How to write a nursery fee and late payment policy, with a template

A good nursery fee policy is one page that parents sign before the first day. It settles the arguments in advance: when instalments fall due, what the deposit covers, who gets a sibling discount, what happens when payment is late, and how much comes back on withdrawal. You set the numbers within your local rules.

Money disputes with parents often come from a clause nobody wrote down. The brackets below are blanks for you to fill. They are not market norms.

What should the policy say?

1. Fees and instalments

Annual fees are [amount], payable in [number] instalments due on [dates]. Fees include [services] and exclude [uniform, transport, extra activities].

Name the exclusions outright. That is where objections tend to start.

2. Deposits and registration fees

A deposit of [amount] holds your child's place until [date] and is deducted from the first instalment. It is not refunded if you withdraw after [date].

Decide whether this is part of the fees or a separate charge, because it changes your invoice and possibly your tax treatment.

3. Sibling discounts

The second and any further child receive [percent]% off [tuition only] for as long as the siblings attend together.

Say which child gets the discount and which charges it applies to.

4. Late payment

We send a reminder [number] days before the due date and another [number] days after. After [number] days the office contacts you to agree a payment schedule. A late fee of [amount] applies where the rules allow it.

Keep this calm and private. Never name late payers in a group, and never involve the child.

5. Withdrawals and refunds

Please give [number] days' written notice of withdrawal. We refund [percent]% of unearned fees for withdrawals before [date] and [percent]% after, within [number] working days, using the original payment method.

Also cover long absences and closures in an emergency, and who decides.

What applies in Kuwait?

Arab Times reported in 2022 that Art. 30 sets a ceiling of KD 1,800 per child per academic year, with KD 200 monthly, and that the ministry sets fees by services. We found nothing on whether late fees or deposits count toward that ceiling, so ask the Ministry of Social Affairs before you finalise those two clauses.

What applies in the UAE?

The FTA's education guide of June 2026 is the document to read:

• Zero-rating needs a recognised nursery and a recognised curriculum, and you must keep evidence such as your licence.
• Not zero-rated: uniforms, electronic devices, food and beverages, extracurriculars charged separately, and field trips unless curriculum-related and not mainly recreational.
• Application or registration fees from children not yet enrolled are generally 5%. If you set one off against tuition, issue a credit note and a new zero-rated invoice.
• Local passenger transport in a qualifying vehicle is exempt.

In Abu Dhabi, ADEK sets the timing of fee rises: request from January to the end of April, tell parents before June, apply from September, with three years between increases. Your policy should say any rise follows that calendar.

What applies in Saudi Arabia?

The HRSD Controls require a policy on contracts, payments and refunds (Art. 13), plus electronic payment methods and a contract copy in each parent's record (Art. 17). Art. 14 allows annual or monthly subscriptions and daily or hourly temporary admission, so give each its own line. If your centre is VAT-registered, ask ZATCA how your fees are treated, as we found no text specific to these centres.

How do I make the policy stick?

1. Show it with the contract before the deposit is paid, not after.
2. Have the parent sign it, and keep the copy.
3. Apply it to everyone. One exception quickly becomes a precedent.
4. Review it each year before registration opens, and tell parents about changes in writing.

Bambini handles fee plans, sibling discounts, deposits, late fees, refunds and credit notes, with automatic reminders.

Last checked 4 November 2026; rules change, so confirm with the regulator. This is general information, not legal advice, so have an adviser read your version before you adopt it.