Money Off School Fees - Cancer Treatment

[Springroll89]

Hello. A friend's son is having treatment for cancer. He will be off school for some time yet and the treatment is obviously difficult and very disruptive.

She's asked if I can help draft a letter to his school asking for some money off the school fees. I just wondered if anyone had had any success or could offer any tips in trying to get a reduction in school fees for this sad reason.

Many thanks

It is in our schools T's and C's that no refunds are given in case of absence due to illness even if its long term.
However, there is nothing to lose by writing and explaining the situation and asking.
I wish your friend and her son all the best x

Thanks for responding. Don't ask... X

I would probably call rather than write, TBH.

Should there be a discussion about how his learning can be kept up or the possibility of repeating a year, before fees are raised? I think if he needed to repeat then a discount for the additional year would be fair enough to request.

Ask chat gpt to do it for you

Honestly, it is often recommended taking out fee insurance to cover for this because it varies between each school. I would prepare for the worst but hope for the best.
Has she spoken to the bursar?

I would give it a go. A portion of one child’s fees could be absolute peanuts to a reasonable sized school and the reduction would be a kind gesture. On the other hand. If it’s small and a reduction in pupil numbers in the region of 5 could topple the school entirely then they will be less able to pay out.

Thanks for your responses. She hasn't spoken to them yet as she was actually hoping they may suggest a reduction given the awful situation and as he's only just started!

First stop should always be for her to speak to the bursar

Definitely speak to the bursar. But if she really does only want to email, you do need to know what the T&Cs say and whether she was offered and refused fee insurance - it will take a big difference to what a letter should say...

Thanks everyone. I get the impression that she just wants to fire off an email and doesn't have the headspace to call them at the moment. She just wants to see what happens. I did in fact use copilot and it produced something really good, which I have tweaked for her! We know that she has no right to a reduction but she wants to ask anyway.

She obviously trusts you enough to ask for this help and I'd imagine she doesn't have any capacity to deal with this now. As PPs, I'd suggest calling bursar on her behalf and have a discussion with stress on compassion. I assume you checked the policy (it should be available on their portal) and I'd totally expect that fees must be paid regardless, but there is always human discretion.

A lot of schools offer fees insurance.

I'd imagine she didn't pay insurance if she's asking now so too late

I believe more important is a study plan for him, then followed by the fees negotiation (of course his health is on the top). This should a case by case consideration.

On top of it I really believe the treatment and recovery of the child is top piority at this moment, put aside his education. I will feel very terrible if any school still sticks to all fees T&Cs with the child under life threatening illness and can't attend school.

There is a good chance the school will be involved in designing and supporting home learning, if the child is well enough for this to happen.

It is something often within fees that you accept at onset, so easily overlooked.

It's not the top of their list of priorities at the moment as they are essentially in a living hell. But they just wanted to ask. They are going to send the email in and see, when they have some headspace. I was talking to a friend the other day who asked for a discount on fees as she was going through a costly divorce and got it. So I'm even more convinced that it's worth asking the question.