The Cost of Being a Senior Tomahawk

Public school students may not pay tuition, but that doesn't mean they and their families get off cheap. Here's a snapshot of some of the expenses associated with senior year.

$200: fee to play a sport, and that is per sport, per season, with no cap. There are waivers offered to those in need.

$75, increasing to $85 on Oct. 1: yearbook cost

$100: parking permit fee per semester, nontransferrable

$40-60: senior prom tickets (and, of course, add a couple hundred on top of that for a tux or dress, limo and flowers)

$450: lunch money for the year ($2.50 multiplied by 180 days)

$20: cap and gown

$17.95: the least costly school clothing item (T-shirt)

So, if you're a Class of 2012 Tomahawk who eats school lunch every day, plays a sport, drives a car, attends prom, buys a yearbook, and graduates, you're looking at spending a minimum of $892.95 this year.

That's probably pretty conservative. Of course this doesn't not account for writing utensils, notebooks and other school supplies. Or school clothes. And if you're not a prom-dress bargain shopper and don't have a tux handy, you're looking at even bigger bucks.