Purpose

To create and maintain Fee Categories, and link them to relevant Calendar Instances and Date Aliases; assign Fee Types to Fee Categories; and access all other forms required to set up data at this level.

Subsystem

Finance

(FTCI) Elements Range (FINF2852)

This form and the Maintain Fee Types form (FINF2100) are central forms in the Student Finance Subsystem.

Fee Categories are created and maintained in this form and are linked to Fee Periods in which to operate. In the second screen of the form, fees are assigned to categories. The form also serves as an access point for other forms.

Calendars
Appropriate active or planned Fee Calendar Instances must be recorded for each Fee Category, together with their relevant Date Alias Instances. These are selected from instances already created in the Calendar Subsystem. When fees are added to a Fee Category in this form, only those Fee Types with a Calendar Instance that matches a Category Calendar Instance selected here are available for inclusion.

Fee Calendars are introduced in the section on Fee Periods while notes about setting up appropriate calendars are found in the Specialist Overview.

Levels
The use of levels is introduced in the Specialist Overview and explained more fully in the section on Levels in Special Topics. To reiterate briefly here - depending on the form and screen in which data is recorded, it can vary in its effective range. In the documentation these different ranges are described as Fee Type (FTCI), Fee Category (FCCI) and Fee Liability (FCFL) levels.

Fee Category and Fee Liability Level data is defined using the current form, and has a narrower range than data defined at Fee Type Level in FINF2100.

Schedule data can be defined at both FCCI and FCFL levels, using forms accessed from the first and second screens of this form respectively. Calculation data recorded in and via the second screen of this form is at FCFL level, and applies only to a single fee within a single category. (See Calculations and Schedules in the Specialist Overview for further information.)

The complete list of accessible forms for use at the two levels is given in the previous table.

In the next table a distinction is made between these kinds of data:

• Data that applies to the Fee Category in general.
• Data that applies to a Fee Category in a particular Fee Calendar Instance.
• Data applying to a Fee Category/Calendar Instance combination if FCCI level is chosen.
• Creation of Fee Liabilities by assigning Fee Types to Fee Categories.
• The data applying to a Fee Liability.
• Data applying to a Fee Liability if FCFL level is chosen.

For a description of fields see FININTR2 - Student Finance Glossary.

This form is accessed via the main menu.

The Main - Fee Category block contains:

• Fee Category
• Description
• Closed check box
• Currency

  Button

• Loan Scheme (FINF2820)

The Main - Fee Category Calendar Instance block contains:

• Calendar Type
• Start Date
• End Date
• Tax Exempt check box
• Status
• Tax Reference
• Start Date Alias
• End Date Alias
• Retro Date Alias

  Buttons

  • Payment Schedules (FINF2860)
  • Retention Schedules (FINF28A0)
  • Fee Encumbrances (FINF2890)
  • Fee Liabilities (overlay to Secondary block)

The Secondary - Fee Category Calendar Instance block contains:

• Fee Category
• Currency
• Calendar Type
• Start Date
• End Date
• Status

The Secondary - Fee Category Fee Liability block contains:

• Fee Type
• System Fee Type
• System Fee Trigger Category
• Loan Scheme
• Management Level
• Payment Rank
• Fee Liability Status

T-List

• Dates
  • Start Date Alias
• Charge
  • Charge Method
  • Rule Number
  • Description
  • Rule Text
• Tax
  • Tax Exempt check box
  • Tax Rule Number
  • Description
  • Rule Text

Buttons

• (FTCI) Charge Mthd Apportnmt (FINF1720) OR Fee Ceremony Round (FINF2830)
• Course Triggers (FINF2222)
• (FTCI) Payment Schedule (FINF2860)
• (FTCI) Assessment Rate (FINF2853)
• Course Type Triggers (FINF2220) OR Unit Triggers (FINF2223)
• (FTCI) Retention Schedule (FINF28A0)
• Course Group Triggers (FINF2221) OR Unit Set Triggers (FINF2225)
• (FTCI) Fee Encumbrance (FINF2890)
• (FTCI) Elements Range (FINF2852)
• Fee Trigger Groups OR Trigger Groups (FINF2224)
• Back

Rules/Notes:

The Charge Mthd Apportnmt button changes to the Fee Ceremony Round button when the System Fee Type is GRADUATION.

The standard button label is ‘Assessment Rates'. It is changed to ‘FTCI Assessment Rate’ under the following conditions:

• When there are existing Fee Assessment Rates already defined for the Fee Type at the FTCI level.
• When the Fee Type has a System Fee Type of ‘COMSUPPORT’ (HECS).
• When there are existing Fee Assessment Rates or Cohort Fee Assessment Rates.

The logic that prevents Assessment Rates being defined from this form (for example, at FCFL level), for Fee Types with a System Fee Type of ‘HECS’, also applies to prevent rates being defined for Fee Types with a System Fee Type of ‘COMSUPPORT’.

The logic that prevents the System Charge Method and Rule Sequence Number fields being defined for Fee Types with a System Fee Type of ‘HECS’ also applies to prevent them being defined for Fee Types with a System Fee Type of ‘COMSUPPORT’.

Validations include:

• Fee Encumbrance records cannot be created from a FEE_CAT_FEE_LIABILITY record when the System Fee Type is ‘HECS’ or ‘COMSUPPORT’.
• The Tax Exempt check box must be set when the System Fee Type is ‘COMSUPPORT’. (At FCFL level.)
• The System Charge Method Type must be set to ‘EFTSL’ when the System Fee Type is ‘COMSUPPORT’. (At FCFL level.)

Use this form to create and maintain the Fee Categories used in the Student Finance Subsystem. Enter a Fee Category and Description. Fee Categories are created here but assigned to students through the Admissions or Enrolments Subsystems.

Optionally, select a code from the list of values to specify the Currency of the Rates that apply in this category. If left blank, the local currency (given in the Maintain International Currency Codes form, FINF1410) is assumed.

Link a Fee Category to the Time Periods during which it is to operate by selecting one or more instances of a Fee Calendar Type from those in the list of values, which displays active and planned Fee Calendar Instances.

Rules/Notes:

Once assigned a Loan Scheme, a Fee Category cannot be deleted but can be closed, preventing further use.

Once assigned a Calendar Instance, a Fee Category cannot be deleted but can be closed, preventing further use.

Set the Tax Exempt check box (checked) to indicate that all liabilities within this category must also be Tax Exempt. If unset (category is designated as 'taxable'), component liabilities can still be Tax Exempt.

A Status must be recorded for each Calendar Instance selected. This status field refers to the status of the Fee Category/Calendar Instance combination, as distinct from the status of the Calendar Instance itself.

A Tax Reference (in Australia, the ABN – Australian Business Number) is required if the category is taxable (Tax Exempt check box unchecked).

Start Date Alias and End Date Alias instances must also be selected for each Fee Category/Calendar Instance combination. Selecting a Retro Date Alias Instance is optional. (See information on Fee Periods for an explanation of these dates).

Rules/Notes:

All liabilities in a 'Tax Exempt' Category must also be Tax Exempt. But a 'taxable' category can include Tax Exempt liabilities.

A Fee Category/Calendar Instance Status cannot be changed from ACTIVE to INACTIVE while any Fee Liability is ACTIVE in the category. After a message advising this, the user is asked to confirm that Liability Statuses should also be changed.

The Fee Assessment Routine (FINJ3500, FINJ3001) will only process Fee Categories and Fee Liabilities that have an active status.

A Fee Category/Calendar Instance Status cannot be changed to FINALISED unless

• All related Fee Liabilities (at FCFL level) are finalised, and
• No students liable for the fees in the category and Fee Period have outstanding debt.

If attempted, the user is asked to confirm that Liability Statuses should be changed automatically, subject to the second condition being met. (Refer to Finalising Fee Types for context information.)

When the System Fee Type is VET, the Charge Method can only be set to PERUNIT, FLATRATE or CONTACTHRS.
When the System Fee Type is ADVSTND, the Charge Method can only be set to CONTACTHRS, CRPOINT or FLATRATE.

Start Date and End Date (and optionally Retro Date) Aliases are also selected for a particular fee in the Maintain Fee Types form, and a Start Date can also be entered at Fee Liability level. When considering a Fee Liability, the latest Start Date, the earliest End Date and the earliest Retro Date apply.

Start Date, End Date and Retro Date Instances are all inclusive.  

Schedules for payment, Retention and Encumbrances can be specified at this level by accessing the relevant forms from the buttons here. These schedules will apply to all active Fee Types in a category, unless overridden by a corresponding schedule either at FTCI or FCFL level.

Defining schedules at this level is likely to be the norm, allowing a single schedule (for example, one set of payment dates) to be used in administering all fees due from an individual student.

Rules/Notes:

The Fee Types required as liabilities must be specified for each Fee Category/Calendar Instance, and a Status recorded for each Fee Liability.

Rules/Notes:

The statuses ACTIVE, PLANNED and INACTIVE control the operation of a fee within a Fee Category. Active Statuses cannot be set if the status of the corresponding category is not active.

The fee assessment routine (FINJ3500, FINJ3001) will only process Fee Liabilities that have an active status.

A Fee Liability Status cannot be changed to FINALISED if any students liable for the fee in this category and Fee Period have outstanding debt. (Refer to Finalising Fee Types for context information.)

Data applying to a Fee Liability: Secondary block

Dates in the T-list

Optionally, a Start Date can be specified. For the selected liability, a later Start Date entered here will delay the start of assessment for this fee, relative to other fees in the category.

For Commonwealth Supported Place and INSTITUTN fees, the value of the Tax Exempt check box at FTCI level (in FINF2100) cannot be overridden at this level.

For all other fees, the value at this (FCFL) level is the value that applies. Fees are taxable unless the Tax Exempt check box is set (checked). In a Tax Exempt category (set in previous screen) all Fee Liabilities in this screen must also be Tax Exempt (the default when created).

Overriding the default. For appropriate liabilities, the value at the FTCI level serves as the default at this level. It can be overridden here – except for Commonwealth Supported Place and INSTITUTN fees and fees in a Tax Exempt category.

Triggers

Triggers must be specified for liabilities where the Fee Type has a System Fee Trigger Category of COURSE, UNIT, UNITSET or COMPOSITE. Depending on the Trigger Category, the appropriate buttons are available for selection of the correct trigger form.

Rules/Notes:

Fees with a System Fee Trigger Category of INSTITUTN do not require triggers.

Secondary block

A Payment Rank must be recorded here or at the FTCI level, but not at both levels for the same Fee Type (but see note opposite about Commonwealth Supported Place and INSTITUTION fees). When recorded at this level it must be unique with regard to any other liability in the same Fee Category, whether the rank for another liability is also established at this (FCFL) level, or at the FTCI level.

Charge in the T-list

The Charge Method and Rule (see Calculations) are selected either here or at the Fee Type (FTCI) level using form FINF2100, but cannot be selected at both levels for the same Fee Type. Note the exceptions given opposite.

Tax in the T-list

For taxable fees (other than INSTITUTN), the Tax Rule Number is selected either here or at FTCI level, but cannot be selected at both levels for the same Fee Type.

Changing from taxable to Tax Exempt. Before changing, the corresponding tax rule must be removed.

Buttons

Further calculation data (Assessment Rates, Charge Method Apportionment and Element Ranges) can be specified at this level by accessing the relevant forms from the buttons here, and/or can be specified at the FTCI level. Exceptions to this are given opposite.

Schedules for payment, Retention and Encumbrances can be specified at this level by accessing the relevant forms from the buttons here. These schedules at FCFL level will apply only to the selected liability (a single Fee Type in the selected category).

It is recommended that calculation and schedule data only be entered for an individual liability at this level if special circumstances exist.

Payment rank is used by the Subsystem providing an interface with an external Financial System to determine the order in which payment amounts should be applied to a student's Fee Liabilities. It distinguishes between liabilities due on the same date.

When charge method, rule or tax rule have been entered at Fee Type level, an 'FTCI' lamp is displayed alongside the field.

Charge Methods are System defined. They are CRPOINT, EFTSL, FLATRATE and PERUNIT.

Charge Method and Rule should be at the same level.

For Tax Fees, the tax rule includes the Tax Percentage.

Fee calculation and tax rules are currently provided by Callista development staff.

When a fee has a COMSUPPORT System Fee Type or an INSTITUTN Trigger Category:

• The Payment Rank, Charge Method, Rule, and Tax Exempt check box (and tax rule if applicable) cannot be specified at this level - they must be specified at the FTCI level, and
• Calculation data cannot be specified in forms accessed from this form - Assessment Rates, Charge Method Apportionment and Element Ranges must be set up at FTCI level, and
• Schedule data cannot be specified in forms accessed from this form - schedules must be set up at FTCI level.

Calculation and schedule data entered at FTCI level can be seen in query mode if the relevant forms are accessed from this level.

Element ranges are not applicable when the Charge Method is FLATRATE.

Schedules at this level override schedules at the FCCI level for the corresponding Fee Type.

Schedules cannot be defined both at this level (FCFL) and at the FTCI level for the same Fee Type.

Modified.