Catholic school fees set to soar as families feel the pressure

Parents with children attending Catholic schools across Melbourne are reeling after being told to expect increases of as much as 20 per cent to next year’s education fees.

At the upper end of the Catholic education market, Camberwell’s Siena College fee hike for next year will require parents to find an extra $5000 to cover the $29,219 tuition in 2026.

Last week, this masthead reported that another prestigious church-backed school, St Kevin’s College in Toorak, was hitting parents with a 16 per cent fee hike, which will see annual fees climb from $31,560 to $36,560. Since 2021, fees have increased 65 per cent from $22,040 for year 12.

Another suburban church-linked school, Aquinas College Ringwood, is facing a furious backlash from the parents of year 12 students with fees rising by 20 per cent in 2026. The increase comes on the back of an increase of more than 13 per cent this year and 5 per cent in 2024, cumulatively bringing fees to more than $11,500. Parents have also been advised that after reducing its siblings discount from 20 per cent in 2024 to 10 per cent this year, this will further reduce to 5 per cent in 2026.

Both St Kevin’s and Siena colleges have cited a wage increase of at least 7 per cent next year for Catholic school teachers, as well as other rising operational costs, as factors driving up prices.

Currently, the state’s Catholic Education Authority, bargaining on behalf of 33 separate church-linked employers, has offered the workforce a 7 per cent pay rise next year, with future increases pegged to the wage outcomes for their government school counterparts. But the main workplace union for Victoria’s 30,000 Catholic teachers and support workers, the Independent Education Union, is currently pursuing a 37 per cent pay rise over three years.

“The Siena College Board has carefully considered these factors when setting the school fees for 2026,” a spokesperson at the school said. “We remain committed to ensuring the unwavering delivery of high-quality, Dominican education for all our students.”

Catholic schools are free to set their own fee structures, discounts and other compulsory charges, with fees ranging from $6000 to more than $40,000 across the state.

A sample of fee increases of 15, low, middle and high-fee Catholic schools around Melbourne shows an average increase of 10.5 per cent, more than twice the average increases in the broader independent sector, and nearly three times the annual rate of inflation.

In its 2026 fee notice, Aquinas College told parents that price increases were driven by shortfalls in government funding, finance costs for the college’s ambitious building project, and inflationary pressures on energy, staff, travel costs, insurance and government expenses.

Aquinas referred inquiries to Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS) administrative body, which said the college’s fees remained, even after the increases, below the average across Melbourne.

But families, who had to confirm their children’s 2026 enrolments in August, are unhappy with the explanations on offer for the sharp price increases after being notified about the rise last week. The delay in advising parents means that it is too late to un-enrol their children without facing fees.

One parent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the Aquinas community as being “in a state of uproar”, saying: “In line with the college motto ‘Illuminare et Ardere’ (to light up and be on fire), the parents are lit up and burning with rage.”

“It is unfortunate that the college appears to be abandoning its Catholic ethos of compassion and service to families, loss of community spirit, and are out-of-touch with the pressures many families are facing in the current economy,” they said.

In a statement provided to The Age, a MACS spokesperson said: “Like all Catholic and non-government schools, we rely on parent contributions to bridge the growing gap in government funding, and to fund critical infrastructure upgrades.

“We are acutely conscious of the financial pressures facing working families, and the need to balance this with ensuring the immediate and long-term financial sustainability of our schools.

“Our schools look at each family’s circumstances individually and often provide support where necessary to ensure continuity of education and care.”

The 2026 school fees at Aquinas College remain below the average annual tuition fees for Catholic secondary schools in greater Melbourne which, in turn, remain some of the most affordable in Australia.

There are 493 Catholic schools across the state that enrol 218,000 students, who make up a fifth of the state’s school students.

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