they were structured to ensure they remained fair and took into account families’ capacity to pay.
This would occur from 2028 and reflect the different circumstances of school communities.
Mr de Carvalho said this meant the uniform fee structure for primary school students across the system instituted over the past five years would be replaced by one that acknowledged a school community’s means.
Original Article published by Ian Bushnell on Region Canberra.
