Set up fee structures

A fee structure describes what a group of students owes for a given session, term, and class. It is the template your invoices are built from. Setting structures up carefully means invoicing becomes a quick, predictable task instead of a fortnight of corrections.

Understanding the two stages

Fee work happens in two deliberate stages, and it is worth being clear about the difference:

• Fee structures define what should be charged. Creating one bills nobody.
• Invoices apply a structure to actual students. This is what families see and pay.

Because these are separate, you can prepare and review your entire fee schedule in private and only bill when the school has approved it.

Before you start

• Confirm your currency in the school profile — it appears on every invoice and receipt.
• Have your approved fee schedule to hand.
• Know which charges apply to every student and which are optional.
• Confirm the session and terms exist.

Step 1 — Create a structure

1. Open Finance & Billing and go to fee structures.
2. Create a new structure.
3. Select the session, the term, and the class it applies to.
4. Give it a name that makes the scope obvious at a glance.

Step 2 — Add line items

1. Add each charge as a separate line item — tuition, and any other charges your school levies.
2. Enter the amount for each item.
3. Mark each item mandatory or optional. Mandatory items apply to everyone; optional items cover services families choose.
4. Keep item names clear. Families read them, and vague labels generate calls to the office.
5. Save the structure.

Step 3 — Repeat and review

1. Create a structure for each class and term combination that differs.
2. Review the full list before invoicing and check the totals against your approved schedule.
3. Have a second person check the figures — a misplaced digit is much cheaper to catch now.

Tips

• Split charges into meaningful line items rather than one large amount. Transparent invoices lead to fewer disputes.
• Work term by term. Do not create a whole year of structures until the amounts are confirmed.
• Keep optional items genuinely optional so families are not billed for services they never requested.
• Review before each new term rather than assuming last term’s figures still apply.

Common issues

I drafted fees during Quick Start — do I need to redo them?

No. Quick Start drafts fee structures; you refine them here. Nothing has been billed until you generate invoices.

The finance menu is missing

Finance features depend on your subscription plan. Your school owner can review plan options from the owner portal.

Different students in the same class pay different amounts

Use mandatory items for the common charges and optional items for the variable ones, so a single structure still serves the class.

I need to change a structure after invoicing

Editing a structure does not rewrite invoices that already exist. Correct the affected invoices as well.

What’s next

With structures in place, generate invoices, collect payments, and manage approvals and receipts.