School Fee Exemption Calculator
Enter your school fees and household income to see whether you qualify for full or partial exemption at a public school, and what you’d pay.
What you type is saved on this device only and isn’t sent anywhere.
How to apply
- Ask the school office or principal for the school fee exemption application form. The school must give it to you.
- Fill it in and attach proof of income: payslips, a letter from your employer, or an affidavit if you’re unemployed or self-employed. For automatic exemption, attach your grant letter, a court order or a social worker’s letter.
- Hand it in to the chairperson of the school governing body (through the school office) and keep a copy. Apply again every year.
- The governing body must decide within 30 days and tell you in writing, with reasons, within 7 days of deciding.
- If you’re refused or think the figure is wrong, you can appeal to the provincial Head of Department within 30 days. The school may not take legal action for the fees while your appeal is open.
Good to know
- If you don’t qualify but can’t afford the fees because of circumstances outside your control, such as losing your job, you can still ask for a conditional exemption.
- An application can’t be refused just because it’s incomplete. The principal must help you fill it in if you ask.
- Your information must be kept confidential by the governing body.
- Before taking action for unpaid fees, the school must check whether you qualify for exemption.
A guide to help you plan, not official advice. Your school’s governing body makes the final decision. Figures last checked against official sources on .
How it works
The calculator follows the Regulations relating to the exemption of parents from payment of school fees in public schools (Government Notice R.1052, 2006). It works out your fees (plus any other compulsory charges) as a percentage of your household’s yearly income before tax. At 10% or more you qualify for full exemption. Below 2%, there’s no exemption.
In between, the percentage is rounded up to the next half percent, as in the regulations’ own example, and looked up in the table in regulation 6 by the number of your children at fee-paying public schools. The school governing body makes the final decision.
Planning ahead? The school fee calculator shows what fees will cost until matric, and the back-to-school budget helps you plan the rest.
Figures last checked against official sources on .
Questions
Who qualifies for school fee exemption?
Parents at fee-paying public schools whose school fees are a large share of their income. If one year’s fees for one child are 10% or more of your household’s yearly income before tax, you qualify for full exemption. Between about 2% and 10%, you may get a partial exemption, which grows with the number of your children at fee-paying public schools. Parents who receive a social grant for the child, foster parents and some other caregivers qualify automatically.
Does the Child Support Grant mean I don’t pay school fees?
Yes. A person who receives a social grant on behalf of a child qualifies for automatic, full exemption at a public school. You still need to tell the school and give proof, such as your SASSA grant letter or an affidavit.
I’m divorced or single. Whose income counts?
The regulations use both parents’ combined income, or just yours if the child has only one parent. If you can’t get the other parent’s income, apply anyway with what you have, including any maintenance you receive. The regulations say an application can’t be refused just because it is incomplete, and the principal must help you if you ask.
Can the school refuse my child because I can’t pay?
No. A public school may not refuse to admit a child because the parent can’t pay fees or hasn’t applied for exemption. The school must explain its fees and how to apply for exemption when your child is admitted.
When do I apply?
Every year. Ask the school for the exemption application form and give it to the chairperson of the school governing body. Apply early in the year, or as soon as your circumstances change.
Does this apply to private schools or no-fee schools?
No. No-fee public schools don’t charge school fees at all. Private (independent) schools set their own fees and bursary rules, so ask the school about its financial assistance.