Notes for Fees Ledger Users

Notes for Fees Ledger Users

Now that you are all approaching your final billing phase for this year, it may be helpful to make note of the following points regarding the application of charges to your pupils, and the subsequent checking of them:

Q: I have applied my charge to a number of pupils, but when I view the charges, Jimmy Smith doesn’t appear, even though when I look at apply charges individually, the charge is there. Why?

This is a common oversight by new users. The important things to bear in mind are the following:

A charge defined as ‘in arrears’ (i.e. no check in the ‘In advance’ box in the charge code description), will automatically be excluded from a ‘newcomer’.

Likewise, a charge that is ‘in advance’ will be automatically excluded from a pupil that is a ‘leaver’.

A ‘newcomer’ is a pupil that has been set up to be joining in the same term as you are running the bills for.

A ‘leaver’ is one who has the ‘laving year/term’ set to be the term PRIOR the term of invoicing. (The leaving term is set on the ‘More’ screen of a pupil record.)

For example, you are running the bills for term 2005/3

A ‘newcomer’ would be one that is joining in 2005/3

A ‘leaver’ is one that is leaving in 2005/2

So, any charges in arrears applied to a pupil joining in 2005/3 will not appear on a bill for 2005/3. Likewise, any charges in advance will not appear for a pupil whose leaving term is 2005/2.

Q: When do I need to change the ‘working term’ in the Options?

There is nothing special about the working term. It should just be regarded as the default term that will appear on your screen when dealing with charges and invoices. You can change it on the screen at any time. But if you are leading up to running the bills for term 2000/3, it will save you time if you set the working term to this so it comes up automatically for you.

Q: I have set up a charge, which I want to regard as ‘in arrears’, but I still want to apply it to newcomers, because when I transfer to the nominal ledger, I want this charge to go to the same period as other ‘arrears’ charges. How can I ensure that ‘newcomers’ are charged this charge?

In the charge code screen, ensure the checkbox labelled ‘Ignore term checks’ is checked. If a charge code has this option, it will always be applied to a pupil regardless of if they are coming or going.

Q: I have set up returnable deposits and applied them to my pupils. When I want to see which pupils have these deposits, I can only see the ones that will be refunded when I run the bills. How can I see all the deposits I have applied?

Ensure the checkbox ‘term independent’ is checked when doing a charges report.

Q: I want to increase the fees amount that is to be charged. What is the easiest way to do this?

First, amend the default amount for the charge code. Then, use Global assignments. Ensure the checkbox ‘to existing charges’ is checked, and the checkbox ‘new charges’ is NOT. YOU NEED NOT AMEND ANY OTHER OPTIONS

The global assignments will then amend all who have the specified charge assigned to them and will replace the current amount with the new amount.

Q: When I do a charges report, I can see there are charges shown that were assigned to pupils that have already been transferred out of the school.

Use the Purge Charges program (Charges, Charges, Purge charges).

Select ALL charges. Make sure you have a check in the checkbox ‘Only for pupils that have left’. Purge the charges.

When transferring pupils, there is an option to retain any existing charges, or not. The default is not to retain these.

Q: I am doing a charges report by form, but the forms shown are the previous forms for the pupil. i.e. the forms Before the forms transfer I have just done.

Correct this by going to Fees Tools (which may be in your Fees Manager folder). Select the option ‘Fix charges’. Then click on the button ‘Fix charges data’.

This problem should not arise in future, as the forms transfer program automatically changes the form code on any assigned charges.

Q: I am doing an invoice for a pupil and I just get a blank sheet of paper.

This can be because of a number of reasons.

1. The system is designed to prevent accidental double-billing. If you have already billed for a particular term, you will not be able to bill again for the same term, unless you have ‘reversed’ the invoice. So, do a Ledger Enquiry for the pupil and see which term the last invoice was run for. If it is the same as the term you are currently billing for, then no further invoice will be produced for that pupil. You must either bill for the next term, or reverse the invoice for the pupil and re-do the earlier invoice.
2. There are only charges in advance for the pupil and the pupil is in the final term. ( see first question above).
3. There are only charges in arrears and the pupil is in the first term at the school ( see first question above).
4. There are several addresses associated with the pupil but the assigned charges are assigned to an address which is now non-chargeable. Check by looking at ‘assign charges individually’ and check that the address number on each applied charge is one of the address numbers in the box on the right, listing all chargeable addresses. This could have happened if you first applied the charges to the wrong address, and then made that address non-chargeable. If it is the wrong address, just click on the charge and then click on ‘Update’ to correct.