How much do you have to pay to be in a spelling bee?

It does not cost anything for a student to enter a spelling bee. To compete in something like the National Spelling Bee you see on television, a student must win a local competition. Scripps has individual newspapers sponsor students within their publication region. These papers may help offset the cost to participate. These "costs" aren't entry fees--more along the lines of hotel, food, and travel expenses for the student and a chaperone (usually a parent) to stay at the location of the spelling bee.