> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ardoiseeduc.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Finance: tuition fees and payments

> Fee schedule, collection, payment methods, and accounting compliance status.

Online payments are offered only for an actually configured country, purpose and merchant account. Check [payment capabilities](/en/plateforme/paiements); a Mobile Money field does not prove transfers are operational.

<Note>This page concerns Ardoise School in the OHADA scope, subject to enabled modules and permissions. School, school accounting and payroll are not offered in Austria. Check local requirements; CountryConfig does not certify compliance.</Note>

<Info>
  This module is part of **Ardoise Enterprise** - see [Subscription and pricing](/en/plateforme/abonnement).
</Info>

## Fee schedule

A **fee structure** is defined per level and per school year, split into **instalments** (Registration, 1st instalment, 2nd instalment, and so on), each with its own amount and due date. When a pupil is enrolled, an **invoice** is generated automatically for each instalment.

## Collection

The accountant or the cashier collects a payment against one or more invoices - a parent can settle in one go for several children or several instalments.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Cash" icon="money-bill">
    Collected directly at the counter, entered by the cashier.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Mobile Money (MTN MoMo / Moov Flooz)" icon="mobile">
    The parent pays from their own phone, through the FedaPay account the school configures itself - this
    tuition money never passes through Ardoise.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

A receipt is generated for every payment.

## Fee waivers

An invoice can be **waived**: a merit scholarship, a hardship case, a staff member's child. The waiver is done from the collection screen, on the invoice concerned, with a **mandatory reason** - a waiver without a stated ground would be indistinguishable from an accounting error. Ardoise records who waived, when, and why, and displays it on the invoice.

* Only the **Founder** (or someone to whom they have delegated this right) can waive an invoice. The Accountant and the Secretary collect payments, but do not decide to forgive the school's revenue.
* A **partially paid** invoice can be waived: the school keeps what was already paid and forgives the remainder.
* An invoice already settled or already reversed by a credit note cannot be waived.

<Note>
  A waiver is final and removes the invoice from outstanding receivables: it no longer appears in the accountant's ageing report as a debt to chase.
</Note>

## Expenses and suppliers

Purchases from a supplier (restocking the canteen or the library, for example) are recorded as a supplier invoice, with their own payment tracking - independent of tuition fees.

## Accounting compliance status (SYSCOHADA)

Ardoise follows the SYSCOHADA chart of accounts (the OHADA accounting system) for its entries. As things stand:

<Check>Every accounting entry is balanced (debit = credit) and can never be modified or deleted once validated - a correction always goes through a reversal (an opposite entry), with both remaining visible in the journal.</Check>

<Check>Tuition fees paid in advance for a future period are progressively recognised as revenue over the term they cover, rather than booked in full on the day of payment.</Check>

<Check>The **minimal treasury system** is supported for small schools: revenue is then recognised on collection, without spreading. The **normal system** remains the default choice. See [Configuring accounting](/en/comptabilite/configuration).</Check>

<Check>**Employer social charges** are booked separately from the employee's share, in their own expense account.</Check>

<Check>**Statutory rates** (CNSS employee and employer share, IRPP) are configurable per school: the values shipped are only starting values, to be adjusted for your country.</Check>

<Warning>
  This system does not replace a chartered accountant. **Have your first accounting year validated by a professional before any closing or tax filing**, in particular the choice of accounting system and the rates used.
</Warning>

## Partial payment and negotiated instalments

From collection, select the family and invoices. Record the amount actually received and its payment method; the server allocates it, preserves the outstanding balance and produces a receipt. Check **partial**, **paid** or **overdue** states after the operation.

For an open invoice, someone authorised to negotiate payment plans uses the schedule action, enters a reason and proposed amounts/dates, then reviews validation before confirming. Tracking shows instalments, paid amounts, remaining balance and overdue items. Changing or cancelling a plan does not erase the debt; a waiver remains a separate authorised decision. Use receivables reporting for arrears and [till closing](/en/comptabilite/operations#till-closing) for cash.


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