Fee plans — what they are, how to create one, and what happens next
This guide explains fee plans in very simple language — no accounting knowledge needed. By the end you will know which type to pick, what to fill in each field, and exactly what happens in the app after you save.
What is a fee plan?
Think of a fee plan like a standing order at a shop. You tell TuitionDesk: "Every month, charge Riya ₹1,500 for Maths class. Starting June. Due on the 1st."
TuitionDesk then automatically creates a bill (called a fee line) every month for Riya. You don't have to do it manually. When Riya pays, you mark it paid. If she doesn't pay by the 1st, it shows up as overdue.
That's it. A fee plan = the rules. A fee line = the actual bill. You collect against the bill.
How to create a fee plan (step by step)
1
Go to Fees → Fee Plans in the left menu.
This shows all your existing plans. If you have none yet, the page will look empty.
2
Click + Add fee plan.
A form opens. You will fill in the details here.
3
Choose the fee plan type (monthly, one-time, etc.) — explained in the next section.
4
Fill in the fields — amount, who it's for, start date. See the field guide below.
5
Click Save.
TuitionDesk immediately creates the fee bills (fee lines) for you.
6
Click View fee lines on the plan card to confirm the bills look right.
You should see one row per month (or one row for one-time). If you see nothing, check the start/end dates.
The 5 fee plan types
Pick the one that matches how you charge students at your centre.
📅 Monthly
The same amount, every month, on a fixed date.
✅ Use this when you charge ₹1,000 (or any fixed amount) every month for tuition classes.
You set the amount, the due date (e.g. 1st of every month), and the start month. TuitionDesk creates one bill per month automatically, forever — until the end date you set, or until you stop the plan.
Example: Riya joins Maths class in June. You charge ₹1,500/month. You create a monthly plan → Amount: ₹1,500 → Due: 1st of month → Start: June 2025. TuitionDesk makes a June bill, July bill, August bill… automatically every month.
💸 One-time
A single charge, collected once and never again.
✅ Use this for admission fee, registration fee, exam fee, study material charges — anything collected only once.
You set the amount and a due date. TuitionDesk creates exactly one bill. Once it is collected and marked paid, it's done forever.
Example: When a new student joins, you charge ₹500 admission fee. Create a one-time plan → Amount: ₹500 → Due: June 10, 2025. One bill is created. Collect it, mark paid. Done.
📆 Term / Quarter
One charge per academic term (3 or 4 months at a time).
✅ Use this if you bill students once per quarter — e.g. ₹4,500 every 3 months — instead of monthly.
You set a term start date, term end date, and the amount. TuitionDesk creates one bill per term.
Example: Your batch runs April–March in 4 quarters. Fee is ₹4,500 per quarter. Create a term plan for each quarter. Students get one bill every 3 months instead of every month.
📅 Weekly
The same amount, every week.
✅ Use this for short crash courses or workshops billed week by week.
You set the amount per week, the day of the week it's due, and start/end dates. TuitionDesk creates one bill per week.
Example: A 4-week holiday crash course runs May 1–31. Fee is ₹750/week. Create a weekly plan. Students get 4 bills, one each Monday.
✏️ Custom instalment
You decide exactly when each payment is due and how much.
✅ Use this when the timing or amount changes each instalment — e.g. ₹5,000 in June, ₹3,000 in October, ₹7,000 in February.
You add each instalment manually — amount + due date. TuitionDesk creates one bill per instalment, each with its own date.
Example: A student pays ₹15,000/year in 3 parts: ₹5,000 in June, ₹5,000 in September, ₹5,000 in December. Create a custom plan with 3 instalments. Three bills are created, each due on their date.
What each field means
When you open the fee plan form, here is exactly what each box means:
Fee name / Label
What this fee is called. Appears on receipts and in the parent's portal.
💡 Be specific: "Maths Tuition Fee June 2025" is better than just "Fee". Parents and students will see this.
Amount
How much you are charging. For monthly plans, this is per month. For one-time, it is the full amount.
💡 Enter the full amount before any discount. You can reduce it when recording the actual payment.
Student or Batch?
Student = only one specific student gets this bill. Batch = every student in the whole class gets this bill automatically.
💡 Almost always choose Batch if all students pay the same amount. This saves you from creating a plan one-by-one for each student.
Start date
The first month or date to start creating bills. If you set June 1, the first bill is for June.
💡 If a student joins mid-month (e.g. June 18), set start date to June 18. TuitionDesk creates a June bill due June 18. From July it goes to the 1st.
End date
When to stop creating bills. Leave blank if you want it to continue indefinitely (e.g. ongoing monthly fees).
💡 Set an end date for short courses. Example: a batch that ends in November — set end date to November 30. No bills are created after that.
Due date / Billing day
Which day of the month the fee is due. E.g. billing day = 1 means due on the 1st of every month.
💡 Most centres set this to 1st or 5th. Students are expected to pay by this date each month.
Late fee
An extra charge added automatically if the student pays after the due date. Can be a flat amount (₹50) or a percentage.
💡 Leave blank if you don't charge late fees. If you set it, TuitionDesk adds it automatically once the due date passes.
Notes / Description
A private note for yourself. Not shown to students or parents. Use it for reminders like "Includes lab material" or "Sibling discount applied".
Branch
Which branch of your centre this fee belongs to. Only visible if you have multiple branches set up.
What happens after you save a fee plan
Once you click Save, here is what TuitionDesk does automatically:
📋 Fee lines (bills) are created — one for each month (or one for one-time). These appear in Fees → Outstanding and in each student's fee history.
👩👧 Parents can see the bills — in the parent portal and app, parents see the upcoming fee and due date. They can also pay online if you have Razorpay or Stripe enabled.
🔴 Overdue tracking starts — once the due date passes and the fee is not paid, it shows in red as "Overdue" in Outstanding.
📊 Reports update — your fee summary and collection reports include the new bills automatically.
Real examples from tuition centres
🏫 Small centre — monthly fee for each subject
You teach Maths and Science. Students pay ₹1,200/month for Maths and ₹1,000/month for Science.
Create a monthly batch plan for Maths Batch → ₹1,200 → due 1st → start June.
Create another monthly batch plan for Science Batch → ₹1,000 → due 1st → start June.
All students in each batch get their bills automatically each month.
👋 New student joining mid-month
A student joins June 15. Your fee is ₹1,500/month due on the 1st.
Create a monthly student plan → ₹1,500 → start June 15 → due 1st.
June bill is created due June 15 (for the partial month).
From July onward, bills are due on the 1st as normal.
🎓 Annual fee in 3 parts
You charge ₹15,000/year for a JEE batch. Students pay in 3 equal instalments.
Create a custom instalment plan.
Add 3 instalments: ₹5,000 due June 1, ₹5,000 due October 1, ₹5,000 due February 1.
Three bills are created with their own due dates. Students and parents can see all 3.
📝 Admission fee + monthly tuition
When a new student joins, you collect ₹500 admission fee (once) and then ₹1,200/month.
Create a one-time plan → ₹500 → due: date of joining → label: "Admission fee".
Create a monthly plan → ₹1,200 → starting next month.
Both appear in Outstanding. Once admission fee is collected, it moves to History.
Common mistakes to avoid
❌ Don't create one plan per student if the whole batch pays the same
Select Batch not Student. One batch plan covers all students in that batch. If one student has a special deal, create an individual plan only for them.
❌ Don't forget to check your fee lines after saving
Click View fee lines on the plan card. You should see one row per month (or one row for a one-time fee). If you see nothing, the dates are probably wrong.
❌ Don't use a vague fee name
"Fee" is confusing when a student has 3 different plans. Use "Maths Tuition June 2025" or "Science Lab Fee". This name appears on the receipt the parent gets.
❌ Don't leave the end date blank for short courses
If a batch ends in November, set end date to November 30. Otherwise bills keep generating next year automatically.
✅ Dropped students — their unpaid fees still show
If you mark a student as Dropped but they have unpaid bills, those bills stay in Outstanding (with a "Dropped" badge). You need to either collect the money or waive the fee to clear it.
Still have questions?
Open the app and use Help → Ask TuitionDesk AI. Describe your situation in plain language — it will tell you exactly which plan to use and how to set it up.