Dear Rabbi,
The Talmud in Beitza 16a says that a person’s income for the year is set from Rosh Hashana, except for a few things, and one of them is sending your kid to school for a Torah education. My question is, is it a lack of trust in Hashem to ask for a discount from the school even when it’s $18,000 a year? I think the reason that it’s so expensive is because it’s like tzedakah, whoever could pay, great; and whoever can’t pay it, then they should ask for a discount.
To the Questioner,
It is not considered a lack of trust to ask for a discount on school tuition, since this is the customary way of arranging tuition with a private enterprise. Since the school requests your tax returns, the real price for the school is decided by the school board based on the individual's previous year's returns.
Therefore, when the Talmud says that one's needs to cover the cost of study is decided on Rosh Hashana, one should have complete faith that the real amount that the school board decides for him will be covered.
With Blessings,
Rav Nachum