Fee Management

Complete guide to setting up and managing school fees, structures, and installment plans

Last updated: December 2025 15 min read

Overview

The Fee Management system in EduSchools provides comprehensive tools for setting up fee structures, managing payment plans, assigning fees to students, and tracking payment schedules. This guide covers all aspects of fee setup and management.

Before You Start

Before managing fees, ensure you have:

  • Set up Financial Periods for your academic year
  • Configured your Chart of Accounts
  • Created student records with assigned grades

Setting Up Financial Infrastructure

1. Financial Periods

Financial periods define the time frames for your accounting. Navigate to Finance → Setup & Config → Financial Periods.

Create a New Period

  • Period Name: E.g., "Q1 2024", "Term 1 2024", "2024 Academic Year"
  • Academic Year: E.g., "2024", "2024/2025"
  • Start Date: Period start date
  • End Date: Period end date
  • Status: Open (for active periods) or Closed (for completed periods)
Closed Periods

Once a period is closed, no new transactions can be added to it. Only close a period after all reconciliations are complete.

2. Chart of Accounts

Set up your accounting structure at Finance → Setup & Config → Chart of Accounts.

Add Accounts

  • Account Code: Unique code (e.g., "4010" for Tuition Income)
  • Account Name: Descriptive name
  • Account Type: Asset, Liability, Equity, Revenue, or Expense
  • Description: Optional details about the account's purpose
Account Code Guidelines
  • 1000-1999: Assets (Cash, Bank, Receivables)
  • 2000-2999: Liabilities (Payables, Loans)
  • 3000-3999: Equity (Capital, Retained Earnings)
  • 4000-4999: Revenue (Tuition Fees, Registration)
  • 5000-5999: Expenses (Salaries, Utilities)

Creating Fee Structures

Fee structures define the fees charged per grade. Navigate to Finance → Fee Management → Fee Structures.

Step 1: Create a Fee Structure

  • Structure Name: E.g., "Grade 1 Fees 2024"
  • Grade: Select the grade this structure applies to
  • Academic Year: E.g., "2024/2025"
  • Description: Optional notes

Step 2: Add Fee Items

After creating a structure, add individual fee items:

  • Fee Name: E.g., "Tuition", "Sports Levy", "Computer Lab"
  • Amount: Fee amount in Rands
  • Account: Link to Chart of Accounts
  • Is Mandatory: Check if all students must pay this fee

Example Fee Items:

Fee Name Amount Mandatory
Annual Tuition R 15,000.00 Yes
Sports Levy R 500.00 No
Computer Lab Fee R 800.00 No

Installment Plans

Set up payment plans for students to pay fees in installments. Navigate to Finance → Installment Plans → Payment Plans.

Create an Installment Plan

  • Plan Name: E.g., "3 Monthly Installments", "4 Quarterly Payments"
  • Number of Installments: 1-12
  • Payment Frequency: Monthly, Quarterly, Termly, or Annually
  • Description: Optional plan details
Example Plans
  • 10 Monthly Installments: Split fees over 10 months (Feb-Nov)
  • 4 Quarterly Payments: Pay every 3 months
  • 3 Termly Payments: One payment per school term

Assigning Fees to Students

Once fee structures are created, assign them to students at Finance → Fee Management → Assign to Students.

Bulk Assignment by Grade

  1. Select the academic year
  2. Select the grade
  3. Choose the fee structure for that grade
  4. Select an installment plan (optional)
  5. Click "Assign Fees" to apply to all students in that grade

Individual Student Assignment

For custom fee arrangements, go to Finance → Student Accounts, select a student, and manage their fees individually.

Managing Student Installments

Track and manage individual student payment installments at Finance → Installment Plans → Student Installments.

View Student Installments

  • Select a student to view their payment schedule
  • See installment number, due dates, amounts, and payment status
  • View overdue installments highlighted in yellow
  • Check payment progress with summary cards

Add or Edit Installments

  • Create custom installment schedules for individual students
  • Modify due dates if needed
  • Adjust installment amounts
  • Link installments to payment plans

Fee Management Best Practices

Pro Tips
  • Plan Ahead: Set up all fee structures before the academic year begins
  • Use Templates: Copy fee structures from previous years and adjust amounts
  • Communicate Clearly: Send fee schedules to parents at the start of term
  • Regular Reviews: Check fee assignment reports monthly
  • Flexible Plans: Offer multiple installment options for different family situations

Common Tasks

  1. Go to the fee structure
  2. Edit the fee item amount
  3. The change applies to future assignments only
  4. For existing students, manually adjust their accounts or apply a discount/credit

Yes! After bulk assignment, you can:
  • Apply discounts to individual students (see Discount Rules)
  • Manually adjust fees in their Student Account
  • Create custom fee structures for special cases

  1. Set up a Discount Rule for siblings
  2. Request discount approval for eligible families
  3. Once approved, discounts are automatically applied
  4. View all discounts in Finance → Adjustments → Discount Approvals

Next Steps

Processing Payments

Learn how to record and track student payments

Financial Reports

Generate comprehensive financial reports