Nearly Half Of Parents Expect To Go Into Debt Over School Supplies This Year

We’re halfway through July — depending on where you live, there may be just a few weeks left until school starts again. And for roughly half of American parents, that’s enough to make them wince. From new clothes and shoes to notebooks, pens, a backpack, and possibly a crazy expensive calculator, back-to-school shopping isn’t known for its affordability. But a new survey of parents found that many of them are dreading this year’s shopping spree more than ever before.

Intuit Credit Karma surveyed over 1,000 parents and found that 44% of them are expecting to go into some amount of credit card debt as a result of back-to-school shopping. That number is up significantly from 34% in 2024. And a truly devastating survey result: 54% of parents “plan to sacrifice necessities, such as groceries, to ensure their children have what they need for the school year.”

As for why more respondents feel this way, 60% say their cost of living has gone up from last year, and 67% feel their child’s school is passing on more expenses to parents as a result of rising costs or losing funding themselves. Some respondents said they buy for just their child, while others shop for communal supplies. However, a small slice of respondents said they actually receive supply lists for both their own child and the class as a whole — hence the hard feelings. It also doesn’t help that half the parents said their children are asking for nonessential items they’ve seen trending on social media, and we all know the brand-name products touted there are usually not a bargain.

But because we are parents, we have a way of making things happen for our kids no matter what. This survey found that:

• 69% will pivot to shopping at dollar stores for school supplies instead of their usual retailer.
• 45% of families will have to forego enrolling their children in after-school programs, clubs, or sports this year due to the cost.
• 44% of respondents will be relying on buy now, pay later services to complete back-to-school shopping.
• 41% will rely on borrowed items or hand-me-downs to complete their child’s back-to-school list.

Honestly, the most surprising figure in the entire survey is that only 54% of parents said back-to-school expenses are a “major source of anxiety” for them. I imagine far more would have answered yes if the term major hadn’t been included — it’s hard not to be stressed when you’re mentally tallying up the cost of a school supply list, especially for older kids who need tech at school or have numerous classes, coupled with the trendy backpack and headphones your child is begging for.

At a time when parents feel burnt out and unsupported by, you know, the entire fabric of American society, and teachers are considering throwing in the towel at alarming rates, we get it if it’s hard to be excited for a new school year. We see you and all the sacrifices you’re making so your kids can have everything they need.