How can I refund the adjusted fees for a student?

If a student’s fee needs to be refunded due to a category change (e.g., switching to a lower or higher fee structure), follow the steps outlined below to manage the adjustment and refund properly.

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Scenario Overview

• Why Refund?
  • A student has moved to a different category (e.g., from a higher fee group to a lower one or vice versa).
  • If fees were already collected under the previous category, the difference must be refunded.

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Steps to Adjust and Refund Fees

Step 1: Enable Refund Autonumbering Sequence

1. Navigate to:
   Settings → Finance → Fee → Fee Autonumbering Sequence.
2. Set up a refund sequence number:
   • Add a prefix variable to identify refund receipts (e.g., “REF-“).
   • Configure this sequence for Refund Receipts.
   • Similarly, create a sequence number for reconciliation records.
3. Save these settings.

Step 2: Change the Student’s Fee Category

1. Navigate to:
   Settings → Finance → Fee → Student Category Assignment.

2. Open the relevant student category.
3. Go to the Assign Category section:
   • Select the student.
   • Modify their category to the new one (e.g., switch from “Category A” to “Category B”).
   • Save the changes.

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Step 3: Refund Process for Adjusted Fees

1. Navigate to:
   Transaction → Finance → Fee → Cancel and Refund Process.

2. Select the fee transaction to be refunded:
   • Choose the specific fee type or installment that needs adjustment.
   • Cancel or partially refund the collected amount based on the category change.
3. Generate a refund receipt:
   • Follow the autonumbering sequence configured earlier.
4. Approve the refund:
   • Go to the Fee Refund Process section.
   • Review and approve the refund request.

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Real-Time Example

Scenario

• Student: John Doe
• Previous Category: International Students (Higher Fee).
• New Category: Local Students (Lower Fee).
• Collected Fee: $1,200 under the International category.
• Required Fee: $800 under the Local category.
• Refund Amount: $400.

Steps

1. Autonumbering Setup:
   • Configure refund sequence (e.g., “REF-0001”) and reconciliation sequence.
2. Change Category:
   • Navigate to the Student Category Assignment section.
   • Update John Doe’s category from “International” to “Local.”
3. Refund Excess Fee:
   • Go to the Cancel and Refund Process section.
   • Locate John’s $1,200 transaction.
   • Refund $400 to match the new fee category.
   • Generate a refund receipt using the configured sequence (e.g., “REF-0001”).
4. Approval:
   • Navigate to the Fee Refund Process section.
   • Approve the refund request for $400.

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Outcome

The student’s fee structure is updated to the new category, and the excess amount is refunded to the parent or guardian. The system logs the refund and adjustment for future reference.