Due to budget constraints, many school districts charge fees for students who participate in sports at the middle or high school level. Often called “pay-to-play” fees, these may be charged as a flat amount per year, a flat amount per sport, or a variable charge by sport.

In June 2014, the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health asked a national sample of parents of children in middle or high school (age 12-17 years) about participation fees for school sports.

Participation in School Sports by Family Income

Overall, 42% of parents report that at least one child participated in middle or high school sports during the 2013-14 school year, with substantial differences based on household income. Only 30% of lower-income families (<$60,000 per year) have a teen playing school sports, compared to 51% among families earning >$60,000 per year.



Twelve percent of parents report that the cost of school sports has caused a decrease in participation for at least one of their children, with more lower-income parents noting this trend (15% vs 9%). Notably, 14% of parents whose children did not play school sports at all during the 2013-14 school year cited cost as the reason for non-participation.

Participation Fees for School Sports

The average cost for school athletic fees was $126 per participating child. Overall, 62% of sports participants paid a fee of some amount, with 18% paying $200 or more; differences by income are shown in Figure 1. Twelve percent of lower-income parents and 3% of higher-income parents reported receiving a fee waiver. In addition to participation fees, parents reported an average of $275 in equipment, travel, and other sports-related items, yielding an average overall cost of $401 per child for sports participation.