Fees - Example Of Policy Needed Please

[SazzJ]

Hi does anyone have an example of a policy around late fees please?

 

Just were having issues and want to ensure that our policy is water tight please

[thumperrabbit]

We don't have one either but this year I seem to spend a lot of my time chasing people.

 

Out of interest when do you issue your fee slips?

We do ours on the 1st day of each 1/2 term but as we are sessional some children don't come everyday and so people don't all get their fee slips on the same day - this means you can't put a due date on them, or could we?

We always stipulate that fees should be paid within the first 2 weeks of term - it took til week 6 last term

 

A Committee member suggested giving out fee slips at the end of each term ready for the next does anybody have any thoughts on this?

[Rea]

I'm having trouble uploading ours but it states that we expect payment fortnightly. I give out invoivces with 3 payment dates for each half term. If payment isnt made after two weeks we reserve the right to give the childs place to someone else. We also state that we will pursue non payments but in reality we never have even when we've had two families leave owing around £200 each. I looked into the small claim route but it seems too much of a risk because most claims fail. I also havent got time to deal with it all.

I've learnt that keeping on top of late payers and actually meaning it when we say we will give ther childs place away works better than believing the fee's will eventually be forthcoming and then discovering they wont be and the family leave.

We are very open to people coming to us if they are having financial problems, I know not everyone wants to discuss it but we are flexible IF they tell us.

Not really anything lse to say except good luck getting it back if you're owed anything

 

Crossed posts there thumperrabbit. I intended to give ours out at the end of last half term for just the reason you state, but i forgot. We give parents until the end of term to pay the full amount but we do ask for 3equal payments, each ne payable every 2 weeks.

Edited March 15, 2011 by Rea

[SazzJ]

We don't have one either but this year I seem to spend a lot of my time chasing people.

 

Out of interest when do you issue your fee slips?

We do ours on the 1st day of each 1/2 term but as we are sessional some children don't come everyday and so people don't all get their fee slips on the same day - this means you can't put a due date on them, or could we?

We always stipulate that fees should be paid within the first 2 weeks of term - it took til week 6 last term

 

A Committee member suggested giving out fee slips at the end of each term ready for the next does anybody have any thoughts on this?

 

They are issued termly with a reminder sent after half term for remaining balance if they have chose to pay half fees. They do have a date on them generally 2 weeks after given out, parents are happy with this

 

We have never had a probs until now but this parent has paid no fees since January

[Rea]

She probably wont pay either if past experience is anything to go by.

In your position I'd ask her if she intends to pay, tell her you need the money by the end of next week or the childs place will be given up for someone else. I'd also give her a new invoice. It doesnt have to be a written policy, she's stealing. Get one written as soon as you can too and make sure everyone is aware of it.

I get so darn cross with this these days.

I know its not a pleasent thing to do but if one does others might, you need to tell her it can not go on.

We sometimes put a piece in our newsletters reminding everyone of the fee's policy.

[hopeytg]

Non_Payment_of_Fees_Policy_2.doc Here is ours

[Inge]

Non payment of fees was always my bugbear... they leave their child in your care and feel they do not have to pay for it.. or not realise that without the money staff and running costs cannot be paid..

 

When we had a parent paying fees we began to get them to sign an agreement before the child started.. every parent signed it they had a copy and it was kept in their registration file.

 

it gave things like start date cost per hour total payment due each week , payment in advance with invoice given once a term which would contain a pay by date...

 

included things like payment due even if child did not attend, and any other specific information needed... how to pay, cheques made out to etc.

 

late payment fee of xxx if over due by xxxx

 

non payment for 2 weeks and we reserved right to give child's place to someone else...

 

If they wanted to discuss payments with us to make an appointment and we could discuss it with them...

 

Invoices we gave out first week of term with a pay by date on them... part time children we worked out 2 weeks from the first day they attended that week.

 

 

I used to give a reminder slip at end of first week non payment, including how much owed by xx and a warning that we could not accept child after xx without payment... this bit I hated doing but while it was not the child's issue we could really not afford to take a child with no payment, and having been caught once vowed never again. and yes we did tell parent on last session of the 2 weeks that we would not take the child if they did not pay so not to bring them without the money owed... It actually only took one warning like this for all parents to realise we meant it and they seldom failed to pay.

 

really in a committee run setting the treasurer should be doing all this.. I used to try to get them to come in and deal with the payments, but as parents knew me better and saw me every day I often felt it easier to remind them.