Enrolments

Will I receive a discount if I settle my fees early in the year?

• A discount of 3% (amended for 2020, previously 5%), is available if the full annual tuition fee is paid on or before 28 February of each year. 
• The full annual tuition fee, less the 3% discount, must be received by SCEA on or before 28 February to qualify for the discount.
• The discount is combined with the sibling discount and applies to tuition costs only. It does not apply to the school development fund or curricular activities such as music tuition, excursions, books, or consumables separately charged during the year.
• The discount will be added to statements following 28 February.

How do I claim a pension discount?

• A 15% concession discount on tuition fees may be available if a parent and/or legal guardian hold a current pension card. 
• All initial statements reflect the full annual tuition cost for students. No discounts will be reflected on this initial statement.
• Pension cards need to be sighted at your school or the SCEA office at the start of each school year in order to qualify for the pension discount.
• Alternatively, please scan and email a copy of the card to fees@scea.wa.edu.au. 
• If you are eligible for a discount, it will be applied to your account and will be reflected on all subsequent statements for the year.

What if my child commences during the school term?

• Where a student commences part way through any term, a pro-rata tuition fee will be calculated. The full School Development Fund applies to students commencing at any time of the year. 

What payment options are available?

Direct Debit is the preferred payment option. Payments can be made weekly, fortnightly, monthly or quarterly using the Bank Direct Debit authority system on your cheque, savings or credit card account. Authority forms for this method are available from your school, the SCEA office, and below.  

Alternatively, payments may be made by the following methods at your local school, or at the SCEA office located at 1 Padbury Terrace, Midland. 

• Online Banking: 

Bank - ANZ 

BSB - 016 359 

Account number - 427966947

Reference - Please use your Account number (located on the top right-hand side of your statement) and your surname.

• Mail: Please make all cheques payable to Swan Christian Education Association and mail to PO Box 254, Midland WA 6936.
• Telephone payments: To pay your account by phone, please call (08) 9374 5405 or (08) 9274 6411. Please have your credit card details ready.

When do I pay?

How does the Direct Debit cycle work?

• The Direct Debits cycle runs from the first of February to the end of November, with quarterly, weekly, fortnightly or monthly options available.
• Direct Debits will be adjusted each year to reflect changes in fees or changes in the number of students attending per family. You will be notified each year of adjusted Direct Debit amounts. 
• The initial direct debit calculation does not include any additional fees, such as curricular activities, which may be incurred during the year. Therefore, direct debits may need to be adjusted midyear, to ensure that additional costs incurred, are paid for before the end of the year.
• You will be notified of any changes and you have the right to cancel the direct debit arrangement at any time, provided you give 7 calendar days’ notice of the cancellation in writing.
• If you wish to cancel your direct debit arrangement, please notify us by email to fees@scea.wa.edu.au

How do I calculate the amount of my direct debit?

• You will be notified of your direct debit amount before the end of January each year.
• Please remember to advise us of any changes in writing.

Direct debit calculations can be made as follows:

Your full tuition total and;

• if paying weekly; divide the total by 44
• if paying fortnightly; divide the total by 22
• if paying monthly; divide the total by 10

Please see the 2020 Direct Debit schedule here.

What if I want to cancel a Direct Debit?

• Direct Debit arrangements can be cancelled by notifying us in writing with at least 7 calendar days’ notice.

Where can I get a Direct Debit Authority form? 

• To download a form, click here.

What about additional charges during the year?

• SCEA aims to have a simple fee structure, however, some curricular activities, excursions, books and consumables may be charged separately.
• Student costs for non-compulsory activities (such as private music lessons or overseas tours), these fees can be added to your direct debit deduction, or you may choose to pay these additional fees separately by cash, cheque, credit card or via online direct deposit.
• We aim to review the number of direct debit deductions mid-year, and will contact you if the amount needs to increase due to additional fees.
• You will receive regular statements that will inform you of any changes and increases to total fees following any additional charges.
• Additional charges are not subject to discounts.

What if my payment is late?

When are statements distributed to families?

• Official statements are sent out in January each year.
• Payments may be made before this time to make use of the Early Settlement discount. Please refer to your school’s Fee Schedule document or the question on the Upfront Annual Payment Discount above for more information.

What will appear on my statement?

• Statements are computer generated and mailed out to all families within our organisation.
• The number of statements processed makes it impossible to view statements individually before a mail-out is processed.
• The first statement you receive reflects the basic tuition costs incurred for your family for the year.
• Payments made prior to the distribution of annual statements may not be shown on this statement. However, payments will be recorded as soon as possible. SCEA aims to have a simple and inclusive fee structure, however, some curricular activities, excursions, books and consumables may be charged separately by schools during the year. 
• Sibling discounts will be shown as separate items on your statement.
• Each term will be billed separately. 
• Statements dated 31 December will show the full year’s fees.
• Statements printed during the year only show fees incurred up to issue date of the statement.

Why is my payment not reflected on the statement?

• Payments made in the three weeks preceding the issuing of statements, either at the school or at the SCEA office, may not be shown on the initial statement. Payments will be updated in our records by the following month.

My family has multiple students in SCEA Schools. Do I receive a discount on the School Development Fund contribution? 

• Yes. Families with multiple students currently within SCEA schools receive the same significant discount on School Development Fund contributions as are available on tuition fees.
• Discounts for the per-student contribution of second, third and subsequent students are published on fee schedules.

Is the compulsory School Development Fund contribution tax-deductible?

• No. As a compulsory payment, the School Development Fund contribution is not tax-deductible. However, tax-deductible voluntary contributions to a particular school’s building fund are welcomed and can be made by contacting the relevant school office. 

What if my child joins during the school year? 

• Students commencing at any time during a school year shall make the full School Development Fund annual contribution for that year. 

How can I contact SCEA?

• Email communication is preferred for fast, efficient service during busy periods. 
• Please email us at fees@scea.wa.edu.au. 
• Phone: (08) 9274 6411 Fax (08) 9274 6899
• Please note that delays are often experienced in December and at the commencement of each year due to a high volume of calls received during this time. We will do our best to resolve your enquiry as soon as possible.

What are your office hours?

• Normal office hours for account enquiries are 8:30 am to 3:30 pm, Monday to Friday.

What notice of withdrawal should I give?

• One school term’s notice in writing must be given to the Principal before the withdrawal of a student from a school. For example, if a student will not be continuing from Term 1 the following year, notice must be given to the school by the first day of Term 4 of the previous year.
• Failure to give such notice will render parents or guardians liable for one term’s fees in lieu of notice. Verbal notice is not accepted.