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 & College Procedure
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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:
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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.
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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
3 Students
4 or more students
20% discount off the youngest student’s tuition fees
30% discount off the youngest student’s tuition fees
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 ReEnrolment 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.
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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
Visa Card/Mastercard
BPay
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.
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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
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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.
applications must be submitted each time they are called for.
New
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
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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.
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