SCHOOL FEES

Parent Obligations:

As a condition of the enrolment of a child at St Joseph’s School, parents undertake to pay all fees and charges. Where circumstances of a family change and hence their ability to comply with their obligation to pay the fees, parents are asked to discuss at the earliest opportunity with the Principal/Business Manager, difficulties that may prevent the honouring of this undertaking.

Unless parents are paying by Direct Debit/Direct Credit, the School requires one-third payments within the first two weeks of Terms 1, 2 and 3 so the full amount due is paid by Week 3, Term 3 in each school year. New families are encouraged to pay fees via a Direct Debit/Direct Credit arrangement.

The School Advisory Council in accordance with policies stated by the CEWA determines fees and charges for a given school year. The Executive Director of Catholic Education has implemented a discount on tuition fees, for parents/guardians who are responsible for the payment of school fees and hold a current CentreLink Pensioner Concession Card or means-tested Family Health Care Card or Department of Veterans Affairs Pensioner Concession Card. To obtain this discount, you must make an appointment with the Business Manager at the beginning of the school year.

The Secondary Assistance Scheme (SAS) is made available through the Education Department to holders of a current Health Care Card, Veterans Affairs Card or Pensioner Concession Card. The Scheme provides $235 assistance for eligible students in Years 7-12. The scheme also provides each student a Clothing allowance of $115 and is paid directly to the family nominated bank account. Forms must be filled out and witnessed by the Business Manager at the beginning of the year. The 2024 closing date is March 28 (end of Term 1).

Payment Methods:

Pay by Direct Debit (DD)

Payments can be made weekly/fortnightly/monthly via DD from a specified bank account at no expense to you. There is a small fee if the DD is returned/dishonoured.

Pay by Direct Credit (DC)

Payments can be made weekly/fortnightly/monthly via DC from a specified MasterCard or Visa card at no expense to you. There is a small fee if the DC is returned/dishonoured.

Pay by Bpay

When completing a BPAY payment include our biller code which is 280156. The Customer Reference Number (CRN) is on your fee statement.

Pay by Telephone

Payments can be made using your credit card by calling the Primary Office during business hours with your MasterCard or Visa card details.

Pay by Mail

You can send your money order or cheque made payable to St Joseph’s School, together with the detached remittance advice.

Pay in person

You can come to the Primary Office and pay by cheque, cash, credit card, debit card or money order.

Categories of Fees and Charges:

1. Application Fee: A non-refundable enrolment application fee of $35.00 per student (including GST) must accompany each form. Payment of this fee does not automatically guarantee enrolment.
2. Tuition Fees: Tuition Fees are charged for teaching services as such.  Discounts are given for family enrolments.
3. Amenities & Charges:
   1. Service Fee: The Service Fee offsets costs for photocopying, class consumables, School Diary, Religious Education e-books and Journal and other items which are supplied as part of the course curriculum.  This also covers the cost of Student Insurance Cover [24 hours per day/365 days per year].  The Service Fee does not cover camps, retreats, incursions or excursions.
   2. Excursion/Incursion Fee: The excursion/incursion fee is charged to students to offset costs for sports venue entrance, excursions, incursions and retreats which are considered part of the course curriculum.  This also covers the cost of in-term swimming.  If the costs of excursions/incursions/retreats exceed the collections, parents will be asked to pay additional amounts on a ‘fee to use’ policy.
   3. Secondary Electives Charges: This electives charge covers costs incurred in elective areas such as, but not limited to: Food & Nutrition, Design & Technology, Computer Study and Outdoor Education.
4. Camp Levy: Where there is a Camp scheduled for a particular year group, a levy will be raised, per student, towards the cost of each camp.
5. Family Levies:
   1. Building Levy: This is to assist with repayment of long-term loans taken out to finance facility development.  As this is a compulsory charge, it is not tax deductible.
   2. Parents’ & Friends’ Association Membership: This is to cover membership of St Joseph’s School Northam Parents’ & Friends’ Association. 
   3. Bus Levy: This is to cover the costs of bus transport for the school bus and coach costs for excursions and incursions.
   4. Year Book: The Year Book fee covers the cost of producing the annual School Magazine.
   5. Participation Levy: Families have the ability to work this levy off through voluntary work at the School.  Each family will be able to obtain a Parent Participation Card from either Office and have it signed off by the relevant staff member each time you or a family member completes a volunteer activity at the school.  Bring your card to the activity and have the staff member print and sign their name for the number of hours completed.  Once the card is completed to your commitment level, then it must be returned to the Business Manager by the end of Term 3, so that accounts can be amended.  Participation in Term 4 will be carried over to the following year.  This will increase the amount of points you can accumulate.
      Whilst assisting in the canteen is an obvious way to help, other activities encouraged include:
      • Classroom assistance
      • Reading assistance
      • Officiating at swimming & athletics carnivals
      • Gardening
      • Attending P&F or Board Meetings
      • Running or assisting with fundraising activities
      • Covering books for the Library

      Forms and pamphlets are available from the Primary Office or download through the website.

      Click here to download a Parent Participation Card here
   6. Capital Levy: This levy assists the School to undertake major capital improvements which are outside our financial capacity from recurrent income. 

Where parents have not paid their account, the following will apply:

• a series of graded letters and phone calls will request repayment
• if parents do not communicate, or come to an arrangement to pay fees, then they will be advised that a debt collection agency or solicitor will be engaged to recover outstanding fees and associated collection charges. Alternatively, or in addition, following approval from the Executive Director of Catholic Education, a Summons may be issued.