{
  "id": 10615384,
  "title": "Canberra Catholic schools to increase fees for 2027",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/29/canberra-catholic-schools-to-increase-fees-for-2027",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-29T05:02:23.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "ABC News AU",
    "slug": "abc-news-au",
    "url": "https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-29/act-catholic-schools-increase-primary-secondary-fees-for-2027/107207574"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Education Limited has announced that tuition fees at its schools in the ACT will increase in 2027. Primary school fees will rise by 6 percent, while most secondary schools will see a 7.5 percent hike. The final year of the Catholic schools building levy, introduced in 2025, will also be subject to a fee increase, costing families $1,000 per year.\n\nThe Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Education Limited, which operates 56 schools in the ACT and NSW, informed parents of the fee increases. Primary school fees will rise by 6 percent, whereas four out of five Catholic secondary schools will increase their fees by 7.5 percent. The exception is St John Paul II College in Nicholls, where fees will increase by 6 percent instead of 7.5 percent, similar to primary schools.\n\nIn 2027, a Year 12 student at St Clare's College in Griffith will face a total fee of $14,188, an increase of $991 from the previous year. The fee increases are being implemented amid rising cost-of-living pressures, higher interest rates, and an annual headline inflation rate of 3.8 percent in June 2023.\n\nExecutive director David de Carvalho stated that CACGEL is striving to keep fees as low as possible while ensuring schools have the necessary resources to provide quality Catholic education. Real decreases in per-student base government funding are putting increased pressure on fees. According to the 2026 ACT Census of Schools, over 16,000 students attend Catholic schools in Canberra.\n\nFor families concerned about the fee increases, CACGEL encourages them to speak with school principals. The organization aims to support every family in need and believes no child should be denied a Catholic education due to financial constraints. Families can apply for fee remissions based on their specific circumstances.\n\nMost independent schools in Canberra have not yet publicly released their 2027 fee schedules. Radford College, an independent school in the region, indicated an 8.5 percent increase for 2027, with a Year 12 student's tuition costing $28,156. Some parents criticized the school last year for a 23 percent fee increase.",
  "summary": "The Catholic Education Office for Canberra and Goulburn Archdiocese says fee increases for next year are necessary to ensure schools have the resources they need amid rising costs.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}