Why are they charging fees for required Sacramental prep?
Also, why does Sacramental prep cost anyone hundreds of dollars per person? Are the teachers paid? Are they scouring the internet to find the most expensive curriculum available? Are they getting uncommonly well-catechized children for these fees?
Why are they charging fees for required Sacramental prep?
Also, why does Sacramental prep cost anyone hundreds of dollars per person? Are the teachers paid? Are they scouring the internet to find the most expensive curriculum available? Are they getting uncommonly well-catechized children for these fees?
Nominal charges put skin in the game, and sometimes do make the purchase of materials possible for parishes that have very lean budgets. Consider also that many parishes do overnight confirmation retreats, which is no small expense. I do think a $500 registration fee is a little scandalous.
I do not know the reasons for sure why the fees are so high, as I don't have kids or relatives who'd be attending prep here. I'm guessing course materials likely cost $50 to $75. The rest, I suspect, is a combination of 1) the teachers probably receiving some compensation at the higher priced parishes, as I noticed a significantly lower fee at the parish where religious sisters are in residence and teach prep; 2) particular parishes wanting to focus on kids in their own parochial school and discourage those who are just coming for prep; 3) extra activities such as retreats or service trips which in at least one case involves confirmation students visiting a less well-off part of the country about 5 hours drive away; 4) potentially having well-off families subsidizing the program for poorer families, as we have a good number of each in the area. Regardless, once the fees are going above $100 they seemed excessive to me.
I went on a retreat recently, as an adult, in another state, with 2 nights there and all meals covered and a private room, that was for less than $500. Having been on a service trip or two, it generally involves sleeping in one room with all the other girls or boys. The expensive part was the materials for the actual service, which parishioners donated. I've also signed up for a religious class with ICC, which was free and high quality, college level material - with no Sacraments being held up for it.
Per-person course materials costing $50-$75 is astonishing to me, given how much is available for free or for less than $15.
Well-off families subsidize the poorer ones who are sufficiently badly off that they qualify for and are willing to ask for assistance. The marginal families just get stuck with it - and that is the eternal problem with charging unnecessarily high prices and saying it's OK because you'll give assistance to those who can't pay.
Why are they charging fees for required Sacramental prep?
Also, why does Sacramental prep cost anyone hundreds of dollars per person? Are the teachers paid? Are they scouring the internet to find the most expensive curriculum available? Are they getting uncommonly well-catechized children for these fees?
Nominal charges put skin in the game, and sometimes do make the purchase of materials possible for parishes that have very lean budgets. Consider also that many parishes do overnight confirmation retreats, which is no small expense. I do think a $500 registration fee is a little scandalous.
I do not know the reasons for sure why the fees are so high, as I don't have kids or relatives who'd be attending prep here. I'm guessing course materials likely cost $50 to $75. The rest, I suspect, is a combination of 1) the teachers probably receiving some compensation at the higher priced parishes, as I noticed a significantly lower fee at the parish where religious sisters are in residence and teach prep; 2) particular parishes wanting to focus on kids in their own parochial school and discourage those who are just coming for prep; 3) extra activities such as retreats or service trips which in at least one case involves confirmation students visiting a less well-off part of the country about 5 hours drive away; 4) potentially having well-off families subsidizing the program for poorer families, as we have a good number of each in the area. Regardless, once the fees are going above $100 they seemed excessive to me.
I went on a retreat recently, as an adult, in another state, with 2 nights there and all meals covered and a private room, that was for less than $500. Having been on a service trip or two, it generally involves sleeping in one room with all the other girls or boys. The expensive part was the materials for the actual service, which parishioners donated. I've also signed up for a religious class with ICC, which was free and high quality, college level material - with no Sacraments being held up for it.
Per-person course materials costing $50-$75 is astonishing to me, given how much is available for free or for less than $15.
Well-off families subsidize the poorer ones who are sufficiently badly off that they qualify for and are willing to ask for assistance. The marginal families just get stuck with it - and that is the eternal problem with charging unnecessarily high prices and saying it's OK because you'll give assistance to those who can't pay.