@Chaim87-
I haven�t come across a way to collect tuition and give out scholarships that is fair to everyone. I�ve come across many opinions that say the only fair way to do it is this or that but once you look at it from the other direction it�s no longer fair.
Tuition is just one of those things that�s in a category by itself with nothing even remotely comparable.
What other expenses does one have in life that they can�t skimp on? You want to save money- buy a smaller house, eat out less, spend less on vacations, get a few more years out of your car� But when it comes to tuition- there�s no saving money- if you have the money you need to pay it.
Additionally, where else can you find a service where people pay based on what they can afford and everyone gets the same service?
A guy I used to sit next to at work subscribed to every WhatsApp tuition rant he could get himself onto and some of the discussions really had two sides and I got to see both of them and I literally could�ve taken either one.
One posters was willing to pay full tuition (which included the full amount for his kid plus a �secret� percentage above that) but he wanted a tax-deductible receipt for everything above what it cost to educate his kid. The school refused as they were concerned that those paying full tuition would give them a hard time about paying that extra percentage.
What about the tuition board that says that a person shouldn�t put away towards their 401(K) while getting a discount? Is it fair that he should lose out on the employer�s match? The school says that self employed parents don�t get a 401(K) match. Then there�s the government employee who gets a pension without having to set aside for a 401(K). Should he have to use part of his pension to pay back the school for the scholarships he got at the expense of those who couldn�t save for retirement?
There�s also the guy demanding that his kids get preferential treatment (I.e. leading roles in a school play, first choice at yearbook jobs�) since they pay full tuition while others were saying that their kids shouldn�t lose out because they can�t afford full tuition. (Would they go to a car dealership and claim that it�s not fair for their kid to drive a Yugo (yes, I remember those) instead of a Cadillac like their friends since they can�t afford it?) Is it fair that the teacher gives these out based on whose mother is a crank and has all the faculty phone numbers in her speed dial? (As a side story- someone asked a mother at a school play how her kids always have leading roles her response was �easy, the squeaky wheel gets the most grease�.)
In short- there may be a way to do all this fairly I just haven�t seen anything remotely close yet. I also don�t anticipate anything changing in the future.
(Also- can you explain what �parsonage� is (or what context you�re using it in)? I honestly thought it�s when a school (or other non-profit) lets their clergy live in a house on their property for free. I don�t see how this can be used to pay tuition.)