As students across the United States return to school, students and their families are facing a significant rise in back-to-school costs—ranging from school supplies and clothing to campus dining, electronics, and transportation fees. President Trump failed to fulfill his campaign promise of addressing high prices, leading to a substantial increase in school-related expenses. Now, Trump’s tariff policies have further imposed an additional “back-to-school tax” on families with children.
“15 boxes of Crayola crayons, Lysol disinfecting wipes, and 5 boxes of pre-sharpened Ticonderoga pencils.” Jacqueline Agudelo, a 39-year-old Miami resident, started shopping for her 5-year-old’s school supplies in June because she wanted to complete her purchases before the U.S. imposed new tariffs on imported goods, which would lead to price hikes.
According to Fortune magazine, despite having many options, many families begin shopping for back-to-school supplies months in advance, searching for the best discounts and stocking up during summer sales. Retail analysts point out that this year, due to the potential price increase from new U.S. tariff policies, more parents are choosing to replace and replenish school bags and stationery early.
A large portion of backpacks, graph paper, glue sticks, and pencils sold in the U.S. are manufactured in China. These Chinese goods were subject to a 145% tariff this past spring. Under the latest agreement between the two countries, ordinary Chinese goods entering the U.S. will now face a 30% tariff.
A recent analysis by the Groundwork Collaborative and the Century Foundation shows that the typical back-to-school supply kit in the U.S. has risen by an average of 7.3% this school season—almost three times the overall inflation rate over the past year. From lunch boxes to crayons to calculators, households are spending more on school supplies. The analysis reveals that items like index cards (42.6%), notebooks (17.1%), binders (12.8%), and folders (12.7%) have seen the highest price increases. When asked if tariffs would lead to higher prices, President Trump admitted that they indeed would—and suggested that parents should simply buy fewer school supplies for their children: “They can use five pencils.” Since Trump recently increased the tariff on pencils imported from Brazil by 50%, the CEO of Crayola, whose entire colored pencil production is based in Brazil, recently stated: “The U.S. doesn’t have renewable forests, so I won’t build a factory in North Carolina to produce colored pencils. We’re really powerless; this will only increase our costs.”
According to the Century Foundation’s website, parents are expected to spend an additional $163 on preparing lunch for their children this school year compared to the previous year. The report points out that food prices have significantly risen under Trump’s administration, with prices for lunch essentials like juice boxes, grapes, and strawberries averaging a 22% increase. Tariff policies are further driving up the cost of lunch staples. Walmart raised the price of its best-selling bananas by 8% in May. On August 1, Trump announced a tariff of up to 15% on the five countries that supply nearly all of the bananas to the U.S.
Laptop computers, tablets, and other essential learning tools are hit hardest by tariffs. A school district in Michigan was forced to cancel a quarter of its computer upgrade plan due to nearly doubling computer prices (from $650 to $1,200). Overall, the prices of related devices are expected to rise by over 30% due to tariffs.
Tariffs have also driven up the prices of certain apparel and footwear products. Most clothing and shoes imported into the U.S. come from China, Vietnam, and Cambodia—countries whose goods are facing tariffs of 20% or higher. Data shows that in July, shoe prices increased by 1.4%, while clothing prices rose by 0.1%.
Although students are unclear on how Trump’s economic policies will impact tuition fees (which are typically set a year in advance), all signs point to significant future increases in education costs. The “Big and Beautiful” bill signed by Trump on July 4th cuts aid for ordinary Americans, including subsidies for student meals and federal loans to help college students pay for tuition.
The bill eliminates a loan program for students pursuing higher degrees and sets annual loan limits—$20,500 for graduate students per year, and $50,000 for professional schools like law and medical schools. It has been reported that many top law schools charge more than $80,000 per year in tuition and fees. According to Princeton Review, the median total cost for a four-year public medical school program is as high as $268,000.
According to a recent survey by U.S. News & World Report, while not all students rely on federal loans to pay for tuition, 61% of nearly 1,200 surveyed college students said they would be affected by the new law; more than one-third of respondents said they canceled plans to continue their education due to the policy changes. “This means low-income students are likely to be excluded or forced to turn to higher-interest private loans. Over time, this could widen the gap in access to education—especially for minorities attempting to enter fields like medicine,” podcast host Kevin Thompson stated.
Additionally, Trump’s “hostile” policies toward international students have led to a 13% drop in enrollment rates, which may further exacerbate the tuition burden on regular students. Currently, 72% of Americans say that the difficulty of paying for college has been increasing over the past 25 years.
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