./SCHOOL_FEES
School fees in Zambia: bill the term, take payments, know who owes
Most schools still track fees in a receipt book and an exercise book of names. By the third week of term nobody is sure who has paid, and the list of who owes takes a day to put together. EduTrack keeps fees next to the pupil's record, so the bursar's receipts and the head teacher's list of who owes are the same numbers.
1. Set what you charge
List each fee and its amount per term: tuition, boarding, PTA, sports. One amount for every grade, or a different amount for each grade. Standing discounts, such as for staff children or siblings, are set once and come off automatically.
2. Bill the whole school at once
Check every pupil's bill on screen, then bill the whole school in one step at the start of term. Anything unpaid carries into the next term, so a balance is never lost between exercise books.
One-off charges work the same way: exam registration, a trip, uniform or a lost book. Charge one pupil, or tick the pupils in a grade or class, and it is owed like any other bill.
3. Take payments and print receipts
Record cash, bank and mobile money payments. Each one gets a numbered receipt to print, with no gaps in the numbers, and the parent can be sent the receipt by SMS. The bursar has their own login that shows fees only, not marks. Voids, waivers and discounts stay with the administrator, and every change is in the audit log.
4. See who owes, and remind them
The owing report lists every pupil with a balance, by class, with the parent's phone number. Print it to follow up, or send reminders from the SMS Center to a class, a grade or the whole school. Each parent gets their own child's balance in the message, and the screen shows how many SMS credits it will use before you send.
5. Money in, for the accounts
See what came in by day, by payment method and by who took it, with every receipt listed. Export it to Excel for the school's books.
[WHICH PLANS]
School fees come with the Standard and Premium plans at no extra cost. It stays off until the school switches it on in Settings, so a school that does not charge fees never sees it. SMS reminders use the school's SMS credits.
Questions schools ask
Can parents pay school fees by mobile money?
Yes. Parents pay into the school's own mobile money or bank account as they do now, and the bursar records the payment in EduTrack, which issues the receipt. EduTrack never holds the school's money.
What happens to balances at the end of term?
Unpaid fees carry into the next term's bill, and the pupil's record shows the full history of bills and payments.
Does the bursar see pupils' marks?
No. The bursar's login shows fees and receipts only.