Sports Participation Fee Policies in US High Schools: A National Survey of Athletic Directors

Purpose: Because of budget constraints, many school districts are reducing or eliminating sports programs. An alternative trend is to maintain programs but charge fees for student participation in sports. Fees may discourage participation and unfairly burden students unable to pay. The purpose of this study was to explore sports participation fee policies in US high schools among a national sample of athletic directors. Methods: We developed a survey and sent it online or through postal service to a national sample of athletic directors (N = 3342) from a randomized list of US school districts. Descriptive statistics and multilevel regression models were computed comparing respondents from districts with and without policies, and those with and without fee waivers. Results: We received 991 responses (response rate of 30%). Almost 40% (39.9%) reported participation fees for interscholastic sports, and 26% reported the likelihood of a policy within 5 yr. These policies varied; 32% charged fees per season, 26% per year, and 42% by sport. The average amount was $120. Most (78%) had waiver provisions. Lower-income districts had significantly lower odds of charging fees than higher-income districts, and when they did, they were less likely to have waivers. Conclusion: Overall, respondents from districts with fee polices had significantly different perceptions of policies compared with no policy respondents. High schools are implementing a wide variety of sports participation fee policies, and majority of those with policies provide waivers for students unable to pay. There were significant differences by district income level. Further exploration on the extent to which these policies are influencing sports participation, especially among lower-income students, is needed.