Tuition and Miscellaneous Fee

Written By: iSIMS Support

Last updated: September 24, 2025

Tuition and Miscellaneous Fee

Introduction

The Programme Offering Fees feature in iSIMS allows administrators to define tuition and miscellaneous fees for different programme types and student categories. This ensures accurate billing and enforces payment requirements for registration and course selection.

These charges may include:

• Tuition fees

• Miscellaneous fees

• Incurred costs (fees arising from student activities or requests)

Tuition and Miscellaneous Fees

Fees are added per programme and can be configured:

• Per semester

• Per year

• Per credit

At the beginning of each year or semester, administrators are required to enter the fees for each programme. Once the tuition fees are added and published, students will be required to select a payment plan.

How to Add or Edit Fees

1. Navigate to Accounts > Programme Offering Fees.

2. Select the programme by clicking the Setup Fees button.

3. Enter or edit the fee under one or more of the following categories:

   • Local – students tagged as local (usually students from the same country as the institution).

   • International – students flagged or from another country.

   • Resident/Non-National (Default Name) – a special category that requires students to be manually placed in it (the name may vary).

Important Notes

• If billing is not categorized above:

  1. Ensure all students are tagged as Local (disable the International feature if not needed).

  2. Otherwise, enter the same figures in all categories to prevent errors.

• If tuition fees are already published, you will need additional permission to make changes.

Once fees are published:

• Tuition and miscellaneous fees will be billed.

• Any additional configured charges will also be applied.

Per Credit / Course Billing

Instead of setting a flat fee for the programme (per year or per semester), you may set:

• A rate for each course, or

• A rate per credit.

If enabled, tuition fees are calculated during the registration process as students add or remove courses.

?? Per-credit billing is applied per semester.
?? Use the same steps outlined in Add or Edit Fees to configure these rates.

Additional Charges

In addition to tuition and miscellaneous fees, you can specify additional charges to be automatically applied when a student selects a payment plan (Billing).

To configure additional charges:

1. On the same Programme Offering Fees screen, tick the Show checkbox beside Additional Charges.

2. Select the Incurred Cost Category.

3. Enter the amount and save.

Payment Plans

As part of fee entry, you must select the payment plan(s) to make available to students.

Guidelines

• Only select the standard plan at this stage.

• Do not select flexible plans during initial setup.

• Payment plans may:

  • Carry an interest rate, or

  • Apply a flat fee.

• Plans also define:

  • The payment amounts required.

  • The due dates for each payment.

Setting the First Payment Date

• The first payment date should ideally be before registration begins.

• This ensures students make their first payment before they can register.

• If the date is unknown, leave it blank. The system will automatically set an appropriate date.

Publishing Fees

After completing the setup:

1. Review all entries and selections carefully.

2. Click Save.

3. Once confirmed accurate, tick the Publish checkbox and save again.

?? Publishing locks the fees. Changes after publishing require special permission.

Common Issues & Fixes

1. Students cannot see a payment plan

Cause: No payment plan was selected during setup.
Fix: Return to Programme Offering Fees, select the programme, and ensure a standard plan is checked.

2. Student is charged the wrong amount

Cause: Student category (Local, International, Resident/Non-National) not set correctly.
Fix:

• Verify the student’s category in their profile.

• If billing is not using categories, ensure the same amount is entered for all categories.

3. Fees already published but require changes

Cause: Published fees are locked for integrity.
Fix: Request additional permission from the system administrator to unlock and adjust fees.

4. Student cannot register due to outstanding payment

Cause: First payment date set before registration, but no payment has been made.
Fix:

• Confirm the first payment date is correct.

• If needed, adjust the payment plan or extend the due date.

5. Additional charges not appearing on the student’s bill

Cause: Additional charges not enabled during setup.
Fix: On the Programme Offering Fees screen, tick Show beside Additional Charges and configure the amounts.