| 2013_fees_schedule.pdf |
Fees
DUE DATES AND PAYMENT OPTIONS
Joining the Shearwater school community is a commitment to the wellbeing and good of our school.
Reliable income from fees is an essential part of this. Fees, levies and charges are invoiced at the
beginning of each year or upon enrolment, and statements are issued at the end of each term.
There are 3 payment options:
which is a fortnightly deduction from your bank account or credit card.
PayWay forms are available at our office.
COLLECTIONS POLICY FOR OUTSTANDING FEES
While every attempt will be made to come to a suitable payment plan, on-going arrears will
lead to formal recovery proceedings. The School further reserves the right to
reverse fee discounts, as well as withdraw the enrolment of students should the account remain unpaid.
BANK CHARGES
Where the school incurs costs related to bank transactions the cost will be passed on
to parents at the existing bank rates.
WITHDRAWING YOUR CHILD
Parents must give one term’s notice in writing, or pay the equivalent amount of the tuition component in lieu.
Where parents remove children to travel on an extended holiday, fees are still collected. Application for Exemption From Attendance must be made prior to any planned absence.
Fee Policy
Rationale
This policy provides guidelines for charging and collection of fees at Shearwater, The Mullumbimby Steiner School Limited.
Principles
Fee Components:
Enrolment Fee
The School determines the structure of classes and staffing based on both current and accepted/projected enrolments. A non-refundable enrolment fee must be paid upon acceptance of an application for enrolment.
In general terms, this fee enables the school to make a financial commitment to the staffing levels required. The fee also helps contribute to reducing the school’s financial burden if a student does not actually enrol after accepting a position and class/staff structure has been determined and financed.
Annual School Fees
Annual school fees are set by the School Board. In normal circumstances, the Board sets the fees for each year at the beginning of Term 4 in the previous year.
Annual school fees are determined by a number of factors, such as cost of providing quality education, government assistance and community socioeconomic indicators.
Primary school fees include most stationery requirements. The School will provide secondary school with a list of the essential stationery items which they must provide at their own cost.
The fees for Years 11 and 12 are calculated over 8 terms, which includes Term 4 for Year 12, when students sit their HSC exams.
Fees are payable in advance by the first Friday of each term. Alternatively, fees are payable by fortnightly instalments. Parents wishing to pay by fortnightly instalments must complete and provide a direct debit authority, or make other payment arrangements acceptable to the School by the first Friday of Term 1.
Fee invoices will be itemised to allow families to take advantage of any government tax benefits.
Building Maintenance Levy
A compulsory levy is charged per family to assist with the cost of maintenance of school buildings. For 2013 the levy is $200. The Board may vary this levy each year.
Accident Insurance Cover
A compulsory insurance levy is charged per student to cover the cost of accident insurance. For 2013, the levy is $20. The Board may vary this levy to reflect the actual insurance premiums charged to the School. Details of the insurance cover are available from the School Office.
Leave of absence
The conditions of enrolment provide that:
Fees are levied for a term, or part thereof. If a student is temporarily absent from school for any reason, fees are payable in full.
Private tuition fees
Fees for private tuition (eg: music and curative eurythmy) are billed separately.
Distance Education fees
Fees for distance education courses are set by the course providers. As at February 2010, the course fees were $800 per year for Year 11 and 12 courses and $400 per year for Year 10 courses. The parents must pay 50% of the applicable fee(s) before the School enrols the student in a distance education course.
If the student withdraws from, or fails to complete, a course, the parents are liable for the full cost and the balance will be added to the next fee invoice issued following withdrawal from or the end of the course.
Termination of Enrolment
Parents must give written notice of a minimum one term’s notice or pay the equivalent amount of the tuition component in lieu. If a student is expelled, fees are payable up to the end of the term in which expulsion occurs. Shearwater will return unexpired fees paid in advance, if no other money is owed to the school.
Fund RaisingBuilding Fund DonationsSchool families are invited to make tax deductible donations to the Building Fund to help maintain the buildings, cover the cost of the new building (Stage 6) and develop future school resources.
Receipts will be issued to assist you in claiming the deduction.
Parents and Friends’ Fund Raising
Like all private schools, Shearwater requires considerable help to raise funds. Each year we hold a number of events such as the Bush Dance and Spring Fair. Funds raised at these are vital to the school. School families are encouraged to support these events generously.
Committing to Paying Fees
Parent commitment:
Enrolling a child at Shearwater involves a commitment to paying fees for the education provided. Please give serious thought to your ability to maintain this contract for your child’s education before proceeding with an enrolment.
In order for the School to pay staff and cover other running costs, it is essential that families pay fees as they fall due. It is an unpleasant task to chase parents for unpaid fees. Unpaid fees also create a serious cash flow problem and additional direct costs in the form of bank interest charges on working capital loans. The School cannot provide free credit to families and has the right to charge both interest and accounting charges on unpaid fees.
Payment Options
The school provides the following options to assist parents with payment of school fees:
The following payment methods are offered:
Advance payment discounts:
Shearwater allows a 5% discount on tuition fees if the full years’ fees are paid before the second Friday of Term 1. A revised invoice will be issued if this discount applies.
Family discount
If the same person[s] is/are liable for the fees of more than one child at the school, the tuition component of the total school fees will be calculated on the basis that:
Please do not send cash to school with your child.
No cash payment is effective until a receipt is issued by the School Office.
Overdue Fee Collection Procedures
If families fall behind in the payment of school fees,
Shearwater will usually take the following steps:
Joining the Shearwater school community is a commitment to the wellbeing and good of our school.
Reliable income from fees is an essential part of this. Fees, levies and charges are invoiced at the
beginning of each year or upon enrolment, and statements are issued at the end of each term.
There are 3 payment options:
- Annual: Pay fees in full by 8 February 2013 and receive a 5% discount
- Quarterly: Pay fees each term in full by the first Friday of each Term
- Fortnightly: Total amount paid in 24 equal installments
which is a fortnightly deduction from your bank account or credit card.
PayWay forms are available at our office.
COLLECTIONS POLICY FOR OUTSTANDING FEES
While every attempt will be made to come to a suitable payment plan, on-going arrears will
lead to formal recovery proceedings. The School further reserves the right to
reverse fee discounts, as well as withdraw the enrolment of students should the account remain unpaid.
BANK CHARGES
Where the school incurs costs related to bank transactions the cost will be passed on
to parents at the existing bank rates.
WITHDRAWING YOUR CHILD
Parents must give one term’s notice in writing, or pay the equivalent amount of the tuition component in lieu.
Where parents remove children to travel on an extended holiday, fees are still collected. Application for Exemption From Attendance must be made prior to any planned absence.
Fee Policy
Rationale
This policy provides guidelines for charging and collection of fees at Shearwater, The Mullumbimby Steiner School Limited.
Principles
- All matters relating to school fees will be managed fairly and in accordance with school policy.
- All financial matters will be treated confidentially between the parties concerned.
- Shearwater recognises that not every family has the financial resources to afford an independent school education.
- Shearwater believes that it is not assisting any family by allowing a family to amass a large debt that is beyond the reasonable ability of that family to repay.
- Shearwater will consider applications for fee relief on the grounds of financial hardship from families it considers to be in genuine financial need. In considering applications for fee relief, the School must take into account its own financial position and its moral obligation to members of the wider community who were disadvantaged by the financial reconstruction that occurred in mid 2010. Hardship fee relief will generally be provided only to families of existing students who fall into unexpected financial difficulties.
Fee Components:
Enrolment Fee
The School determines the structure of classes and staffing based on both current and accepted/projected enrolments. A non-refundable enrolment fee must be paid upon acceptance of an application for enrolment.
In general terms, this fee enables the school to make a financial commitment to the staffing levels required. The fee also helps contribute to reducing the school’s financial burden if a student does not actually enrol after accepting a position and class/staff structure has been determined and financed.
Annual School Fees
Annual school fees are set by the School Board. In normal circumstances, the Board sets the fees for each year at the beginning of Term 4 in the previous year.
Annual school fees are determined by a number of factors, such as cost of providing quality education, government assistance and community socioeconomic indicators.
Primary school fees include most stationery requirements. The School will provide secondary school with a list of the essential stationery items which they must provide at their own cost.
The fees for Years 11 and 12 are calculated over 8 terms, which includes Term 4 for Year 12, when students sit their HSC exams.
Fees are payable in advance by the first Friday of each term. Alternatively, fees are payable by fortnightly instalments. Parents wishing to pay by fortnightly instalments must complete and provide a direct debit authority, or make other payment arrangements acceptable to the School by the first Friday of Term 1.
Fee invoices will be itemised to allow families to take advantage of any government tax benefits.
Building Maintenance Levy
A compulsory levy is charged per family to assist with the cost of maintenance of school buildings. For 2013 the levy is $200. The Board may vary this levy each year.
Accident Insurance Cover
A compulsory insurance levy is charged per student to cover the cost of accident insurance. For 2013, the levy is $20. The Board may vary this levy to reflect the actual insurance premiums charged to the School. Details of the insurance cover are available from the School Office.
Leave of absence
The conditions of enrolment provide that:
Fees are levied for a term, or part thereof. If a student is temporarily absent from school for any reason, fees are payable in full.
Private tuition fees
Fees for private tuition (eg: music and curative eurythmy) are billed separately.
Distance Education fees
Fees for distance education courses are set by the course providers. As at February 2010, the course fees were $800 per year for Year 11 and 12 courses and $400 per year for Year 10 courses. The parents must pay 50% of the applicable fee(s) before the School enrols the student in a distance education course.
If the student withdraws from, or fails to complete, a course, the parents are liable for the full cost and the balance will be added to the next fee invoice issued following withdrawal from or the end of the course.
Termination of Enrolment
Parents must give written notice of a minimum one term’s notice or pay the equivalent amount of the tuition component in lieu. If a student is expelled, fees are payable up to the end of the term in which expulsion occurs. Shearwater will return unexpired fees paid in advance, if no other money is owed to the school.
Fund RaisingBuilding Fund DonationsSchool families are invited to make tax deductible donations to the Building Fund to help maintain the buildings, cover the cost of the new building (Stage 6) and develop future school resources.
Receipts will be issued to assist you in claiming the deduction.
Parents and Friends’ Fund Raising
Like all private schools, Shearwater requires considerable help to raise funds. Each year we hold a number of events such as the Bush Dance and Spring Fair. Funds raised at these are vital to the school. School families are encouraged to support these events generously.
Committing to Paying Fees
Parent commitment:
Enrolling a child at Shearwater involves a commitment to paying fees for the education provided. Please give serious thought to your ability to maintain this contract for your child’s education before proceeding with an enrolment.
In order for the School to pay staff and cover other running costs, it is essential that families pay fees as they fall due. It is an unpleasant task to chase parents for unpaid fees. Unpaid fees also create a serious cash flow problem and additional direct costs in the form of bank interest charges on working capital loans. The School cannot provide free credit to families and has the right to charge both interest and accounting charges on unpaid fees.
Payment Options
The school provides the following options to assist parents with payment of school fees:
- Annually – fee invoice must be paid in full by Friday 8th February 2013. A 5% discount on the tuition component of fees may be deducted in this instance.
- Quarterly – payment by the first Friday each Term.
- Fortnightly – 22 equal instalments.
The following payment methods are offered:
- Cash / Cheque
- Direct Debit
- Direct Deposit
Advance payment discounts:
Shearwater allows a 5% discount on tuition fees if the full years’ fees are paid before the second Friday of Term 1. A revised invoice will be issued if this discount applies.
Family discount
If the same person[s] is/are liable for the fees of more than one child at the school, the tuition component of the total school fees will be calculated on the basis that:
- 100% is payable for the first child
- 15% discount applies for the second child.
- 30% discount applies for the third child.
- 75% discount applies for the fourth and subsequent children.
Please do not send cash to school with your child.
No cash payment is effective until a receipt is issued by the School Office.
Overdue Fee Collection Procedures
If families fall behind in the payment of school fees,
Shearwater will usually take the following steps:
- Step 1 Telephone call made as soon as practicable after a payment has been missed or dishonoured. If required a follow up letter will be issued.
- Step 2 If a satisfactory result is not achieved within 14 days, the Business Manager or delegate will arrange a meeting with both parents, if possible. At this meeting the possibility of exclusion from attendance may be raised. A letter stating agreed outcomes will then be sent immediately to parents.
- Step 3 If the parents refuse or fail to attend a meeting with the Business Manager or delegate, or an agreement reached at the meeting is not honoured, the Head of School may request a meeting with the family to discuss the issues and viability of continued enrolment.
- Step 4 Head of School and Business Manager determine next course of action.
- Step 5 Termination of enrolment and/or debt collection and/or other.
