Configure and Collect Fees

Configure and Collect Fees

Set up fee structures, generate invoices, process payments, and send reminders.

Time: 15–30 minutes for setup, 2–5 minutes per collection Module: OpenEduCat Fees, OpenEduCat Fees Enterprise Permissions: Fee Administrator or Accountant

---

Prerequisites

• Students enrolled in courses
• Academic year and terms configured
• Payment methods set up
• Email server configured for reminders
• Access to Fees menu

---

Overview

The Fee Management system enables:

• Flexible fee structure definition
• Fee terms with installment plans
• Automatic invoice generation
• Multiple payment methods
• Payment reminder automation
• Discount and scholarship handling
• Late fee calculation
• Portal-based payment
• Financial reporting

---

Fee Workflow

Fee Structure Setup
        ↓
Fee Terms Definition
        ↓
Student Fee Plan Assignment
        ↓
Invoice Generation
        ↓
Payment Collection
        ↓
Receipt Generation

State	Description
Draft	Invoice created
Posted	Invoice confirmed
Partial	Partial payment received
Paid	Fully paid
Cancelled	Invoice cancelled

---

Steps

1. Create Fee Categories

1. Navigate to Fees → Configuration → Fee Categories
2. Click New
3. Configure the category:

Field	Action
Name	Category name (e.g., “Tuition Fee”)
Code	Short code (e.g., “TF”)
Type	Recurring/One-time
Tax	Applicable tax (optional)

4. Click Save

Common Categories:

• Tuition Fee
• Admission Fee
• Examination Fee
• Library Fee
• Lab Fee
• Transport Fee
• Hostel Fee
• Activity Fee

2. Create Fee Structure

1. Navigate to Fees → Fee Structures
2. Click New
3. Complete the structure form:

Field	Action
Name	Structure name
Course	Select course
Academic Year	Select year
Description	Structure details

4. Navigate to Fee Items tab
5. Click Add a line
6. For each fee item:

Field	Action
Category	Select fee category
Amount	Fee amount
Product	Linked product (optional)

7. Add all applicable fees
8. Click Save

3. Define Fee Terms

Create payment schedules:

1. Navigate to Fees → Configuration → Fee Terms
2. Click New
3. Configure the term:

Field	Action
Name	Term name (e.g., “Monthly”, “Quarterly”)
Code	Term code
Description	Term details

4. Navigate to Lines tab
5. Add payment installments:

Field	Action
Sequence	Installment order
Name	Installment name
Due Days	Days from start
Percentage	Percentage of total

6. Ensure percentages total 100%
7. Click Save

Example: Quarterly Term

Seq	Name	Due Days	Percentage
1	Q1	0	25%
2	Q2	90	25%
3	Q3	180	25%
4	Q4	270	25%

4. Create Student Fee Plan

Assign fees to students:

1. Navigate to Fees → Student Fee Plans
2. Click New
3. Configure the plan:

Field	Action
Student	Select student
Fee Structure	Select structure
Fee Term	Select payment term
Academic Year	Select year
Start Date	Plan start date

4. System calculates:

   • Total fee amount
   • Installment breakdown
   • Due dates

5. Review fee plan details

6. Click Save

5. Apply Discounts

For scholarships or concessions:

1. Open student fee plan
2. Navigate to Discounts tab
3. Add discount:

Field	Action
Type	Percentage/Fixed
Value	Discount value
Category	Apply to specific category
Reason	Discount reason

4. Fee plan recalculates
5. Click Save

6. Generate Invoices

Automatic generation:

1. Navigate to Fees → Generate Invoices

2. Select parameters:

   • Academic year
   • Course/batch (or all)
   • Fee term installment

3. Click Generate

4. System creates invoices for:

   • Students with active fee plans
   • Based on installment schedule
   • Due dates calculated

Manual generation:

1. Open student fee plan
2. Click Generate Invoice
3. Select installment(s)
4. Invoice created

7. Record Payment

When payment received:

1. Navigate to Fees → Fee Invoices
2. Open the invoice
3. Click Register Payment
4. Enter payment details:

Field	Action
Payment Date	Date received
Amount	Payment amount
Payment Method	Cash/Bank/Online
Reference	Transaction reference

5. Click Create Payment
6. Invoice status updated
7. Receipt available

8. Configure Late Fees

For overdue payments:

1. Navigate to Fees → Configuration → Late Fee Rules
2. Click New
3. Configure the rule:

Field	Action
Name	Rule name
Type	Fixed/Percentage
Amount	Late fee amount
Grace Days	Days before late fee
Max Amount	Maximum late fee

4. Link to fee structures
5. Click Save

Late fees calculated automatically after grace period.

9. Send Payment Reminders

Automated reminders:

1. Navigate to Fees → Reminder Settings
2. Configure reminders:

Setting	Action
Days Before	X days before due
Days After	X days after due
Email Template	Select template
SMS Template	Select SMS template

3. Enable automated sending
4. System sends reminders on schedule

Manual reminders:

1. Open invoice
2. Click Send Reminder
3. Review message
4. Send to student/parent

10. Portal Payment

Students/parents pay online:

1. Log into portal
2. Navigate to Fees
3. View pending invoices
4. Select invoice to pay
5. Choose payment method
6. Complete payment
7. Download receipt

---

Field Reference

Fee Structure (op.fee.structure)

Field	Technical Name	Type	Required	Description
Name	name	Char	Yes	Structure name
Course	course_id	Many2one	No	Target course
Academic Year	academic_year_id	Many2one	No	Academic year
Description	description	Text	No	Details
Line IDs	line_ids	One2many	No	Fee items
Total	total	Float	Computed	Total amount

Fee Structure Line (op.fee.structure.line)

Field	Technical Name	Type	Required	Description
Structure	structure_id	Many2one	Yes	Parent structure
Category	category_id	Many2one	Yes	Fee category
Amount	amount	Float	Yes	Fee amount
Product	product_id	Many2one	No	Linked product

Fee Term (op.fee.term)

Field	Technical Name	Type	Required	Description
Name	name	Char	Yes	Term name
Code	code	Char	No	Term code
Line IDs	line_ids	One2many	No	Installments

Student Fee Plan (op.student.fee.plan)

Field	Technical Name	Type	Required	Description
Student	student_id	Many2one	Yes	Student
Structure	structure_id	Many2one	Yes	Fee structure
Term	term_id	Many2one	No	Fee term
Academic Year	academic_year_id	Many2one	No	Year
Start Date	start_date	Date	No	Plan start
Total Amount	total_amount	Float	Computed	Total fees
Discount	discount	Float	No	Discount amount
Final Amount	final_amount	Float	Computed	After discount
Invoice IDs	invoice_ids	One2many	No	Generated invoices
State	state	Selection	No	Plan state

---

Payment Methods

Method	Description
Cash	Physical cash
Bank Transfer	Bank deposit
Cheque	Cheque payment
Credit Card	Card payment
Online	Payment gateway
UPI	UPI payment

---

Invoice States

State	Description
Draft	Invoice created
Posted	Confirmed, awaiting payment
Partial	Part payment received
Paid	Fully paid
Cancelled	Void

---

Views Available

View	Features
List	Invoices with status
Form	Full invoice details
Kanban	Visual payment cards
Pivot	Collection analysis
Graph	Revenue charts

Fee Dashboard

Administrators see:

• Total invoiced
• Total collected
• Outstanding balance
• Overdue amount
• Collection trend

---

Portal Features

Student Portal

Students can:

• View fee structure
• See pending dues
• Pay online
• Download receipts
• View payment history

Parent Portal

Parents can:

• View child’s fees
• Make payments
• Track payment history
• Download receipts

---

Reports

Report	Description
Fee Collection	Total collected by period
Outstanding	Pending payments
Defaulter List	Overdue students
Course-wise	Collection by course
Category-wise	Collection by fee type

---

Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Solution
Invoice not generated	No fee plan	Create student fee plan
Wrong amount	Discount not applied	Apply discount to plan
Payment not reflecting	Not registered	Register payment
Late fee incorrect	Rule misconfigured	Check late fee settings
Portal payment failed	Gateway issue	Check payment gateway
Reminder not sent	Email not configured	Configure email server

---

Best Practices

1. Clear structures: Define comprehensive fee structures
2. Flexible terms: Offer multiple payment options
3. Timely reminders: Send reminders before due date
4. Accurate records: Record all payments promptly
5. Discount documentation: Document all concessions
6. Regular reconciliation: Match collections with bank

---

Security Notes

Role	Capabilities
Fee Administrator	Full CRUD access
Accountant	Register payments
Student	View own fees (portal)
Parent	View/pay child’s fees (portal)

Financial Controls

• Payment approval workflow
• Discount authorization
• Audit trail for changes
• Secure payment gateway

---

Integration Features

Accounting Integration

• Invoice to Odoo accounting
• Payment journal entries
• Tax handling
• Financial reports

Scholarship Integration

• Auto-apply scholarships
• Percentage or fixed
• Category-specific discounts

Admission Integration

• Fee plan on enrollment
• First invoice auto-generated
• Admission fee handling

Transport Integration

• Transport fee in structure
• Route-based pricing
• Monthly billing

---

Email Templates

Payment Reminder

Subject: Fee Payment Reminder - [Invoice Number]

Dear [Parent/Student Name],

This is a reminder that your fee payment of [Amount] is due on [Due Date].

Invoice: [Invoice Number]
Amount: [Amount]
Due Date: [Due Date]

Please make the payment at your earliest convenience.

Pay Online: [Portal Link]

Payment Receipt

Subject: Payment Receipt - [Receipt Number]

Dear [Parent/Student Name],

Thank you for your payment.

Receipt No: [Receipt Number]
Amount: [Amount]
Payment Date: [Date]
Payment Method: [Method]

Balance: [Remaining]

---

Related Tasks

• Configure Academic Year
• Manage Scholarships
• Set Up Payment Gateway