Can’t Afford School Fees Anymore? Here’s What to Do

Losing a job, a reduced income, or a sudden change in family circumstances can make school fees feel impossible almost overnight. If you’re a parent or guardian in this position, the good news is that South African law anticipates exactly this situation, but the protections only help if you know they exist and act early. Here’s what to actually do.

1. Don’t Wait, and Don’t Avoid the School

The single biggest mistake parents make is going quiet once fees fall behind, usually out of embarrassment or the hope that things will sort themselves out. Schools are far more willing to work with a parent who communicates early than one who only responds once a letter of demand arrives. As soon as you know you’re going to struggle, contact the school (usually the finance office or the School Governing Body) and explain your situation.

2. Check Whether Your Child Is at a Fee-Charging School

South African public schools are divided into quintiles based on the economic profile of the community they serve. Schools in quintiles 1–3 are officially “no-fee schools,” fully funded by government, meaning parents cannot legally be charged compulsory school fees at all. If you’re not sure which quintile your child’s school falls into, the school or your provincial education department can confirm this.

If your child is at a fee-charging school (typically quintile 4–5, or a former Model C school), the exemption process below applies.

3. Apply for a Fee Exemption

Section 39 of the South African Schools Act (SASA) sets out a formal, means-tested exemption process for public schools. In broad terms:

• If your household’s annual school fees amount to 10% or more of your gross annual household income, you generally qualify for a full exemption.
• If fees fall into a lower band relative to your income, you may qualify for a partial exemption, calculated on a sliding scale.

The exact percentage thresholds and sliding-scale table are set out in the SASA regulations and can be adjusted. Please confirm the current figures against the Department of Basic Education’s official exemption regulations or your provincial department.

To apply, you’ll typically need to submit an application to the School Governing Body along with supporting documents: proof of income (or lack thereof), ID documents, and details of household size and dependents. Applications are usually invited at the start of the school year, but if your circumstances change partway through the year – retrenchment, for example – you can and should apply as soon as that happens rather than waiting for the next enrolment cycle.

4. Know What the School Cannot Do

A few protections are worth being aware of if you’re dealing with a school (or its debt collectors) over unpaid fees:

• A school cannot pressure you into signing an Acknowledgement of Debt (AOD) instead of allowing you to apply for an exemption. If you’re offered an AOD before anyone has mentioned the exemption process, that’s worth pushing back on.
• The exemption process must actually be explained to you. Increasingly, South African courts have shown themselves unwilling to enforce fee-collection claims where a school can’t demonstrate it properly informed parents of their right to apply for an exemption.
• Every child has a constitutional right to basic education. This context matters if a school threatens to exclude your child purely over unpaid fees while an exemption application is pending or unresolved.

5. If You’re at a Private School, the Process Is Different

Private schools operate under contract law, not SASA, so there’s no statutory exemption right in the same way. That said, most private schools do have their own hardship or discount policies, and are often willing to negotiate a payment plan, temporary reduction, or deferral, especially if you approach them proactively rather than after fees are already significantly overdue. Ask directly what hardship provisions exist in your enrolment contract.

6. Look into External Support

Depending on your circumstances, it’s also worth checking:

• Provincial education department hardship funds, which some provinces make available to schools to help cover fees for qualifying families
• Bursaries or sponsorships offered directly by some schools, or by external organisations
• Retrenchment-specific relief, since SASA specifically anticipates job loss as a valid basis for an exemption application

7. If It’s Already Gone to Debt Collection

If you’ve received a letter of demand or the matter has been handed to attorneys, don’t ignore it, but also don’t assume the debt is automatically enforceable. Whether the school followed the correct process, including properly informing you of your right to apply for an exemption, can be a real factor in how enforceable that debt is. This is a good point at which to get advice from an attorney, a legal aid clinic, or a debt counsellor rather than trying to navigate it alone.

Key Takeaways

• Public school fee exemptions are a legal right under Section 39 of SASA, not a discretionary favour. Apply as soon as your circumstances change.
• A change in income (retrenchment, reduced hours, and so on) is valid grounds to apply mid-year, not just at annual enrolment.
• Schools can’t force you into an AOD instead of letting you apply for an exemption.
• Private schools don’t have the same statutory process, but most have their own hardship policies worth asking about directly.

While every reasonable effort is taken to ensure the accuracy and soundness of the contents of this publication, neither the writers of articles nor the publisher will bear any responsibility for the consequences of any actions based on information or recommendations contained herein. Our material is for informational purposes.