Principles:

- Justice

- Accessibility

- Affordability

A need to systematically follow up unpaid fees where parents are financially capable of paying them without prejudicing the enrolment of students nor causing them embarrassment.

In determining the financial capacity of families to pay fees, each situation should be assessed on its own merits. Rather than relying solely on 'objective' criteria, a willingness to engage in conversations about individual family circumstances should exist.

Factors to take into consideration should include:

• A families previous record of fee payments

• The number of children in the family

• The number of persons in the household earning an income

• The existence of a Health Card for the family

• The extent to which the family is dependent on social security benefits

• The number of dependents (including adults) in the family

Consideration should also be taken of traumatic events within a family that may temporarily reduce their capacity to pay fees. Such events could include loss of employment, death of a family member or onset of natural disasters such as flood, fire or drought. Pro active contact should be made by the school in situations of extreme trauma.

• Fees and other compulsory charges should be reviewed and set annually as part of the process of budget preparation. Approval of annual fees should initially occur within the sub committee of the Stewardship Council responsible for finance and be ratified by the Stewardship Council itself. In setting fees, consideration should be given to the total cost of education which includes fees, uniforms, books and the cost of camps and excursions. Further, it should not be assumed that fees need to increase each year. A decision to increase fees should only be made as a budgetary imperative having reviewed all other aspects of income and expenditure.

• The annual level of fees and charges together with other known costs such as camps and excursions should be communicated to parents as early as possible to enable family budgeting to occur.

• The structure of the fee schedule will be the responsibility of each Stewardship Council. Discounts should be provided to families who have more than one student enrolled at the school, and may be provided where children are enrolled at other catholic schools. In keeping with a preferential option to assist families in most need, discounts should not be offered to those families able to pay fees on an annual basis.

• Parents should be offered a number of methods of paying fees. Such methods should include the options of cash, cheque, direct debit, credit card or EFTPOS payments.

• Schools may offer to accept fees on a weekly, fortnightly, monthly, per term or annual basis. Periodic billing statements, for example each term, should be issued indicating each individual families position regarding progress in making payments for the year.

• School administrators should allocate an appropriate level of human resources to monitor fee payments and implement systems that involve regular contact with non paying families at all year levels. An emphasis should exist on maintaining regular payments.

• Parents unable to meet their responsibility to pay fees should be encouraged to discuss the matter with school authorities and, where appropriate, concessional agreements regarding periodic part payment entered into. All concessional arrangements should be documented, authorised by the Principal or Co Principal of the school and a copy of each arrangement signed by both parents and a representative of the school. Where such agreements are not honoured, early follow up should occur.

• All attempts to follow up arrears in fees on a personal basis must be conducted by an appropriate person or persons in a sensitive, discreet and confidential manner. Where such processes reveal situations of pastoral need, appropriate and confidential reporting should occur to persons responsible for pastoral care and welfare within the school.

• In situations where personal contact is unsuccessful in obtaining a satisfactory response from parents with fees in arrears, letters may be used to remind people of their obligations.

• The services of a debt collector or solicitor are likely to fracture the pastoral relationship between school and family and may only be used after strenuous and systematic steps have been taken by the school for the collection of monies owed. Such services may be used as follows:
  - The school is of a genuine belief that there exists a capacity to pay
  - The Principal/Co Principals of the school have researched and are confident that the ethical practices of the debt collecting firm comply with the Fair Trading Act (1999) in the knowledge that the school can be liable for the actions of a debt collector who acts in an illegal or unethical manner.
  - The Finance Committee authorises further steps be taken to collect the debt without having the identity of the debtor revealed.
  - The arrangement entered into with the debt collecting firm is to be on a fee for service basis and is to be restricted to letter writing and/or telephone calls.

• Further action to collect a debt, such as the initiation of court proceedings, is not to occur without consultation with, and approval of, the Brigidine Sponsorship Group.

• A review of unpaid fees should be conducted by the Principal/Co Principal with the Bursar/Business Manager at least annually with a view to writing off either wholly or partly debts that are unlikely to be collected. Such write offs should be signed by the Principal/Co Principals in accordance with standard auditing procedures.

• Voluntary levies, for example to registered school building funds, must remain voluntary. Taxation deductions will be granted only to voluntary levies paid to funds approved by the Taxation Department. Compulsory levies are not subject to taxation deductions.