Fee Statements

Generate comprehensive fee statements showing all invoices, payments, and balances for students.

What is a Fee Statement? A fee statement is a comprehensive financial summary showing all invoices issued, payments received, and the current balance for a student. It's like a bank statement, but for school fees.

Table of Contents

Individual Student Statements

Accessing Student Statements

There are two ways to generate a statement for an individual student:

Method 1: From Student Profile

  1. Navigate to Students → Active Students
  2. Click on the student's name to view their profile
  3. Scroll to the Fee Statement section
  4. Click View Full Statement

Method 2: From Fees Dashboard

  1. Navigate to Fees → Fee Statements
  2. Search for the student by name or admission number
  3. Click View Statement

What's Included in a Statement

Each fee statement displays:

Student Information
  • Full name
  • Admission number
  • Year group and class
  • Statement generation date
Financial Summary
  • Opening balance (from previous term/year)
  • Total invoiced this period
  • Total payments this period
  • Current balance (positive = owed, negative = credit)

Statement Transactions Table

A chronological list of all transactions:

Date Description Reference Charges Payments Balance
Jan 1, 2025 Opening Balance - - - $0.00
Jan 15, 2025 Invoice - Term 1 Fees INV-2025-001 $1,500.00 - $1,500.00
Jan 20, 2025 Payment - Cash RCT-2025-010 - $1,000.00 $500.00
Feb 15, 2025 Invoice - Transport Fee INV-2025-045 $300.00 - $800.00
Current Balance: $800.00

Bulk Statement Generation

Generate statements for multiple students at once (e.g., entire class or year group).

Step 1: Navigate to Bulk Statements

  1. Go to Fees → Fee Statements
  2. Click Bulk Statements button

Step 2: Select Students

Choose which students should receive statements:

Filter Option Description Use Case
Year Group All students in a specific year level Send statements to all Year 7 students
Academic Class All students in a specific class Send statements to class 7A only
All Active Students Every currently enrolled student End-of-term statement distribution
Outstanding Balance Only Only students with unpaid invoices Send reminder statements to debtors

Step 3: Configure Statement Options

  • Statement Date: The "as of" date for the statement (defaults to today)
  • Include Paid Invoices: Whether to show fully paid invoices (recommended: Yes)
  • Format: PDF or CSV export

Step 4: Generate Statements

  1. Click Generate Statements
  2. The system processes statements in the background
  3. For small batches (<50 students), results appear immediately
  4. For large batches (>50 students), you'll receive a notification when complete

Step 5: Download or Email

After generation, you can:

  • Download as ZIP: All statements packaged in a single ZIP file (each student = 1 PDF)
  • Email to Guardians: Automatically send statements to primary guardian emails
  • Print All: Merge into a single PDF for batch printing
Best Practice: Generate and email statements at the end of each term so parents have a complete record of all fees for the period.

Viewing Statements Online

Guardian Portal Access

Parents can view their child's fee statement online without needing school staff:

  1. Guardian logs into the parent portal
  2. Selects their child from the dashboard
  3. Clicks Fees in the student menu
  4. Views the statement online with real-time balance updates

What Guardians See

  • Current Balance: Highlighted prominently
  • Recent Invoices: Last 5 invoices with due dates
  • Recent Payments: Last 5 payments with receipt links
  • Full Statement: Option to view/download complete transaction history
  • Download PDF: Button to download statement as PDF
Security: Guardians can only view statements for their own children. Access is secured by login credentials.

Downloading PDF Statements

Individual Statement PDF

  1. View the student's statement (online or from student profile)
  2. Click Download PDF
  3. A professionally formatted PDF is generated with:
    • School logo and letterhead
    • Student information
    • Complete transaction history
    • Running balance column
    • Summary totals
  4. Save to your computer or print directly

Bulk Statement ZIP Download

After generating bulk statements:

  1. Click Download All (ZIP)
  2. A ZIP file is created containing individual PDFs for each student
  3. File naming: AdmissionNumber_LastName_FirstName_Statement.pdf
  4. Example: 2025001_Kamau_John_Statement.pdf
Organization Tip: Extract the ZIP file to a folder named by term (e.g., "Term 1 2025 Statements") for easy archiving.

Emailing Statements to Parents

Individual Email

  1. View the student's statement
  2. Click Email Statement
  3. The system:
    • Finds the student's primary guardian email
    • Generates the statement PDF
    • Composes an email with a professional template
    • Attaches the PDF
    • Sends the email immediately
  4. Check Messaging → Email Logs to confirm delivery

Bulk Email Statements

After generating bulk statements:

  1. Click Email to Guardians
  2. A confirmation screen shows:
    • Number of statements to be emailed
    • List of students whose parents will receive emails
    • Warning if any students don't have guardian emails
  3. Review and click Confirm and Send
  4. Emails are sent in batches to avoid server overload
  5. You'll receive a summary notification when all emails are sent

Email Template

The automated email includes:

Subject: Fee Statement for [Student Name] - [School Name]

Dear Parent/Guardian,

Please find attached the fee statement for [Student Name] as of [Date].

Summary:

  • Current Balance: $X,XXX.XX
  • Total Invoiced: $X,XXX.XX
  • Total Paid: $X,XXX.XX

If you have any questions about this statement, please contact the school finance office.

Thank you for your continued support.

Best regards,
[School Name] Finance Department

Email Delivery: Ensure guardian email addresses are up-to-date. Statements for students without guardian emails must be printed and sent home with the student.

Statement Customization

Configurable Elements

Customize statements to match your school's branding and requirements:

  • School Logo: Upload in Settings → School Information
  • School Address: Appears on statement header
  • Contact Information: Phone, email, website displayed at bottom
  • Payment Instructions: Bank details, mobile money numbers shown at bottom
  • Footer Message: Custom message (e.g., "Thank you for choosing [School Name]")

Statement Filters

Filter transactions shown on the statement:

  • Date Range: Show only transactions within a specific period
  • Academic Year: Limit to current year or specific year
  • Term: Show only transactions for a specific term
  • Transaction Type: Show only invoices, only payments, or both

Understanding Statement Balances

Balance Indicators

Balance Type Color Meaning Action Required
Positive Balance Red Student owes money (e.g., +$500) Payment needed
Zero Balance Gray All invoices paid, no credit None - account settled
Negative Balance Green Prepayment credit (e.g., -$200) Credit will be applied to next invoice

Overdue Indicators

Statements highlight overdue invoices:

  • Overdue badge next to unpaid invoices past due date
  • Days overdue shown in red (e.g., "15 days overdue")
  • Summary section shows total overdue amount separately

Best Practices

Statement Management Tips:
  • Regular Distribution: Send statements at least once per term, preferably monthly
  • Email First: Use email for faster, eco-friendly distribution; print only for those without email
  • Verify Email Addresses: Regularly update guardian email addresses to reduce bounce-backs
  • Highlight Overdue: Send separate reminder statements to parents with overdue balances
  • Archive Statements: Keep PDF copies of all generated statements for audit trails
  • Include Payment Info: Ensure bank details and payment methods are clear on the statement
  • Respond to Queries: Set up a dedicated email/phone line for fee statement questions
  • Encourage Online Access: Train parents to use the portal to check balances anytime

Common Questions

Q: Can parents dispute a statement?

A: Yes. Parents should contact the finance office. You can review the student's transaction history and make adjustments if errors are found.

Q: How far back do statements go?

A: By default, statements show the current academic year. You can filter to show previous years or specific terms.

Q: What if a parent lost their statement?

A: They can download it from the parent portal, or you can re-send it via email or print a new copy.

Q: Can I customize the statement layout?

A: Basic customization (logo, colors, footer text) is available in Settings. For major layout changes, contact support.

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