Introduction
At St Catherine’s Primary School, we are committed to providing a Catholic education to all enrolled children. We aim to be a sustainable, financially viable, compassionate Catholic School Community. We recognize, value, and promote inclusiveness, accountability, fairness, responsibility, friendship and a sense of belonging.
The St Catherine’s Community accepts that fees are a critical form of revenue for the School and that prompt payment of all fees is the responsibility of all parents/carers of St Catherine’s students.
The fees and levies collected at St Catherine’s are essential in providing high quality education for students, and are used for the following purposes:
- provide resources, materials, facilities and equipment.
- provide teaching, administrative and ground staff.
- maintain buildings, grounds and other facilities.
This School Fee Policy aims to:
- outline to families the expectations, responsibilities, and arrangements for the collection of school fees.
- support families experiencing difficult financial circumstances to maintain their child’s/children’s enrolment at the school.
Information about our school fees is provided in the following ways:
- on the School Web Site (www.stcatherinescps.qld.edu.au).
- at enrolment interviews.
- during Semester 2, the following year’s fees are set, taking into account BCE’s recommendation, and in consultation with the School Board and Parish Finance Council. Fees are then advised in writing to all enrolled families.
- on request.
Payment of Fees
The acceptance by parents/carers of a position at St Catherine’s assumes the responsibility to pay fees in full by the due date.
Various payment options are available, with the School’s preference being BPay, Direct Debit or automatic monthly credit/debit card payments.
Fees will be issued (fees and levies) in Week 3 of Term 1 and Term 3 (2 times/ year). Payments need to be actioned within 14 days either through a payment plan, e.g., Direct Debit, or a manual payment. Account holders will also receive a Fee Statement at the beginning of Term 2 and 4, detailing payments and the current balance.
Any arrangements to vary the conditions for payment must be made through the Principal or his representative.
School Fee Procedure - New School Semester
| 1 | A School Fee Account is issued to parent/carer by e-mail within the first 3 weeks of each semester. Payments need to be actioned within 14 days either through a payment plan, e.g., Direct Debit, or a manual payment.
The full fee account for the semester needs to be finalised by the end of the semester.
Direct Debit Rejection Fee/s will be passed onto account holders.
| Payments need to be actioned within 14 days either through a payment plan, e.g., Direct Debit, or a manual payment.
The full fee account for semester needs to be finalised by the end of the semester.
If paying by direct debit / credit card, ensure the amount of your periodical payment covers the account in full.*
Pay Direct Debit rejection fees.
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| 2 | If no payment has been received on the Account by the due date, a Reminder Statement is to be sent, giving account holders an additional 14 days to make a payment. | Set
up a direct debit/credit card arrangement to ensure outstanding debt is
finalised by the end of the current school year or begin making manual payments
to ensure the full fee account is finalized by the end of each Semester. |
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| 3 | If no payment has been made on expiry of the 2nd due date, the School will send a 2nd reminder Statement to parents/carers by email, to set up a compulsory payment schedule immediately to ensure the outstanding debt is finalised by the end of the current school year. | Meet the compulsory payment schedule immediately or adjust direct debit/credit card arrangement to ensure outstanding debt is finalised by the end of the current school year, or begin making manual payments. |
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| 4 | If a suitable response is not received within the school designated timeframe, the Principal, or a delegated person i.e. finance officer, is to contact the account holder/s. The object of the phone call/contact is to discuss the outstanding debt value, determine what assistance is required to assist the family with managing the debt, and to confirm a workable approach moving forward. If there are special circumstances, a meeting with the Principal will need to be arranged. | Allow and support communication with the School regarding payment of fees.
If required, arrange a meeting with the Principal to discuss the issue of the outstanding debt, at a mutually agreeable time.
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5 | If, after two (2) weeks from making verbal contact or if attempts to make contact are unsuccessful with the account holder/s and no satisfactory arrangements have been reached and there appears to be no other workable solution, then the account may be sent to a collection agency. |
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| 6 | Email sent to parent/carer to advise that account may be placed into the hands of a Debt Collection Agency** if no payment made immediately to finalise account. | Respond with full payment within 7 days of date of debt collection letter. |
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| 7 | If no response within 7 days, contact Debt Collection Agency. Send email to parent/carer advising date the account will be placed into the hands of the Debt Collection Agency.** | No further contact to be made with the School re outstanding account, as all negotiations for payment must now be made with the Debt Collection Agency.**
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* Where a parent/carer finds themselves in financial difficulty due to changed financial circumstances, an Application for Fee Concession can be made under the School’s Fee Concession Procedure.
** Where an outstanding debt is referred to the School’s debt collection agency, an agency fee will be immediately charged to the family fee account. All legal expenses and costs incurred by the School that are associated with the collection of the outstanding debt will be charged to the family fee account. The parent’s/carer’s credit rating may also be affected and listed as a default account with Veda Advantage, the largest credit reference agency in Australia.
Transferring/leaving students
We appreciate that changing family circumstances will sometimes require that a student transfer to another school. Fees will be payable for the whole of the term in which the enrolment is terminated, except in cases where the Principal determines that fair notice is given or that fair notice was impractical.
Non-Payment of Fees
On rare occasions, parents/carers fail to pay their account, do not respond to reminder notices and do not contact the school to make alternative arrangements. In these instances, the school is reluctantly forced to consider engaging the services of the school’s professional debt collection agency and may involve the instigation of legal action. To proceed to legal action, where the account holders credit rating would be affected, authorisation must be obtained from the BCE Chief Financial Officer (CFO).
Any fees incurred by the school in collecting outstanding fees (including fees for debt collection services and direct debit rejection fees) will be passed on to the parent/carer concerned.
Fee Concessions
We are aware that, from time to time, some families find themselves in financial difficulty. With this in mind, our intent is that no student will be excluded from our school due to a genuine inability to pay full or even part fees.
Fee concessions may be considered in cases where a family’s financial circumstances have subsequently changed in such a way as to make fee adjustments necessary. An application for fee concession should be made as early as possible.
An application for fee concession is valid only for the current school year. If concessions are required beyond the current year, a new application must be submitted at the commencement of the following school year to enable a current assessment of the family’s financial situation.
Fee concessions are means tested in line with Federal Government Poverty Guidelines. The assessment process takes into consideration all income (including wages, Youth Allowance, all other Centrelink and Child Support payments), as well as housing costs (including rent or mortgage/rates).
Concession Procedure
Parents/carers wishing to apply for fee concession should do so on the form
“Application for Fee Concession" obtainable from the School Administration.
- Parents/carers requesting concessions must provide evidence of net income (including Centrelink and Child Support payments) and housing costs. Pay slips and Centrelink statements are acceptable evidence of income, and rental receipts or bank statements and rate notices as evidence of housing costs.
Where satisfactory documentary evidence of income and housing costs is provided,
a fee concession may be granted without the need for an interview.
At the request of either the Principal or the parent/carer, an interview may take place. At this interview, the parent/carer may present the Principal with other information and evidence that helps to explain their financial status and their ability to meet their commitment to the payment of fees.
No allowance is made for repayments or costs associated with items such as holiday houses, luxury cars,
investment houses, pools, etc.
- The application and/or interview process is aimed at determining a just and equitable fee that is within the parent’s/carer’s ability to pay.
- The outcome of the application and/or interview process will be confirmed in writing to the parent/carer.
- Once a fee concession is granted, it is essential that this commitment is honoured by the parent/carer in full and on time. The above School Fee Procedure will be followed for concession accounts.
- If family circumstances change, the school must be informed and new arrangements may be agreed to.
- The school encourages concession agreements be facilitated through the Direct Debit payment system.
Note: Policy and Procedures advised by Brisbane Catholic Education
shall not be overwritten by this policy & procedure document.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
School will:
- ensure that school fees are set at a level that is affordable to the community.
- set fees with consideration to BCE recommendations each year.
- source pastoral guidance from both Parish Finance Council and School Board each year.
- consistently follow the fee collection, recovery and concession processes with integrity.
- treat requests for assistance with dignity, fairness, compassion and confidentiality.
- thoroughly follow-up on all overdue school fee accounts in justice to families who pay their schools fees regularly and on time.
- ensure that fees collected are responsibly budgeted to ensure the school can meet its financial obligations.
- not use financial hardship or unpaid fees as a reason for non-enrolment or exclusion of a child.
- ensure parents are informed of fee processes at point of enrolment and throughout each year.
Parents and Carers will:
- by accepting an enrolment at St Catherine’s, commit to paying fees and levies.
- support the school through financial contributions to the best of their ability.
- provide accurate information regarding financial position – income statements and rental agreements - should a concession be required.
- update the school should their financial position change.
- contact the school to make alternative arrangements if they are unable to pay fees by the due date.
© Brisbane Catholic Education, St Catherine's Catholic Primary School (2023)
