Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn
Catholic Education Office

School Fees and Levies

Related Policies:

Enrolment
Financial Accounting Procedures
Record Keeping

Purpose:

To ensure that tuition fees charged by schools to families are in accordance with the fee levels set by the Catholic Education Commission, and that local levies are charged in accordance with the fee levels approved by the School Board.

Policy:

School tuition fees must be charged in accordance with the fee levels set by the Catholic Education Commission, and the CEC determined percentage of family fees and NSW Secondary Student fees remitted to the Catholic Education Office at the end of each term.

Inability to pay school fees should never be given as a reason for the exclusion of any child from a Catholic school.

Every effort should be made by the School Board to recover fees from parents who have the capacity to pay.

Definitions:

Fee Remission
An arrangement whereby a parent is not required to pay the full amount of fees.

Fee Write Off
The process whereby the school no longer records a fee as outstanding on its books due to it being deemed to be irrecoverable.

Procedures:

1. Recording fees in the school's accounts.

1.1 All families must be charged the full fees (comprising the CEO tuition fee and local levies), with any approved fee remissions or write offs processed through the school's accounts. The reasons for the granting of a fee remission or write off must be documented.

1.2 Fee remissions and write offs must be approved by the School Board. A Fee's Committee, being a sub committee of the board, should be established to make recommendations regarding fee remissions and write-offs. The Fee's Committee should include, but not be limited to, the Principal, Board Treasurer and the School Secretary or Bursar.

2. Collection of unpaid school fees

2.1 The following procedures are to be followed after the normal process of reminder letters and interview with the School Bursar or Principal have not proved to be satisfactory

2.1.1 The Principal consults with the Parish Priest, in his role as leader of the Parish community to establish whether formal recovery processes are appropriate and should be adopted on a case by case basis.
2.1.2 The School Board writes to parents reminding them of their commitment to pay school fees and requesting payment.
2.1.3 In the event of an unsatisfactory response the Principal or School Board makes arrangements with a debt collection agency to pursue unpaid fees.
2.1.4 The debt collection agency provides the School Board with a letter of final demand to be sent to parents allowing ten days for contact with the school.
2.1.5 In the event of an unsatisfactory response a representative of the debt collection agency makes personal contact with the parents.
2.1.6 If the result is unsatisfactory the Principal or School Board notifies the CEO Head of Finance & Planning Division of the names and address of people who are to be summonsed.
2.1.7 The Principal or School Board advises the CEO Head of Finance & Planning Division if action remains to be taken after a summons has been ignored and of any action in relation to the Small Claims Court.

References:

Operational Guidelines and Constitutions for Catholic Parish Primary, Central and Secondary School Boards and Parents & Friends' Associations (February 1997)

Forms:

Nil

Last updated on December 2, 2006