INFLATION will be felt in the school yard this year, with private fees set to rise in Newcastle and the Hunter region.
A handful of elite schools have released their 2024 fee schedules, and it shows it could cost almost $30,000 to send a child to year 12.
Education loan provider EdStart's 2023 report showed a 3.8 per cent increase for Hunter schools, compared with the NSW average of 4.4 per cent.
And ahead of its 2024 report to be released later in January, the organisation's CEO Jack Stevens is expecting the average fee increase to be above 3.8 per cent, due to high staffing, building and maintenance costs.
"Wages for teachers is a big cost item, with private schools having to match salary increases of teachers at government schools that came into effect in October last year," he said.
Mr Stevens said he had seen a wide variance and range among the schools for 2024. Some faculties had kept their fees the same as last year, while others had increased them above 9 per cent.
Newcastle Grammar School (NGS) has increased its year 12 fees to $29,888.
"Nationally, Australia is experiencing a period of significantly higher inflation rate from which schools like ours are not immune," NGS head of school Matt Macoustra said.
In 2023, Newcastle Grammar School fees were $27,420, but, in response to the current climate in the education sector, fees had increased to 9 per cent.
"The education sector is facing an ongoing and severe teacher shortage. In response to this, NGS staff will receive a discretionary salary increase," Mr Macoustra said in a letter to NGS families.
"I appreciate that this increase will be difficult for some families, however, I believe it necessary to ensure the continue provision of the high standard of learning and teaching provided and expected at our school," the letter said.
Hunter Valley Grammar School (HVGS) released its fee schedule for 2024 with a cost of $22,000 for year 12 students, compared with $20,700 in 2023.
St Phillips Christian College's fee is $12,030, a 4.9 per cent increase from $11,470.
For year 12 students attending Macquarie College, it will cost parents $12,003 for the school year with a rise of 4 per cent.
Hunter Christian School has had a minimal increase from 2023 with this year's fees at $9589, a $279 difference from last year.
Increasing its fees by 3.9 per cent, Belmont Christian College said the decision was in support of its families and they were able to make the decision based on the financial stability of the school.
At Maitland Christian School, 2024 fees will cost $8375.
Medowie Christian School's year 12 tuition fees remain at $7000.
Many of the schools have discounts if families have more than one child enrolled. Mr Stevens said he had seen an influx of Hunter families requiring their loan assistance.
"With schools dealing with rising operating costs and families facing cost of living pressures, we've seen an uplift in schools and parents using Edstart to manage fee payments," he said.
"Across the Hunter, the number of schools that are using our fee management service for 2024 has doubled, while there's been a 60 per cent increase in the number of family accounts over the past 12 months."
Futurity Investment Group's Investment in Education Index 2024 discovered the total cost of an Independent education in NSW is 19 per cent above the national average of $318,000, over 13 years for a child starting school this year.
In NSW regional and remote areas, the cost will be $231,000. The cost is considerably more expensive than Perth at $225,728 and Brisbane, $277,000.
Sydney is Australia's most expensive city for an Independent education, at $378,000, an increase of $20,000 compared with last year.
