fees policy and collection procedure · fees policy & college procedure page 2 fees policy and...

Fees Policy & College Procedure

Thomas Carr College

FEES POLICY AND COLLECTION PROCEDURE

Date approved: October 2013 Date for next review: October 2016 To be reviewed by: Finance Committee (as sub-committee of College Board)

To be ratified by: College Board


Fees Policy and Collection Procedure Preamble Justice is a core value in any Catholic College and is an important consideration when forming policy around payment of fees. The following principles are incorporated in making general policy. Relationships Positive, open, honest relationships in a Christian context between students, staff, parents and the extended community are of paramount importance. Often the topic of finance is a difficult topic to broach in conversation; however the Thomas Carr Community is committed to respectful, honest, confidential and responsible dialogue in these matters. Responsibility Living in the Thomas Carr Community, as Christians, we understand we have a responsibility to ensure justice is done for all members. The paying of fees by an individual family is seen as being just to all the other fee paying families in our community. Pastoral Care In any community people have their own struggles and challenges and these may impinge on the ability to pay fees. Embracing the above two principles we encourage an honest and open dialogue between family members and members of staff that is mindful of one’s responsibility to the total Thomas Carr Community. The Thomas Carr Community embraces the values of compassion and understanding that are justified in these matters. The Thomas Carr Community is appreciative for the payment of school fees that ensure the College can provide improvements to facilities, infrastructure and services as well as contributing to the ongoing planning of the College. Father Greg Bourke, Head of Canonical Administrators, April 2009 Policy Statement This policy outlines the processes that will be employed in setting fees and other levies. It is based on the policies and procedures regarding School Fees, the setting of Fees and the Granting of Fee remissions a produced by the CECV. Policy Guidelines School fees and other levies will be reviewed annually. In setting fees and granting remissions Thomas Carr College aims to take into consideration all aspects of fee setting:

• to enable the College to meet its costs; • to have sufficient funding to grow and improve; • to ensure fee payers are provided with value for money, and • to ensure that those with genuine financial hardship are supported and assisted wherever

possible.

Confidentiality and compassion will always be maintained in relation to fee payers and fee fixing with other schools will never be considered. The content of this policy can be changed at the College Board’s discretion at any time without notification. Fee Setting The College Board will consider fees and other levies for the following school year at the October Board Meeting of each year. The Board will consider items that are to be included and excluded from school fees and other factors that are relevant and significant. School fees may be discussed at College School Information Nights or other such events.


Fee Composition An ‘Application Fee’ is payable upon the submission of an application for initial enrolment. This fee covers the administrative cost of enrolment and is non-refundable or transferable. When a letter of offer has been accepted from the Principal an ‘Enrolment Acceptance Deposit’ is payable to secure your child’s place for the upcoming school year. This amount is deducted from the first fee account. ‘Tuition fees’ are charges for tuition costs and overheads that are not covered by government grants or other income. This amount covers compulsory school activities relevant to each year level. Parents should refer to the annual ‘schedule of fees’ for a breakdown of what is included in tuition fees. This schedule can be found on the college website. Refunds are not available for activities that students choose not to or are unable to participate in. The structure of fees will be reviewed annually to ensure that charges and levies included reflect current costs and remain fair and consistent. School fees for the coming year will be published on the College website generally no later than November of the preceding year. Sibling Discounts’ are available where more than one child from one family, where siblings all live at the same residence, attends the College at any one time. The discount is applied to the Tuition Fee component of the youngest child. The discount applied is –

2 Students 20% discount off the youngest student’s tuition fees 3 Students 30% discount off the youngest student’s tuition fees 4 or more students 100% discount off the youngest student’s tuition fees

Only one discount is applied per family and the discount ceases to apply when the number of students attending the College is less than two. College Items (such as ipads, library books, sports tops) may be issued to students for their use as part of the curriculum. These items are the property of the College and must be kept in good condition. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure the issued item is used appropriately and in accordance with the signed agreement (ipads). It is also the student’s responsibility to ensure the items are not lost, damaged nor swapped with another student. The items must be returned by the published due dates. If these items are not returned by the due date or are returned damaged, the fee payer/parent will be charged for the purchase of replacement items by the College. There will be no exceptions to this. It is the responsibility of the student to keep their locker locked at all times to ensure that items cannot be taken from their locker without their knowledge. The College issues a lock to each student at the start of Year 7. The student retains this lock for the duration of their stay at the College. If the lock is lost, the student must purchase a replacement lock from the Business Office as soon as possible after the lock is misplaced. Each Family is charged an annual ‘Building Levy’. The Building Levy is a contribution towards the ongoing maintenance and development of the College. This amount is a separate charge to tuition fees and is not refundable or reduced on early exit of the student. It is a compulsory levy and is not a deductible contribution for income tax purposes. A Re-Enrolment Deposit and Form is required to be submitted annually for all students intending to return to the College in the following year (current Year 7 to 11 students). The form will usually be issued at start of Term 3 for return with payment by end of August. The purpose of the Re-Enrolment Form is to assist with staffing, resourcing and infrastructure planning. The purpose of the deposit is to secure their place and to confirm their commitment to paying the school fees. The amount of the Re-Enrolment Deposit will be determined by the Principal, with approval by the Board. The Re-Enrolment Deposit will be credited against the tuition fees in the following year, providing that the student returns to the College at the start of that year. If a student withdraws from the College without appropriate notice (refer Exit Policy below) then the deposit will not be refundable nor creditable against outstanding school fees.


VET/VCAL Fees Students have the option of choosing VET subjects in years 11 and 12. Generally these courses are delivered by external Registered Training Organisations (RTO’s). The College does deliver some courses on campus but these are limited. On campus courses are more cost efficient in that the College does not have to pay additional training/auspice fees to external RTO’s. The College will incur a higher cost for those students opting to undertake a course of study delivered off campus. RTO’s have a cooling off period of between 2 and 3 weeks after the beginning of the semester. The VET/VCAL co-ordinator will inform students of this cut-off date. If the student decides, after the cut-off date that they no longer wish to continue with the course the College will still be responsible for the payment of full fees. In such cases families will be responsible for the payment of the fees incurred from the RTO less the $500 upfront fee. If your son/daughter continues with the course for the full year the $500 upfront fee will be credited against your fee account at the end of the school year. Overseas Student Fees The College has a number of overseas students attending. As these students are not eligible for any Government Funding the fees applicable to overseas students will be set to cover all applicable costs. International fee schedules and other relevant information can be found on the College website. Fundraising activities Fundraising activities will be separate from School Fees and VET charges. The collection and administration of fund raising will be the responsibility of the group undertaking the fundraising. Optional Costs Students may partake in optional activities offered by the College. These activities may include private music tuition, bus/train travel, overseas trips, the Duke of Edinburgh program, outdoor education activities, event tickets or additional class activities. These optional activities will vary from time to time and payment is required in advance. Arrangements will not be confirmed unless full payment has been received. Refunds for optional activities not undertaken or withdrawn from will generally not be available. Billing Procedure Thomas Carr College will charge families a full years tuition for each student (less discounts if applicable) at the end of the preceding year. The bill will be due and payable at the end of February of each school year. Fee payers are considered jointly and severally responsible for the payment of fees, as specified on the enrolment application form. Fees will only be split or assigned wholly to one party upon written advice from both parties concerned. Fee Collection Policy It is acknowledged that there is a wide divergence in our families’ financial circumstances. As a result, a fee collection procedure is structured to assist parents to cope with their own particular circumstances. Fees are due and payable in full by the end of February of each new teaching year. Payment can be made by:

Direct Debit BPay Visa Card/Mastercard Cash/Chequ/EFTPOS

A discount off the Tuition Fee (only) will apply to those who pay this amount in full by the end of February and/or March in the respective school year – this rate of discount will be determined by the Finance Committee each year. Parents will be advised of the applicable discount rate prior to or at the time of billing fees. All Fee Payers will be required to complete a “Payment Plan Consent Form” (available on the website) selecting their preferred payment option for the duration of their child/ren’s enrolment at the College. This Payment Plan arrangement will be ongoing until the family exits the College and the account is finalised in full, or unless the Fee Payer submits a new form to change their bank account details or preferred payment method.


Families who are unable to pay their fees by the end of February must make special arrangements to pay their fees off on a weekly, fortnightly or monthly basis, provided that under these arrangements, their fees are finalised by the end of the school year. Families who pay off their fees are required to use the Direct Debit system. All arrangements are to be made in conjunction with the Business Manager or his/her nominated assistant. Forms for Direct Debit and Credit Card payments are available on the website. The College will take all reasonable steps to enter into a payment plan that is suitable to both the Fee Payer and the College. The College provides families with an option to pay off their fee accounts; this is an interest free credit facility that is offered to assist families to meet their financial commitment. Fee Payers who choose to pay their school fees in instalments are therefore obliged to complete a “Credit Application Form Clauses– Consumer Credit” form. Failure to submit this form gives the College the right to reject a Fee Payers request for payment of their fees in instalments. The College will ensure that this form is kept in strict confidentiality and security by the Business Manager. It will only be referred to in circumstances where the College is required to instigate external legal debt collection processes resulting from continued non-payment of accounts by recalcitrant fee payers. Fee Payers who dishonour standing fee payment arrangements are to be given every reasonable opportunity to remedy the situation prior to serious action being taken against them. Bank Fees incurred by the College as a result of dishonoured payments will be passed onto the payee. When a default on fee payment occurs, normal fee collection procedures are as follows:

1. A phone call will be made by the College Debt Management Officer to the parent/s requesting payment. 2. A letter will be posted to the family if no payment has been received or new arrangements are not in place. 3. A letter from the Business Manager will follow two weeks later if there has been no action on the account. 4. Should the family fail to satisfactorily respond to the letter, the Principal will write a final notice letter requesting full payment of all overdue fees within 7 working days or the account will be handed on to the Debt Collection Agency.

Parents may also be requested to attend a meeting with the Business Manager and the Principal to discuss the account. It is also at the discretion of the Principal as to whether the student’s reports will be issued and/or whether a place will continue to be held for the student, if parents fail to communicate with the Business Manager or Principal regarding their fee account. Legal Action The College will take legal action to recover outstanding fees where every attempt outlined above has been disregarded by the family (debtor) and it is the opinion of the Principal and Business Manager, after due consideration, that the family has the ability to pay the debt. Once the account has been sent across to the Debt Collection Agency the College will no longer handle the debt and all communication will be made through the Debt Collection Agency on behalf of the College. Any costs incurred as a result of handing the account on to our collection agent will be passed onto the respective family. Government Allowances Fee allowances in the form of ‘Conveyance Allowance’ and ‘Education Maintenance Allowance’ (EMA) are available to eligible families. Conveyance Allowance is a travel allowance payable to families who live more than 4.8 kms from the College via the shortest route. This allowance is paid by the State Government and applicants must complete the appropriate forms and submit them by the due dates. Payments for eligible families are made to the College and credited to the fee payer’s account. Forms and dates for submission of Conveyance Allowance applications will be advised in the Beacon and on the website. Applications must be made at the start of each year. EMA is an allowance provided by the State Government to assist low income families to meet the educational needs of students. To be eligible, the student must be under 16 years of age and the


applicant must hold a current Health Care or Pension Concession Card and be in receipt of a valid benefit from Centrelink on the ‘Eligibility Date’, which is the first day of Term 1 and Term 3 in any year. The allowance is paid directly to the applicant. Families who are eligible to receive the allowance can elect to pay this amount to the College in order to reduce fees payable. Please contact the Business office for further information. There are strict deadlines for submission of forms. These dates will be published in the Beacon and on the College website. EMA forms and submission dates will be advised in the Beacon and on the website. New applications must be submitted each time they are called for. These allowances and the eligibility criteria can change each year in accordance with government policy and legislation amendments. It is important that families are aware of their eligibility for these allowances, as it can assist them to meet fees and education expenses. Information about these allowances can be found on the DEECD website www.education.vic.gov.au Fees Committee The College has established a ‘Fees Committee’ (the Committee) chaired by the Canonical Administrator or his representative. This Committee meets several times per year to consider applications for remission and bursaries. The Committee seeks to make fair, equitable and consistent decisions regarding the granting of remission. The Committee will also provide advice on sources of funding support or relief for families in difficulty. In the case of death of a fee payer the Committee will automatically consider the changed circumstances and will advise the family if an insurance claim for fee relief may be applicable. This automatic review does not preclude these families from submitting an application for remission to the Committee. The Committee will regularly consider the list of all outstanding fees and decide on further action to be taken to hasten collection. Family Assistance The College is aware that from time to time families will experience financial hardship. Families in such circumstances are obliged to contact the Business Manager or the College Debt Management Officer to discuss their situation. All applications for remission should be made in writing to the Fees Committee and should be accompanied by a Fee Concession Application. This form will be sent out only after discussion with the Business Manager or the College Debt Management Officer. It will be at the discretion of the Fees Committee to refer the family to a Financial Counsellor nominated by the College. The benefits of this are twofold: i. A qualified Financial Counsellor will help these families set up a family budget, which may assist them in resolving their financial difficulties. ii. The Financial Counsellor will establish the level of fees that the family might reasonably commit to pay the College and make recommendations as to the level of assistance that the family will require. The Business Manager has the discretion to refer the family to follow up counselling if he/she considers it necessary. In the event that the Administration believes that a family has inappropriately applied for Family Assistance, the matter will be referred to the family’s Parish Priest and then, if necessary, the case will be directed to the College Board for consideration of appropriate legal action. Bursaries Thomas Carr College offers students in Year 6 the opportunity to apply for a Bursary for entry into Year 7. The value of the Bursary is $500 for each year of study up to Year 10. There are a total of 4 bursaries available per year. The Bursary will be credited against the fee account. The purpose of the Bursary is to assist with costs associated with College booklists and uniforms by providing financial assistance with the tuition fees. Bursaries are open to students from Catholic Primary


Schools and Catholic students from State Primary Schools that are not currently enrolled at Thomas Carr College. Scholarships and Awards Refer to the College website Exit Policy The parents of any student intending to withdraw from the College must provide one term’s notice in writing to the Principal. This includes students not intending to return to the College for the next year. If the Notice of Withdrawal Form is not provided at least one term before the student’s exit date, the College has the right to charge one term’s fees in lieu of notice. Any exceptions to this will be at the Principal’s discretion, based on the circumstances of the withdrawal. If, at the time of exit, all items issued have not been returned, the College will charge for replacement items. At the time of exit, the tuition fees will be credited on a pro-rata basis against the fee account. If the account is left with an outstanding balance, the Fee Payer is required to pay this in full within 14 days of receiving the adjusted account. If the account is in credit, this amount will be refunded to the fee payer by cheque or bank transfer.

fees policy and collection procedure · fees policy & college procedure page 2 fees policy and...

Documents