School Fee Management Policy
This policy supersedes all previous policies relating to matters contained therein. In so much as any aspect of this policy may appear to be in conflict with another Archdiocesan system or school-based policy, then precedence is to be given to this policy.
Type: Policy
Classification: Operational
Policy Number: SCS2022024
Released: 19 September 2022
Review Date: 19 September 2025
Rescinds/Replaces: FAS201602-1.0
Sydney Catholic Schools (SCS) recognises that all Catholic students are entitled to access educational opportunities and that no family should be denied a Catholic education due to genuine financial hardship.
Inspired by the SCS Mission, Vision and Values, and the Magis commitment to Schooling Excellence that is ‘Accessible to All’, SCS is committed to ensuring school fees remain equitable, transparent and responsive to families’ capacity to contribute. This reflects the Church’s commitment to the common good and a preferential option for those experiencing financial hardship.
School fees are more than a financial contribution; they represent a shared partnership between families and the Church in sustaining Catholic education. Through this shared responsibility, families actively support the mission of forming young people in faith, learning, service, and community, while supporting the responsible stewardship of resources entrusted to SCS for the benefit of current and future generations.
The purpose of this policy is to provide clear and consistent guidance on the management of school fees across the school system, ensuring that fee-setting, billing, collection and assistance processes are:
- fair, consistent and transparent
- compassionate and pastorally appropriate
- financially responsible and sustainable
- aligned with the SCS Magis strategy through the prudent stewardship of resources in support of educational excellence and mission outcomes.
This policy applies to all SCS staff, parents and carers. In this policy, staff means all employees of SCS, members of religious orders engaged in schools, volunteers, trainees, interns and labour hire employees.
Failure to comply with this policy may lead to disciplinary action including termination of employment of SCS staff.
3.1 School Fee Relief and Bursaries
3.1.1 Families who do not have the capacity to pay full school fees are eligible to:
• Apply for school fee relief through the school Principal in the first instance
• Apply for a Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) bursary which is fee assistance to meet the needs of educating a child. Bursaries include:
– Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Bursaries
– Refugee Bursaries
– Financial Hardship Bursaries
– Family Spirit Bursaries
– Foster Student Bursaries
3.2 School Fee Reduction
3.2.1 To apply for a fee reduction an Application for Financial Assistance Form must be lodged at the school.
3.2.2 Assessment of the application may consider the income, expenditure and family assets.
3.2.3 On completion of the financial assessment, schools may be able to offer fee reductions to families in genuine financial hardship.
3.2.4 If approved, family school fee reductions will apply to each student enrolled and the Principal(s) of any younger siblings enrolled at other SCS schools will be notified by the Principal.
3.2.5 Reduction of school fees must be approved by the Executive Director or the Director, Finance & Property (or delegate) or Principals (up to their delegated limit in accordance with the Delegations Manual).
3.2.6 Any school fee reduction is valid for up to two years.
3.2.7 Where a family applies for but does not meet the threshold for a school fee reduction, the school should work out a payment plan with the family.
3.2.8 Details of a family’s financial circumstances are to remain strictly confidential to those authorised by SCS to access the information.
3.2.9 In cases of family emergency (illness, death or loss of income where there is no income protection or life insurance) the Principal may grant a reduction in school fees up to their delegated limit in accordance with the Delegations Manual.
4.1 Upon enrolment, all parents/carers are required to give an undertaking that they will jointly and severally honour the financial commitments required by the school and that a failure to do so may jeopardise the enrolment or ongoing enrolment of the student or
subsequent students.
4.2 School fees are considered overdue fourteen days after the applicable due date. The Director, Finance & Property or their delegate can approve an extension to the payment date for overdue school fees.
4.3 Offer of enrolment may occur until outstanding fees at other SCS schools are repaid or arrangements made for payment.
4.4 Non-payment of school fees by families may result in a non-acceptance of enrolment of students in an SCS secondary school/college and non-enrolment of siblings in primary schools.
4.5 In circumstances where all collection attempts have been exhausted, the Director, Finance & Property (after consulting with the Director, System Performance, Principal and Parish Priest) may recommend that a student’s ongoing enrolment at a SCS school is cancelled for the following school year. The Director, Finance & Property will then consult with the Executive Director who must approve any cancellation of enrolment.
4.6 In cases of outstanding fees, a school may exclude a student from non-educational related activities (i.e excursions, social/sporting events). This must be approved by the Executive Director or the School Principal. School Principals are to consult with the School Fee Support Unit before approving any exclusion.
5.1 Principals
are required to :
5.1.1 Ensure schools publish the fee payable dates for parents and carers at the beginning of each school year.
5.1.2 Work out a payment plan with the family in circumstances where a family applies for but does not meet the threshold for a school fee reduction.
5.1.3 Transfer the account to the School Fee Support Unit (via ServiceNow) who will coordinate collection processes in partnership with the school, in circumstances of outstanding fees and where the school has received no response from the fee payer after sending two follow-up letters.
5.1.4 Notify colleague Principal(s) of approved fee reductions for younger siblings.
5.2 Central Office Finance Team
are required to:
5.2.1 Send a monthly fee statement to parents/carers on the first working day every month.
5.2.2 Provide support to schools in the school fee management processes.
5.2.3 Coordinate school fee collection once the school has issued follow up letters and have not had a response or payment from the fee payer.
5.2.4 Review and assess applications for CEF bursaries in line with SCS requirements and eligibility criteria.
5.2.5 Issue follow-up letters for outstanding school fees (Letter 1 and Letter 2).
5.3 Parents and Carers
are required to:
5.3.1 Upon enrolment, all families who have the capacity to pay school fees and who are not in genuine financial hardship commit to pay school fees.
5.3.2 Nominate to pay fees weekly, fortnightly, monthly, by terms or annually.
5.3.3 Inform the school as soon as possible of any changes regarding the responsibility of school fee payments.
If you have any questions about this document or would like further information, please contact the School Fee Support Unit via feesupport@scs.catholic.edu.au, or phone at (02) 9568 8158.
• Policy Number: SCS2022024
• Document Rescinds / Replaces: FAS201602-1.0
• Policy Released: 19 September 2022
• Review Date: 19 September 2025
• Policy Type: Operational
• Audience: Public
• Approved by: Executive Director
• Document Owner: Director, Finance & Property
