Schools refunding tuition fees

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thegeneral
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Apr 22, 2020 10:19 am

Schools refunding tuition fees

Post by thegeneral »

Is there any anecdotal evidence of international schools refunding tuition fees due to COVID-19 ? Most schools are providing distance learning but are they also experiencing pressure to refund fees already collected or about to be collected ?
mysharona
Posts: 210
Joined: Thu Jan 13, 2011 1:25 am

Re: Schools refunding tuition fees

Post by mysharona »

Our board specifically addressed this issue in a letter to parents after numerous requests for refunds and said budgets were based on tuition and no refunds would be forthcoming, other expenses such as bus fees were refunded.
brillo
Posts: 38
Joined: Tue Jan 30, 2018 9:30 am

Re: Schools refunding tuition fees

Post by brillo »

Our board also said no. Explained to parents that if they refunded tuition fees there wouldn't be a school for their kids to attend next year. Also pointed out that our online tuition is far more intensive than what other schools are doing in the area (we do group video chats for each lesson, most places are just giving them online tasks)

Instead, they decided not to raise fees next year.
sid
Posts: 1392
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: Schools refunding tuition fees

Post by sid »

Similar here. A refund related to extras like lunch and after school activities. Tuition remains the same.
shadowjack
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Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Re: Schools refunding tuition fees

Post by shadowjack »

We had no interruption of service and there was not a huge demand for the school to refund. But, we also have a fairly strong community feel where parents feel invested in the school and their children are happy and willing to come - and miss it when they don't.
PsyGuy
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Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Response

Post by PsyGuy »

Echoing the first two contributors, IS ownership denied tuition refunds but granted ancillary fees like bus and cafeteria. There are parents who are claiming they are going to file civil suits.
mamava
Posts: 320
Joined: Sat May 11, 2013 7:56 am

Re: Schools refunding tuition fees

Post by mamava »

Our school will refund some money based on lunches, buses, activities and utilities, but not tuition. They are also working with families who are facing challenges meeting their tuition obligations.
Illiane_Blues

Re: Schools refunding tuition fees

Post by Illiane_Blues »

We're also only refunding bus fees, lunch fees, etc.
Tuition for next year is being raised, which led to some parents objecting but not many.
cms989
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Joined: Tue Feb 24, 2015 6:07 pm

Re: Schools refunding tuition fees

Post by cms989 »

Our school is refunding partial tuition and more or less taking it out of our salaries. And constantly asking us for fluff evidence of teaching to show the parents to justify the tuition. Very disappointing
Smoko
Posts: 36
Joined: Mon Dec 30, 2019 1:41 am

Re: Schools refunding tuition fees

Post by Smoko »

My school is giving a 20% discount for remote learning, but not offering any refunds. Any parents who paid for the year in advance will have their fees credited towards next year.
sciteach
Posts: 258
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:49 am

Re: Schools refunding tuition fees

Post by sciteach »

I've heard some schools in asia providing future credits in the amount of 10-20% of fees for the time the closing of schools.

For the parents warning about suing - good luck trying to get money out of that stone. It's the same as airlines - they still have outgoings but no incoming revenue. Shaking the dead money tree is about as helpful as digging your own grave when your fit and healthy.....
Heliotrope
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Joined: Sun May 13, 2018 1:48 am

Re: Schools refunding tuition fees

Post by Heliotrope »

sciteach wrote:
> Shaking the dead money tree is about as helpful as
> digging your own grave when your fit and healthy.....

If for some reason you're intend on digging your own grave, wouldn't it make sense to do it when you're still fit and healthy?
But apart from the choice of metaphor, I agree with you
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

Discussion

Post by PsyGuy »

These parents dont care if their IS goes bankrupt and broke and dissolves, they will just go to or find another IS and think nothing of taking the ISs last coin.
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