The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai has outlined regulations for application fees and registration deposits for parents enrolling their children in schools. Schools are allowed to charge up to Dh500 as an application fee, which includes standard assessment fees and is non-refundable unless the school does not offer the student a place. The registration deposit, which must not exceed 10% of the total tuition fees, is deductible from the academic year’s tuition fees.
Re-registration deposits are deductible from the first term’s fees, and schools can only collect it after the winter or spring break, depending on the start of their academic year. Schools are also permitted to register new students at any time during the academic year, provided they have KHDA approval, and tuition fees can start from the month of enrolment.
Schools are only allowed to collect annual tuition fees in three instalments or 10 equated monthly instalments. The first term payment should not exceed 40% of the annual tuition fees, the second payment should not exceed 30%, and the third term should not exceed 30%. Schools are not allowed to ask for additional payments to guarantee student enrollment or re-enrollment, apart from the application fee, registration deposit, and re-registration deposit.