Saving for School Fees: A Term-by-Term Plan for Parents

For many Ugandan families, school fees are the biggest expense of the year, and they arrive three times. When fees catch us unprepared, we borrow at high interest, sell something we need, or children miss the first weeks of term. A simple plan, started the week after you pay this term's fees, can change that. Here is a practical, term-by-term approach that works on ordinary incomes.

Step 1: Know the full cost per term

Fees are only part of it. For each child, list:

• Tuition and boarding fees
• Uniforms, shoes and sports kit
• Books and scholastic materials
• Requirements lists (toilet paper, brooms, reams of paper)
• Transport to and from school
• Pocket money and visiting days

Write down the date each term starts. That's your deadline.

Step 2: Divide by the weeks you have

Most families have about 12 to 16 weeks between fee payments. Example: next term costs UGX 900,000 for two children and you have 15 weeks. You need UGX 60,000 a week. That sounds like a lot, but it is about UGX 8,600 a day, and family contributions can share the load.

Step 3: Create a Savings Goal for each term

In EriPay, open Savings Goals and create a goal such as "Term 2 fees: Sarah and John" with the target amount. Then:

• Turn on weekly auto-save for the amount you calculated, on the day after you're usually paid.
• Lock the goal until a few days before term starts, so it can't be spent on something else.
• If your income is irregular, use reminders and add what you can each week.

Step 4: Bring in the family

Grandparents, aunts and uncles often help with fees. Instead of cash that disappears into daily spending, ask them to send to your EriPay wallet with a note like "Term 2 fees" and move it straight into the goal. Transfers up to UGX 20,000 are free, so even small regular contributions are worth it.

For larger families, consider a family Savings Group: everyone contributes monthly, the balance is visible to all, and payouts for fees need members' approval.

Step 5: Pay directly

When term begins and the lock date has passed, move the money to your wallet and pay through Pay Bills → School fees (SchoolPay) using the student's payment code, or send directly to the school's EriPay merchant account if it has one. Every payment is recorded, which helps if the school's records ever disagree with yours.

A sample year

• January: pay Term 1. Create the Term 2 goal the same week.
• February to April: weekly auto-save into Term 2.
• May: pay Term 2. Create the Term 3 goal.
• June to August: weekly auto-save into Term 3. Buy next year's uniforms in the August holiday, when demand is lower.
• September: pay Term 3. Create next year's Term 1 goal, which also has to cover the bigger January costs.

Ways to make it easier

• Start with something. If UGX 60,000 a week is impossible, save UGX 20,000. You'll still owe much less at the start of term.
• Use windfalls. Put bonuses, gifts and good business weeks straight into the goal.
• Buy in bulk early. Requirements like toilet paper and stationery are cheaper in wholesale shops during the holidays.
• Talk to the school. Many schools accept instalments. Saving weekly lets you pay instalments on time and avoid penalties.
• Join a parents' savings group. Saving alongside other parents builds discipline.

When things go wrong

If an emergency forces you to use fee savings, don't give up: restart the auto-save the next week, and talk to the school early about an instalment plan.

Make every term stress-free. Open your free EriPay wallet and create your first school fees goal.