Aug. 22, 2026, 6:02 a.m. ET

Brandi McGrath usually buys quality, long-lasting school supplies for her 9-year-old son and his teachers. But sharp increases in the cost of folders, pencils and other products have forced her to cut back and search for cheaper alternatives.

"It’s insane how expensive things have gotten," said McGrath, 48, of Salt Lake City. "I’m looking for every sale I can."

In Daytona Beach, Florida, Karin Kaiser was similarly struck by the cost of back-to-school shopping this year.

"It is crazy," she said, estimating that she and her husband spent way over $100 on just notebooks and looseleaf paper for their two daughters. "That's not counting what we had to pay for back-to-school clothes, shoes, haircuts."

The cost of a typical school supply list – including notebooks, paper, pencils and glue sticks – is nearly $175, almost 8% higher than in 2025, according to an analysis by Groundwork Collaborative and The Century Foundation, two progressive think tanks.

Some essential items such as lunch boxes, notebooks and tissues cost 20% or more than they did a year ago, the analysis found, pointing in part to the effects of President Donald Trump’s tariff agenda, which the Federal Reserve says raised the cost of many products manufactured overseas for American consumers.

Over the same period, the cost of electronics such as headphones rose 6.6%, the report found. Meanwhile, typical lunch items cost 10.9% more than they did in 2025, the analysis said, citing price hikes on everything from blueberries to deli meat.

The rising prices come as Americans are already struggling with inflation and high gas prices stemming from the war in Iran, forcing many to take on debt and stretch their meals.

A survey by Credit Karma found that 57% of parents are entering the back-to-school season with credit card debt, and nearly half plan to pursue new credit to help pay for back-to-school expenses.

USA TODAY Network reporters spoke with families across the country about how the rising cost of school supplies is affecting them. Many said it has worsened their already dire financial situation, forcing them to cut back further, look for donations and buy the cheapest versions of what their child needs for school. Some had to forego school shopping altogether.

"There’s all sorts of balancing I have to do now," McGrath said. "Everything is squeezing us."

Companies are raising prices on school supplies

Major school supply brands have increased their prices in recent months, citing inflation, rising gas prices and the Trump administration’s tariffs.

Newell Brands, which owns well-known school supply brands such as Sharpie, EXPO, Paper Mate and Elmer’s glue, increased prices on consumers to offset more than $170 million in tariff costs.

ACCO Brands, which owns school notebook supplier Mead & Five Star, cited costs from tariffs and conflict in the Middle East as headwinds that will lead to higher prices for consumers.

"We do anticipate having to push through additional cost increases globally," said Thomas Tedford, president and CEO of ACCO Brands, in an earning call in July.

In a statement, White House spokesperson Kush Desai said: “As traffic through the Strait of Hormuz normalizes, energy prices – and thus overall inflation – will come down and real wages will rise. President Trump’s economic agenda delivered historic working-class prosperity in his first term, and this same agenda is cleaning up Joe Biden’s mess to deliver more job, wage, and investment growth.”

McGrath, who leads her local parent teacher association, said she compared receipts from 2025 with what she spent this year and was "flabbergasted by the difference."

"I was paying a dollar apiece for basic folders last year, and today they were $2.79," she said.

Parents hunt for deals, buy cheap

As prices for back-to-school products rise, more families are searching for deals or opting for cheaper alternatives, including donations.

About 62% of back-to-school shoppers said they were likely to seek out sales this year, according to an annual NerdWallet report. A quarter of respondents said they planned to cut back on school-related spending, and 72% said items like clothing, school supplies and electronics feel noticeably more expensive this year than in 2025.

Jenni Craig of Ormond Beach, Florida, said she spent hundreds of dollars more on school supplies for her three daughters this year than she did last year. To keep costs down, she tried to save where she could.

"I said no to the $1.50 folders that are nicer simply because they have a cute cat on it," she said. "We got the plain 49-cent folders instead."

Others are doing the same.

McGrath said she left the notebooks decorated with elaborate prints and brightly colored animals on the shelves, even though they're her son's favorite.

"He’s going to get the cheapest folder that I can afford, and we’ll put stickers on it because I can’t afford the prices that anything fun is going for," she said.

Across the country, tens of thousands of parents line up for free backpacks, notebooks and other supplies for their children. Many groups organizing these fundraisers say they've seen the need for donations rise sharply over the past several years.

The Brevard Schools Foundation, which serves children and families in east-central Florida, went from giving free backpacks to about 3,100 students in 2023 to supplying them to nearly 5,000 children last year.

"Families continue to face rising costs for school supplies, while teachers regularly encounter students who arrive without the basic materials they need to learn," Joan Perry, a spokesperson for the foundation, told Florida Today, part of the USA TODAY Network.

High gas, food prices already straining Americans’ wallets

The new school year arrived at a time when families were already struggling to afford everyday expenses.

Studies have shown more Americans are dipping into their savings and taking on debt to cover essential payments on housing, food and rent. In a June survey, 30% of respondents said they used a credit card to pay for essentials in the past three months, knowing they may not pay off their bills.

Chase Miranda, 36, of Indian Lake, Ohio, said he and his wife have fallen behind on rent and utility payments just to afford groceries, especially after their food stamp benefits were recently cut by half.

Trump slashed Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program funding in 2025 in a move the White House said would strengthen the program to "serve those who need it most." More than 4 million people are estimated to have lost food benefits since the Republican-backed legislation took effect.

Miranda, who’s unable to work because of chronic pain stemming from scoliosis and bulging discs in his back, said the cuts meant he couldn’t buy his 12-year-old son anything new for the upcoming school year.

"Until we get enough money saved up, he’ll use last year’s supplies," he said.

Consumer prices have spiked for five straight years. In that span, prices have risen more than 25%. The inflation crisis began under former President Joe Biden, in the waning months of the COVID-19 pandemic. It has persisted through Trump's second term, fed by his campaign of import tariffs and a lengthening war against Iran.

Emily Saeteurn, a parent of two in Peoria, Arizona, said the cost of groceries has forced her to consider whether to keep packing her daughter’s lunch. It may now be cheaper to pay for lunches provided by the school, she said.

Teachers are feeling the squeeze, too

The high prices are also affecting teachers, many of whom must pay out-of-pocket to supply their classrooms with essential items like tissues, wipes, hand sanitizers, paper and pencils.

Jarrett Peavler of Perryville, Kentucky, said his wife, a third grade teacher, had to solicit donations online to stock her classroom with supplies. Her school provides its teachers with only a $200 allowance for the year.

"That’s like one tank of gas for my truck," Peavler said. "And they expect that to last her all year? I was like 'You’ve got to be kidding me.'"

As teachers struggle to pay for supplies, they're turning to donations and parents to help fill in the gaps, though that's often not enough.

In Salt Lake City, McGrath hosts fundraisers and collect supplies for her son's elementary school. This year, she has brought in about a third of the donations she usually receives.

As parents and teachers alike struggle to keep up with rising costs, schools may cancel some of their planned field trips, McGrath said. Some supply closets stocked with extra clothes and notebooks for students in need may be emptier than usual.

"It's hurting everyone," she said.

Christopher Cann is a national reporter for USA TODAY. Reach him by email at ccann@usatoday.com.