The proposal to spread yeshiva tuition payments over 50 years is simple and compelling: instead of cramming 15 years of heavy tuition payments into the most financially stressful stage of life, why not spread them out evenly over half a century? After all, we pay property taxes for public school our entire adult lives—whether or not we have kids in school—so why not apply the same logic to yeshiva tuition? But let’s take a step back and think this through. The person who came up with this plan is likely in the thick of tuition-paying years, probably with a brood of young children and an inbox full of monthly statements. Understandably, this parent sees a mountain of bills and wonders how they’ll possibly make it through. The solution, in theory, is to break the mountain into manageable hills—extend the payments into the distant future, past the seminary years, past the weddings, past the kollel support. Maybe even into retirement. That’s where the theory starts to fall apart. The truth is, life is built in financial stages, and each one brings its own challenges. Tuition may feel crushing now, but once your children get older, you’re not off the hook. Seminary, college, support for married children, wedding expenses — these aren’t optional. They’re the next wave of financial responsibility. If you’re still paying off nursery and kindergarten when your son is ready to marry, what are you supposed to do? Take out another loan? Sell your house? And then there’s retirement. At some point, people stop earning. They live on savings, social security, and hopefully some investment income. Can we really expect a 70-year-old grandparent to still be paying off tuition bills for a child who’s already a parent himself? Even if a family could theoretically budget for decades of payments, life doesn’t follow predictable financial trajectories. People lose jobs. Health crises arise. Divorces happen. Income dries up. The last thing anyone needs in those moments is a contract obligating them to keep paying off a tuition bond signed 30 years ago. That’s not to say we don’t need bold thinking about tuition. We do. Desperately. Creative solutions, such as expanding communal scholarship funds, endowment-based tuition subsidies, or even realigning our educational models to operate more efficiently—these are all ideas worth exploring. And yes, the new federal tax credit for private school scholarships is a game-changer, but it won’t eliminate tuition altogether. The frustration fueling this “50-year bond” idea is real and valid. But we need to solve the tuition crisis in a way that reflects the actual financial rhythms of a frum family — not just the pain of today’s bills. Mortgaging our future isn’t the answer. Let’s focus on sustainable, communal solutions that don’t push the problem into the next generation — or into our own retirement. Because the only thing worse than struggling to pay tuition now is still paying for it when you’re walking grandchildren to cheder. Signed, A Realistic Bubby The views expressed in this letter are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of YWN. Have an opinion you would like to share? Send it to us for review.