FEES & PAYMENTS
From Nick Campitelli - Business Manager
Paying school fees
The College has a long Marist history of assisting families in genuine need, to give their boys a high-quality secondary education. When parents or carers come to us to discuss a reduction of their school fees, they will often refer to the following CES statement:
No child will be denied enrolment due to genuine financial difficulty which has been verified by the school. Catholic schools balance the need to charge fees with their historic role of providing access to quality schooling for all.
So, what does this mean in practice?
First and foremost, as stated above, the College must be able to verify that the financial difficulty is genuine and not simply a choice by individuals that they should not have to pay the full fees. We do not grant remissions for lifestyle choices (eg, going on holidays, buying a new car or boat, or overspending on your credit card).
At St Augustine’s, we do this by having all fee reduction applicants complete our hardship application. To support the information given, we also require a copy of the latest ATO income tax assessment to confirm the declaration. In the case of self-employed applicants, this will also include a copy of the most recent business statements. By doing so, we ensure that when a fee reduction is given, it is done in fairness to the broader college community and discharges our fiduciary responsibility as an audited entity.
Finally, we sit down with applicants to discuss what options are available, given the circumstances. In our experience, most people have already decided how much they think they can afford, before approaching the College for a fee reduction. This is usually a good place to begin discussions with applicants, to align expectations with the information given.
If applying for a fee reduction, completing the following steps will ensure a prompt decision:
- Have a clear idea of what you think you can afford.
- Complete a hardship application.
- Have a copy of your ATO assessment for the most recent financial year.
- Business owners, have an accountant copy of the most recent financial year reports.
- Lodge all documents with the College.
- Please contact the finance office if you need assistance. Call 07 4052 9111 or email sac.ar@cns.catholic.edu.au
Our refund policy for fee accounts & credit balances
Overpayment of school fees is allocated to the family account-holder account, putting them into a credit balance.
On 31 December, all credit balances are treated as prepayment for the next year.
Family account holders can request refunds of overpaid fees, but these are made at the Principal's or Business Manager's discretion.
The College's policy is to refund the credit balance on request, less the value of remaining fees still to be billed in the current year. For example – If an account is in credit $2,000 and the remaining fees to be billed for the year are $3,000 – no refund would be given.
Refund of credit on a family account-holder account, where there is a joint and several liability, must be approved by both parents.
Refund of tuition or boarding fees
When a student leaves the College part way through a term, the following refunds apply:
- Within three weeks of the start of a term, 70% of that term's fees will be refunded.
- After three weeks from the start of a term, there is no refund.
- AIEF/Smith Family Scholarship recipients are liable for 100% of fees incurred up to the exit date.
If you have any questions or concerns, please ring our finance staff and they will be happy to assist you.
Our 2025 College fees
Wednesday sport & other sports payments
All sports elective payments are made via the College website's Events tab. Each term students select sports to join on Wednesday afternoons; some sports have no fees while others must be paid by the due date. More information about sports electives is on the sports page.
Bill Turner, AFLQ Cup, Confro & other sports payments
These payments are due by the date on the parent slip and can be paid via the link or via the Saints Shop on our website – Saints Shop – Payments.
Music lessons & instrumental hire fees
These payments, due each term, can also be made via the Saints Shop on our website – Saints Shop – Payments.
If your son is having music lessons, you will receive an email with a link to make payments through TryBooking.
Work experience & VET study fees
VET study, Year 10 work experience and White Card fees are payable via the Saints Shop on our website – Saints Shop – Payments.
All payments must be made online.