Notebooks, backpacks, lunch boxes, index cards — these are just some of the many items straining budgets as families get ready for back-to-school shopping. 

“My daughter wanted a book bag that cost $35,” said Phyllis Creameans, a single mom of four from West Virginia. “I don’t understand why it’s so much. It’s not a name brand. It’s not Nike. It’s not Jordan or Adidas or any of that. Just a regular old simple book bag.” 

According to a study by the Groundwork Collaborative, a progressive think tank, the cost of school supplies is up 11% this year. Families are expected to spend almost $4,000 per child for school items and lunches for the 2026-27 school year.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it: Yes, we struggle every day, every month. We struggle if it’s food or if it’s gas, or whatever it is. We struggle.”

Phyllis Creameans

Tariffs are one factor driving up the price of school consumer goods, many of which are manufactured overseas.

Newell Brands, a company that owns many well-known brands such as Sharpie, Paper Mate and Elmer’s glue, was hit hard by tariffs in 2025. Products manufactured overseas cost the company $174 million in tariff costs. Students may find headphones and other tech items more expensive as well, as companies like Logitech have had to raise their prices in the U.S. due to Trump’s tariffs. 

MS NOW spoke to families across the country who said the sticker shock from higher school-supply costs driven by tariffs and inflation is forcing them to cut back on household expenses like gas and groceries. Parents told us they face tough financial decisions and are often forced to say no to school items that are too expensive. 

“Last year we were able to get school supplies — all our school clothes, brand-new book bags, new shoes, you name it,” Creameans said. “My kids were ready to go back to school on the first day, they were so excited last year. This year, I do not know how I’m going to do it.”

According to a study from Credit Karma, 48% of parents are expected to open a new credit card or increase their credit limit to afford back-to-school expenses.

“Ten years ago, you could go to your local Dollar Store and get everything, aside from probably a backpack and the advanced items,” said Damien Glasper, a father of two from California. “But now, even if you go to major stores like Walmart, Target, things like that, some of the items might be sold out, and if they’re not sold out, they just might be so expensive to where you just can’t justify getting everything there at once.”

Americans are also feeling the effects from the war with Iran in their pockets. Rising oil prices, for example, have caused ACCO Brands, the maker of popular notebook labels like Mead, Five Star and Trapper Keeper, to raise its prices.

Parents told MS NOW they are reminded of the war constantly, when filling up their gas tanks to drive to school or battling high prices for groceries to make school lunches. 

“Some stores may not be local, so you might have to plan the trip to go farther,” Glasper said.

“I’m not going to sugarcoat it: Yes, we struggle every day, every month. We struggle if it’s food or if it’s gas, or whatever it is. We struggle,” Creameans said.

It doesn’t stop at school supplies. President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA) has made it difficult for lower-income families to access food assistance and healthcare benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid. With the OBBBA, the number of kids who qualify for free meals has dropped.

“You gotta tighten up on your money now, because you never know what tomorrow’s going to hold,” Angela Ford, a grandmother of five children from Kansas City, Missouri, told MS NOW. “Every day I wake up, I gotta think about the kids and what they need and stuff like that, like their diapers and pullups and all that. It’s a struggle.”

Moving forward, many families said they are unsure how long they can budget ahead when affordability remains a top concern and the war overseas shows no sign of ending anytime soon. Some parents are blaming Trump. 

According to a poll by Echelon Insights, a strategic research firm, support for the president from moms has dropped by more than 30 points in the past year. The poll found that Trump is also losing support from the majority of dads. 

“We’re in a war. Now the gas prices and everything is going up, all because of him. I don’t know. Looking back, I wish that he would have never come back into being the president again,” Creameans said. 

Adding expensive school supplies to the family budget is just another burden on the list. Families told MS NOW they have increasingly relied on resources such as donations and community centers to offset the growing costs of basic necessities. Although they are thankful for programs that prioritize household expenses, they worry about their ability to provide a better future for their children.

United Way Worldwide, a nonprofit that connects people to community-based charity groups, has been tracking the affordability crisis across the country through 211, a free, confidential referral service that assists people with issues such as paying rent or putting food on the table. United Way Worldwide said there has been a significant increase in complex calls, or requests for assistance with more than one need. 

Instead of asking for help on just rent or medical expenses, clients are often calling for assistance paying for gas, groceries and utility bills. This has been especially significant over the past year, as families deal with a tough economy. 

“For any family that’s already living paycheck to paycheck, anything that’s different outside of that norm, any kind of seasonal expense, is going to be burdensome,” explained Heather Black, vice president for 211 system strategy at United Way Worldwide.

“It breaks my heart when I have to worry about them a lot to make sure they have what they need every day,” Ford said. “I don’t want to come short in their life.”

The post Parents struggle with back-to-school season as tariffs, Iran war drive up costs appeared first on MS NOW.

From MS Now.