29th November 2017 Dear Parents & Carers, 2018 SCHOOL FEES As the 2017 academic year comes to a close, I wish to thank continuing families for your support, which is essential for the success of the College. I also welcome our new parents commencing with the College in 2018. As you would be aware we are a not-for-profit organisation and rely on fees for around a quarter of our income each year. The College appreciates the choices families make to enable their children to come to St Mary s College. The College Board has reviewed the fee structure for 2018 and in a desire to communicate as early as possible, the following points are made about fee payments in 2018. St Mary s College understands the current economic climate and its impact on families we have been able to keep the fee increase to approximately 2.2% across all year levels. If you anticipate your child is likely to participate in a College mainland excursion or international trip at some stage in the future, you can organise to pay extra every payment which will accumulate against your account. This is possible to do over years and is a good way to save for such expenses. All fees and levies for the entire school year are charged in January, and due to be paid in full by the end of February. Alternatively, you can spread the payment of fees and levies in equal instalments over 10 months. Many families take advantage of this method of paying fees. If you choose to pay fees in instalments rather than in one lump sum, regular payments are made monthly and the amount spread evenly over the 10 months. The College s preferred method of payment is via direct debit. Setting up a direct debit is a convenient way to pay your school fee account and should save you time and effort in the long run. You can choose to pay the direct debit from either a bank account or a credit card. Next year, final payment of fees will be due by 30 th November 2018. Please be sure to let us know if you aren t going to be able to meet an instalment so we can put an arrangement in place. If you do miss a payment without making contact, the Fees Committee will review your account. The Committee has the authority to place fees and levies in the hands of a collection agency. It would provide you with written notice if this action was about to take place.
We want to work in partnership with you. We understand that families often encounter difficulties with payments and encourage you to let us know. As you would appreciate, the College has financial commitments which must be met, even as a not-for-profit organization. Having said this, we are always willing to listen and to make alternative arrangements for repayments in situations of need. As a Catholic college, no student will be denied a place as the consequence of an inability to pay school fees. I hope this letter provides you the capacity to plan your financial commitments next year. Yours sincerely Helen Spencer Principal
ST MARY S COLLEGE 2018 Schedule of Tuition Fees, Levies & Other Charges College Fees (Per Year) Kindergarten $2,950 Prep to Year 2 $3,250 Years 3 to 6 $3,600 Year 7 & 8 $4,800 Year 9 & 10 $5,300 Year 11 & 12 $5,300 College fees, together with State & Commonwealth Government grants, contribute to the overall costs of your child s attendance at St Mary s College. These cover running costs such as teaching salaries, classroom maintenance, heating and power. They are also used to pay for excursions and class activities, which require special or additional materials. Other Charges Parent & Friends Levy Capital Works Levy ICT Levy (Years Prep & 1) ICT Levy (Year 2) $20.00 / year (per family) $150.00 / year (per student) $125.00 / year (per student) $200.00 / year (per student) Building Fund Each year, families are invited to make a payment to the Building Fund according to their financial capacity. Payments to the Building Fund are tax deductible. Fee Payment Guidelines 1. Fees are to be paid in full by close of business Wednesday 28th February 2018. If you instead elect to make payments via monthly instalments it is expected that the amount will be paid in 10 equal payments between February and November. Failure to make the required payment amount without contacting the College by the due date will result in your school fee account being handed to The Fee Committee for further action. 2. The College s preferred method of payment is Direct Debit (bank or credit card), fees can also be paid via Qkr App, Cash, Cheque, Credit Card, BPAY, Centrepay and via the College Website. 3. 10 weeks notice must be given to St Mary s College in writing if a student leaves, otherwise the following terms fees are payable in full.
Information about Fee Payments Payment Terms In addition to State and Commonwealth grants, the fees and levies paid for each student are vital for the continued operation of the College. The Commonwealth Government requires each school and college to generate private income to underpin the government s continued assistance. Please contact us if there is a reason for delayed payment of fees and levies. Invoices will be issued to you early in the new school year. Full payment is due 28th February 2018, unless other arrangements are made with the College. The College will allow payment of the account to be made in 10 equal payments each month from February to November. Please note that any payment arrangement entered into is purely administrative. Notwithstanding the amount invoiced, in the event of default on payment arrangements the total amount outstanding will become immediately due. The College reserves the right to take steps to recover payment in full. Direct Debit Forms Please note that direct debits need to be established annually, please complete the appropriate form and return no later than Friday 9 th February 2018. From 2018 weekly and fortnightly direct debits will be processed on Fridays only. We will still process end of month and beginning of month as usual. If you have any queries with regards to direct debits please contact the Business Office. Family Discounts Family discounts apply to families who have 3 or more children enrolled at Catholic schools. Families must apply for discounts each year. Discounts do not apply to Kindergarten and associated charges and levies. The discounts are: 10% discount For 3 children at Catholic schools 20% discount For 4 children at Catholic schools 30% discount For 5 or more children at Catholic schools Tuition Fee Remission Tuition fees may be varied in two ways: extension of time for payment; or reduction of level of payment. This policy has been developed to assist families experiencing genuine financial hardship and is applicable even if a family discount has already been granted. An application for remission of College Fees can be used (on an annual basis) by parents/guardians to apply for assistance. The forms are available from the Business Office for 2018 and should be returned to the Business Manager as soon as possible but no later than 8th December 2017 for consideration by the Fees Committee. Please note discounts do not apply to levies and application for a remission is required each year. Please note due to Kindergarten being funded by the Government in a different way than the rest of the Year Groups we are unable to offer any Fee Remission for Kindergarten Students. Extra-Curricular Activities It is College policy that applications for students to attend non-essential extra-curricular excursions or activities will not be accepted if all due tuition fees and levies have not been paid. Intermittent Absences St Mary s College policy regarding intermittent absences from school is that normal fees will be charged if the student s place in the College is reserved during absence. Students undertaking other College-sponsored programs are deemed to be attending College and normal tuition fees and associated charges are payable. Capital Works Levy St Mary s College is committed to continually improving the educational facilities for our students. Building Fund Each year, families are invited to make a payment to the Building Fund according to their financial capacity. Funds raised through this program are used to make improvements to, or undertake small building projects that are not otherwise affordable. If, for example, each family donated $200 each year, St Mary s College would have around $140,000 additional funds to undertake projects such as music and drama extensions and classroom refurbishments. Parents will be invited to donate to the Building Fund at the beginning of each year. Please note these Building Fund donations are tax deductible.
PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS 2018 Please lodge with the Business Office by 8 December, 2017 If you need assistance understanding or completing this form, please ask us. SECTION 1 FAMILY DETAILS Name of each child at St Mary s College Year Parent/Carer 1 Parent/Carer 2 Name Signature Date: Date: By signing this document each parent/carer confirms their agreement to the payment arrangements outlined below. Separate copies of the form can be signed by each parent/carer if convenient. Where parents/carer manage their finances separately from each other they may wish to split payment of fees between them by completing both columns below. However, most parents/carer jointly pay fees and should only complete the left column below. SECTION 2 PAYMENT ARRANGEMENTS Parent/carer 1 or both if jointly paying Parent/carer 2 (only if not jointly paying) Percentage of fees Jointly responsible or % % (only complete if not jointly paying) Payment Annually Annually frequency Monthly (February to November) Monthly (February to November) Payment method Fortnightly Weekly Direct debit (complete direct debit form) Scheduled credit card (complete form) BPAY/BPoint (see details on invoice) EFT/bank deposit (see details on invoice) EFTPOS/cash/cheque (in person at school) Centrepay (contact Business Office to arrange) Fortnightly Weekly Direct debit (complete direct debit form) Scheduled credit card (complete form) BPAY/BPoint (see details on invoice) EFT/bank deposit (see details on invoice) EFTPOS/cash/cheque (in person at school) Centrepay (contact Business Office to arrange)
Please note that these payment arrangements are administrative only and do not affect your ultimate joint and several legal liability for the entire amount of the fees. In the event of default on payment arrangements, the total amount outstanding will become immediately due and the school reserves its right to take steps to recover it in full. SECTION 3 FAMILY DISCOUNT DETAILS A family discount can be claimed by families with multiple children at Tasmanian Catholic schools or colleges, in accordance with the Tasmanian Catholic Education Commission School Fees Assistance Policy. We wish to claim the family discount (only available where this form is lodged on time) If claiming the family discount, please provide details of siblings at Tasmanian Catholic schools or colleges other than St Mary s College. Enrolment may be verified with the named school or college. Sibling name Year Catholic school/college SECTION 5 CHILD CARE BENEFITS The school is registered with the Family Assistance Office as a Registered Care Provider. Families may be eligible to receive child care benefits for school fees and levies relating to Kindergarten students who are four years old until they turn five years old. No other children are eligible. Do you intend to claim child care benefits? No Yes. Name of child: