Part IV — Financial Framework Chapter 14 — Fee Structure

Chapter 14 Fee Structure

This chapter sets out the fees payable by Schools to WEQSC and by students in respect of WISE examinations. It establishes the amounts, the basis on which they are calculated, the currencies in which they may be paid, the timing of payment, and the consequences of late payment. It also restates, for the avoidance of doubt, what fees are not payable.

14.1 General Principle

14.1.1 All fees payable to WEQSC are fixed by WEQSC. No School may vary, waive, or supplement any fee except as expressly permitted by this Framework.
14.1.2 Fees are stated in United States Dollars (USD). Payment may be made in Euros (EUR) or Indian Rupees (INR) at the rate prevailing on the date of payment, as provided in Section 14.6.
14.1.3 Fees are used by WEQSC for the purposes set out in Chapter 20. They are not profit. WEQSC is a not-for-profit institution, and its annual financial statements are published under Chapter 20.
14.1.4 This chapter is to be read subject to the fee confidentiality provision in Section 11.7.3, under which the School's affiliation fee arrangements with WEQSC are confidential to the School.

14.2 School Affiliation Fees

14.2.1 A School admitted to affiliation must pay the following fees to WEQSC:
Fee Amount (USD) Frequency Timing
Five-Year Upfront Affiliation Fee 3,000 One-time, per Affiliation Cycle Within 14 days of approval
Annual Affiliation Fee 900 Annual, in each year of the cycle On each anniversary of the Effective Date
14.2.2 The Five-Year Upfront Affiliation Fee is not refundable upon the termination, suspension, or voluntary withdrawal of affiliation during the cycle, save where Section 7.8.4 applies.
14.2.3 The Annual Affiliation Fee is payable in each of the five years of the cycle, including the first year, regardless of the date of the Effective Date within that year.
14.2.4 Where a School's affiliation is renewed under Chapter 30, a further Five-Year Upfront Affiliation Fee is payable upon renewal, at the rate in force at the date of the renewal.
14.2.5 The rates in Section 14.2.1 are those in force at the date of this Framework. WEQSC may revise the rates under Section 14.9.

14.3 Student Examination Fees

14.3.1 The Student Examination Fee is payable per student per Academic Session, and only in respect of classes in which the student sits a WISE Examination. It is fixed by WEQSC, not by the School.
Class Registration Fee Examination Fee Total per Student
KG through Class 9——Free
Class 10—$140$140
Class 11——Free
Class 12—$140$140
14.3.2 No registration fee is payable by any student, at any class, for enrolment in the WISE programme. Registration is free without exception.
14.3.3 The Student Examination Fee for Classes 10 and 12 is payable once per Academic Session, per student, regardless of the number of subjects in which the student sits. It is not calculated per subject.
14.3.4 Where a student sits both Class 10 and Class 12 in the same Affiliation Cycle, the fee is payable in each examination year. There is no reduction for a student who sits both.
14.3.5 The Student Examination Fee is waived in full for Girl Students under Chapter 16, and is subject to reduction for Scholarship Recipients under Chapter 15.
14.3.6 Where a School charges a Student Examination Fee to a student who is exempt under Chapter 15 or Chapter 16, the charge is unauthorised and is a Critical Breach under Section 14.10.

14.4 No Other Mandatory Fees

14.4.1 The fees set out in Sections 14.2 and 14.3 are the only mandatory fees payable by a School or a student in respect of WISE affiliation and examination.
14.4.2 The following are free of charge and no School may charge a student or parent in respect of them:
14.4.3 A School may charge its own tuition and other fees, which are a matter between the School and its parents. Nothing in this Framework regulates those fees, except to the extent that they are not permitted to include any amount styled as a WEQSC or WISE fee beyond the Student Examination Fee.
14.4.4 A School may not require the purchase of any textbook, uniform, device, or service as a condition of participation in the WISE programme, except to the extent that such items are required by the School's own rules and are not presented as a WEQSC requirement.

14.5 Fee Schedule Summary

The table below consolidates the fee structure for the avoidance of doubt. It is a summary; the operative provisions are those in Sections 14.2 through 14.4.

Fee Amount Payable By When
Five-Year Upfront Affiliation Fee $3,000 School Within 14 days of approval
Annual Affiliation Fee $900 School Annually, on each cycle anniversary
Student Examination Fee — Class 10 $140 Student (or School on student's behalf) Before the WISE Examination date
Student Examination Fee — Class 12 $140 Student (or School on student's behalf) Before the WISE Examination date
Student Examination Fee — all other classes Nil — —
Registration Fee — any class Nil — —
Scholarship Examination Fee Nil — —
Credential Issue Fee Nil — —
Credential Verification Fee Nil — —

14.6 Currency and Payment Methods

14.6.1 Fees may be paid in United States Dollars (USD), Euros (EUR), or Indian Rupees (INR).
14.6.2 Where a fee is paid in a currency other than USD, the conversion is calculated at the rate published by the Swiss National Bank on the date of payment. The applicable rate is locked for the transaction at the time of payment.
14.6.3 Accepted payment methods are:
14.6.4 All bank charges, transfer fees, and currency conversion costs are borne by the payer. The amount received by WEQSC must equal the amount invoiced.
14.6.5 A payment is deemed received on the date on which cleared funds are credited to WEQSC's account, not on the date on which the transfer was initiated.

14.7 Invoicing

14.7.1 WEQSC issues an invoice for the Annual Affiliation Fee not less than thirty days before the due date. The invoice is issued through the Portal and copied to the Senior Officer by email.
14.7.2 WEQSC issues a consolidated invoice for Student Examination Fees on the basis of the examination registration submitted by the School through the Portal, not less than thirty days before the examination date.
14.7.3 A receipt is issued by WEQSC within two business days of receipt of a cleared payment.
14.7.4 Where a School disputes an invoice in whole or in part, it must notify WEQSC within fourteen days of the invoice date, giving reasons. The undisputed portion remains payable on the due date.

14.8 Grace Period and Late Payment

14.8.1 A grace period of thirty days following the due date applies to all fees. No penalty is imposed during the grace period.
14.8.2 After the grace period, a late payment penalty of ten per cent of the outstanding amount accrues for each complete month of delay, up to a maximum of fifty per cent of the original amount.
Days Overdue Status Penalty Consequence
1–30 Grace Period Nil Reminder issued
31–60 Warning 10% Formal notice; compliance status flagged
61–90 At Risk 20% Provisional Affiliation may be imposed
91+ Suspension Trigger 30%+ Suspension under Chapter 29
14.8.3 Where a School anticipates that it will be unable to pay a fee by the due date, it may apply to WEQSC, before the due date, for an instalment arrangement or an extension. WEQSC may grant such relief on terms it considers appropriate, including the payment of interest at a rate no greater than the late payment penalty.
14.8.4 A School that is suspended for non-payment of fees may not enrol new WISE students, may not issue new WISE Credentials, and must notify its parents and students of the suspension in writing within seven days.
14.8.5 Suspension for non-payment is lifted upon payment in full of the outstanding amount together with any penalty that has accrued.

14.9 Changes to Fees

14.9.1 WEQSC may revise the fee rates in this chapter. Any revision is made by amendment to this Framework, under the amendment procedure in the Document Control section.
14.9.2 A revision to the Five-Year Upfront Affiliation Fee or the Annual Affiliation Fee does not take effect for an existing Affiliated School until the next Renewal under Chapter 30, unless the School consents in writing to earlier application.
14.9.3 A revision to the Student Examination Fee does not take effect for an Academic Session that has already commenced.
14.9.4 Notice of any revision is given not less than one hundred and eighty days before the effective date of the revision, so that Schools and parents may make the necessary arrangements.
14.9.5 Continued affiliation after the effective date of a revision constitutes acceptance of the revised rate.

14.10 Breach — Consequences

14.10.1 A Breach of any provision of this chapter is subject to the audit regime in Chapter 28 and, where applicable, to the suspension and termination regime in Chapter 29.
14.10.2 The following are classified as indicated, unless the contrary is established:
BreachClassification
Charging a Student Examination Fee to a Girl Student or to an otherwise exempt student Critical
Charging any unauthorised fee styled as a WEQSC or WISE fee Critical
Charging a registration fee, scholarship examination fee, credential issue fee, or verification fee Critical
Requiring purchase of any item as a condition of WISE participation Major
Failure to remit Student Examination Fees collected to WEQSC Critical
Failure to pay a School fee within the grace period, without an arrangement under Section 14.8.3 As per Section 14.8.2
Failure to display or notify revised fees Minor
14.10.3 Where a Critical Breach under this chapter involves the collection of an unauthorised fee, WEQSC may require the School to refund the amount collected, in addition to any other consequence.
14.10.4 Nothing in this chapter displaces the School's right of appeal under Chapter 35.
Further Resources
  • Current fee schedule (public) — wise.weqsc.org/fees
  • Invoice and payment portal — wise.weqsc.org/portal/fees
  • Instalment arrangement application — wise.weqsc.org/forms/instalment
  • Fee dispute form — wise.weqsc.org/forms/fee-dispute
Part IV · Chapter 14 wise.weqsc.org Fee Structure