This is one of the central forms of this subsystem. It is here that fees are defined and linked to the Fee Periods in which they operate. The form is also an access point for other related forms.

The System Fee Type determines the functionality required to correctly administer student fees. Additional buttons can appear (and disappear), depending on the System Fee Type assigned.

Previously, institution-defined HECS Fee Types used the System Fee Type of HECS. This will no longer be displayed in the pick list when trying to create a new Fee Type. The HECS System Fee Type is retained when attempting to query on old Fee Types. When creating a new Fee Type, COMSUPPORT replaces HECS. COMSUPPORT (Commonwealth Supported Students) is available in both query and insert mode.

Calendars

Appropriate active or planned Fee Calendar Instances must be recorded for each Fee Type, together with their relevant Date Alias instances. These are selected from instances already created in the Calendar Subsystem. In selecting a Calendar Instance, keep in mind that when fees are added to a Fee Category in form FINF2800, only fees with a Calendar Instance that matches a Category Calendar Instance can be included in the category.

Fee Calendars are discussed in the section on Fee Periods. Notes about setting up appropriate calendars are found in the Calendars and Date Aliases section of the Specialist Overview.

Levels

The use of levels is also introduced in the Specialist Overview and explained more fully in the section on Levels in Special Topics. In brief, 'attaching' certain fee data at a particular level can vary its effective range. By virtue of recording such data in this form, as opposed to the Maintain Fee Categories form, it has a range we have called Fee Type (FTCI) level in the documentation.

In addition, if the schedule and calculation forms are accessed from this form, data in the accessed forms applies at FTCI level. The complete list of accessible forms for use at this level is given in the previous table, while further information on Calculations and Scheduling is supplied as a part of the Specialist Overview.

FTCI level data applies to students in all the categories to which the fee belongs.

To summarise, four kinds of data are recorded in this form:

• Data which defines a Fee Type - this data applies to the Fee Type in all circumstances (A).
• Data which applies to a Fee Type only for a particular Fee Calendar Instance (B).
• Data which has the range described above if entered at this level (C).
• Data which requires a Service Code associated with a Fee Type Calendar Instance (FTCI).

The description of data fields in the next section is organised to reflect these kinds of use.

Note: A Service Code will only be displayed, and therefore accessed (i.e. for a student in PE-SERVICE), when a System Fee Type is 'OTHER' and a System Fee Trigger Category is 'INSTITUTN'.

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

This form is accessed from the main menu.

The Fee Type block contains:

• Fee Type
• System Fee Type
• System Fee Trigger Category
• Loan Scheme (LOV)
• Management Level
• Fee Cap check box - [VET]
• Optional Payment check box
• Closed check box
• Promotional Discount Avail: check box
• Description:
• Comments:
• Explanation:

  Button

• Fee Type Calendars (overlay to Secondary Block)
• Rate Variations (FINF2130)

The Fee Type Calendar Instance block contains (other than Fee Type block parameters):

• Fee Calendar Type (LOV)
• Start Date
• End Date
• Payment Rank
• Status (LOV)

T-List

• Dates
  • Start Date Alias
  • End Date Alias
  • Retro Date Alias
• Charge
  • Charge Method
  • Rule Number
  • Description
  • Rule Text
• Tax
  • Tax Exempt check box
  • Tax Rule Number
  • Description
  • Rule Text
• Loan Fee
  • Rule Number
  • Description
  • Rule Text
• Service
  • Service Code (LOV)

Buttons

• Revenue Accounts (FINF2110)
• Charge Method Apport (FINF1720)
• Payment Schedule (FINF2860)
• Assessment Rates (FINF2853)
• Retention Schedule (FINF28A0)
• Elements Range (FINF2852)
• Fee Encumbrance (FINF2890)
• Adv Standing Source (FINF2840)
• Fee Ceremony Round (FINF2830)
• Back

Rules/Notes:

Institutions need to create their new rules (similar to Tax rules) to define the Loan Fee Percentage Amount and the applicable Government Course Types. See RULF2001.

Note: As a result of the introduction of FEE-HELP for VET students and to accomodate the Skills Reform changes made by Skills Victoria, the new System Fee Type VET-TUIT was introduced in the second half of 2009 to allow FEE-HELP to be applied to VET Tuition fees, and to record and maintain the various rates and caps available as required by Skills Victoria's Skill Reform.

The Management Level field determines how each Fee Type is to be managed. This indicates to the System how to group individual Fee Assessment Transactions for each student.

The Fee Cap check box only applies to fees with a Management Level of UNIT and a System Fee Type of VET or VET-TUIT. This check box determines whether capping will be processed for the Fee Type. (Note, the Fee Type must belong to a Fee Type Group for capping purposes, see FINF2105 and FINF2120.)

Note: For information about defining cap amounts for VET and VET-TUIT 'Fee Type Groups', see Maintain Fee Type Group Fee Cap (FINF2125) and Maintain Fee Type Group Calendar Instance (FINF2120).

The Promotional Discount Avail: check box indicates whether a fee type can have a promotional discount processed against it during Fee Assessment. The indicator is only available for Fee Types with a System Fee Type of TUITION. Rate Variations, Tax, Retention Schedules and Fee Capping cannot be enabled for Fee Types with a promotional discount available.

The Rate Variations button is only available for TUITION, VET and OTHER System Fee Types when the System Fee Trigger category is not set to INSTITUTN. (The button is not available for VET-TUIT System Fee Types.)

It is strongly recommended that not more than one Fee Type is associated with a VET Student Loan scheme.

Validations include:

• The Fee Management Level cannot be set to ‘UNIT’ when the System Fee Type is ‘ADVSTND’ or ‘GRADUATION’.
• The Fee Management Level cannot be set to ‘COURSE’ or null when the System Fee Type is ‘COMSUPPORT’.
• The System Fee Type cannot be set to ‘HECS’ when inserting a Fee Type record or updating an existing. Fee Type record where the System Fee Type is not HECS.
• The Fee Management Level must be defined when the System Fee Type is COMSUPPORT, TUITION, VET-TUIT or OTHER.
• The Fee Management Level must be set to UNIT if the System Fee Type is VET-TUIT.
• The Fee Trigger Category must be set to either ‘COURSE’, ‘UNIT’ or ‘UNITSET’ when the System Fee Type is ‘COMSUPPORT’.
• The System Fee Trigger Category must be either COURSE OR UNIT when the System Fee Type is VET-TUIT.
• A Loan Scheme can only be defined for Fee Types with a System Fee Type of TUITION, COMSUPPORT, VET-TUIT or OTHER.
• The Fee Management Level cannot be updated if Fee Assessment has already been performed using the Fee Type.
• The Payment Hierarchy Rank must be set when the System Fee Type is ‘COMSUPPORT’. (At FTCI level.)
• The Tax Exempt check box must be set when the System Fee Type is ‘COMSUPPORT’. (At FTCI level.)
• The System Charge Method Type must be set to ‘EFTSL’ when the System Fee Type is ‘COMSUPPORT’. (At FTCI level.)
• Loan Scheme must not be closed.
• The charge method cannot be set to 'FLATRATE' when the fee type has a system fee trigger category value of 'UNIT' or a Management level of 'UNIT'.
• The Management level of the fee type cannot be set to UNIT when the fee type has FTCI records defined with a charge method of FLATRATE.
• The Tax Exempt check box must be checked when the Fee Type has a Loan Scheme defined with a System Loan Scheme Type of 'GOVT'.
• The Tax Exempt check box must be checked for Fee Types with a System Fee Type of VET-TUIT.
• Loan Scheme cannot be set to a scheme of system loan scheme type 'GOVT' while the Tax Exempt check box is unset in any of the 'FTCI' records for the Fee Type.
• When a Fee Type of system type COMSUPPORT has a Loan Scheme defined, the Loan Scheme must have a System Transaction Type of HCSHLPLOAN.
• If a Fee Type with a System Fee Type of VET-TUIT has a Loan Scheme defined, the Loan Scheme must have a System Transaction Type of FEEHLPLOAN.
• Fee Types with a System Fee Type of TUITION cannot have a Loan Scheme defined with a System Transaction Type of HCSHLPLOAN.
• The Management Level must be UNIT when a loan is specified with a system transaction type of HCSHLPLOAN or FEEHLPLOAN.
• If the Loan Scheme of a fee type is mapped to a system transaction type of SAHLPLOAN* then the System Fee Type must be OTHER, the Fee Trigger Category must be INSTITUTN and the Fee Management Level must be COURSE.
• The Fee Cap check box is only available for fees with a a Management Level of UNIT and a System Fee Type of VET or VET-TUIT.
• The Optional Payment checkbox cannot be set for fees with a System Fee Type of VET-TUIT. 
• The Fee Cap check box cannot be updated if fee cap information has been defined for a Fee Type Group to which the Fee Type belongs.
• If the System Fee Type is VET-TUIT then the Charge Method can only be set to CONTACTHRS or PERUNIT.
• If a Fee Assessment exists for the Fee Type, the Fee Cap check box cannot be updated.
• Fees are tax exempt if the Fee Cap indicator is checked.

The T-List item 'Service' is displayed and enabled when the FT.S_FEE_TYPE = ‘OTHER’ AND FT.S_FEE_TRIG_CAT = ‘INSTITUTN’.

The T-List item 'Loan Fee' allows the linking of a Fee Type Calendar Instance to a Loan Fee Rule.

Service T-List allows users to associate a Service Code of Service Type PERSON (set in Maintain Services ENRF01Y0) with a Fee Type Calendar Instance (set in this form).

Validations include:

• Service Codes can only be associated with a FTCI where the System Fee Type = ‘OTHER’ and System Fee Trigger Category = ‘INSTITUTN’.
• The Service Code can only be recorded for the FTCI if it is not closed.
• Only Service Codes where the ‘Fee Assessable’ check box = ‘Y’ can be recorded against the FTCI.
• If rates have been defined for a FTCI that is associated with a Service Code, all the rates must be logically deleted before the association between the FTCI and the Service Code can be modified or removed.
• If a Service Code has been defined, then the System Fee Trigger Category cannot be changed to something other than ‘INSTITUTN’.

*Note: Under proposed amendments to the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA), the Australian Government have proposed that institutions may charge a compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SA Fee), and are proposing to provide a loan scheme for students who wish to defer payment of the SA Fee.
As of December 2009, the amendments have not been passed by the Federal Senate. If the amendments are passed in the future, additional functionality may be provided, as more details are provided by the Australian Government.

A. Use this form to create and maintain the fees used in the Student Finance subsystem.

Enter a Fee Type and Description.

Each fee must be assigned a System Fee Type, used to distinguish fees to be reported to government (COMSUPPORT and reportable TUITION fees) from non-reportable fees (all others).

It must also have a System Fee Trigger Category. This restricts the type of Fee Triggers that can be used to match a Student Course, Unit or Unit Set Attempt to a fee for which students in a particular category are liable. (See the discussion on triggers in the Specialist Overview.)

A Loan Scheme must be nominated if the Fee Type is related to a Loan Scheme. For example, the Higher Education Loans Program (HELP).

The Optional Payment check box, if selected, specifies that a fee is not mandatory. An example of such a fee might be a non-compulsory Student Association fee administered by the institution. Although the fee is still assessed and remains as a debt if not paid, no debt management applies.

Optionally, Comments can be recorded. (To delete Comments, select the text and use the Delete key.)

Optionally, record an Explanation for the Fee Type. Explanations are used to provide information about the Fee Type to users in Callista Connect Fee Inquiry Applications. Explanations should be unique. HTML font tags can be used within the Explanation field.

For a selected Fee Type, use the 'Fee Type Calendars' button to access the secondary block.

If commencing rate variations are to be recorded against the Fee Type, select the Rate Variations navigation button.

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

Rules/Notes:

System Fee Types COMSUPPORT and TUITION are used by the System to distinguish the fees that must be reported to the Australian Government in submissions. Note that non-reportable tuition fees should be recorded with a System Fee Type of OTHER.

A System Fee Type of ‘COMSUPPORT’ administers Fee Assessments for Commonwealth supported students from 2005.

Valid values for the System Fee Trigger Category are COURSE, INSTITUTN, UNIT, COMPOSITE and UNITSET.

When a fee has a COMSUPPORT System Fee Type, the System Fee Trigger Category can only be COURSE or UNITSET. For a TUITION System Fee Type, the System Fee Trigger Category can be anything other than INSTITUTN. For an OTHER System Fee Type, any System Fee Trigger Category can be used. For a GRADUATION System Fee Type, the System Fee Trigger Category must be COURSE.

Once assigned a Calendar Instance, a Fee Type cannot be deleted, but can be closed. Closing a Fee Type does not affect existing Fee Liabilities (Fee Types assigned to Fee Categories) but does prevent its being assigned as a new Fee Liability.

Commencing rate variations are a percentage amount by which fees under a fee contract arrangement can be varied. This rate is set by the institution in FINF2130 (Maintain Fee Charge Percentage Variations). The navigation button will only be enabled if the Fee Type does not have a System Fee Trigger Category of INSTITUTN and it has a System Fee Type of OTHER, TUITION, VET or VET-TUIT.

A status must be recorded for each Calendar Instance selected. This Status field refers to the status of the Fee Type/Calendar Instance combination, as distinct from the status of the Calendar Instance itself, which is set in the Calendar subsystem.

Start Date Alias and End Date Alias Instances must be selected for each Fee Type/Calendar Instance combination. A Retro Date Alias Instance may optionally be selected.

A Revenue Account Code reference to an external Financial system must be selected before a Fee Type/Calendar Instance can be made active.

Called form:

Maintain Fee Type Calendar Instance Accounts (FINF2110).

Rules/Notes:

A Fee Type/Calendar Instance status cannot be changed from ACTIVE to INACTIVE while any Fee Liability is ACTIVE in a 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) disregards Fee Types with a status other than ACTIVE.

A Fee Type/Calendar Instance status cannot be changed to FINALISED unless all related Fee Liabilities (at FCFL level) are finalised. This can only be done when no students liable for the fee in the 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.)

For the Callista Open Finance Interface (COFI), once final information has been sent to an external Financial system for a Fee Type/Calendar Instance, a FINALISED status cannot be reversed.

Start Date, End Date and Retro Date Alias Instances in the list of values are those assigned to the Fee Calendar Instance selected.

Start Date and End Date (and optionally Retro Date) aliases are also selected for a category in the Maintain Fee Categories 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.

When changing a planned Fee Type/Calendar Instance to ACTIVE, first ensure that the Fee Period Instance and Finance Calendar Instance are active (in CALF0220).

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

A Payment Rank must be recorded here or at the FCFL level, but not at both levels for the same Fee Type (but see note opposite about Commonwealth Support Place and INSTITUTN fees). A particular rank value must be unique with regard to any other liability in the same Fee Category, wherever recorded. It follows therefore that when a rank is recorded for a Fee Type at this (FTCI) level, it must be unique with regard to any other Fee Type for the same Calendar Instance.

The Charge Method and Rule (see Calculations) may be selected here, or at the Fee Liability (FCFL) level using the Maintain Fee Categories form, but cannot be selected at both levels for the same Fee Type.

Note the exceptions given opposite.

Fees are taxable unless the Tax Exempt check box is set (checked).

For INSTITUTN fees, the Tax Exempt check box applies at this level, and cannot be overridden. For Commonwealth Support Place fees, which are Tax Exempt, the check box is set automatically. INSTITUTN fees can be taxable (unchecked) or Tax Exempt (checked).

For all other fees, the check box applies at FCFL level. But the check box value in this form, FINF2100 – whether checked or not checked – acts as a default value for corresponding Fee Liabilities (at FCFL level) unless the liabilities are in a Tax Exempt Category (in which case all liabilities must also be Tax Exempt).

For taxable INSTITUTN fees, select the Tax Rule Number here. For other taxable fees the Tax Rule must be selected here or at FCFL level, but cannot be selected at both levels for the same Fee Type.

Changing the check box. Before changing an existing Fee Type from taxable to Tax Exempt, the corresponding Tax Rule must be removed.

Rules/Notes:

Payment Rank is used when interfacing with an external Financial system to determine the order in which payment amounts received through that system should be applied to a Student's Fee Liabilities. It distinguishes between liabilities due on the same date.

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

When a fee has a COMSUPPORT System Fee Type:

• The Charge Method must be EFTSL.
• The fee must be Tax Exempt.

Charge Method and rule should be at the same level.

Callista development staff currently provide the Fee calculation and tax rules.

• For fees with a COMSUPPORT (HECS) System Fee Type, select the 'Student Contribution formula' rule.
• For tax fees, the rule includes the Tax Percentage.

For fees with a COMSUPPORT System Fee Type or fees with an INSTITUTN Trigger Category.

• The Payment Rank, Charge Method, Rule Number, Tax Exempt check box (and tax rule if applicable) must be specified at this level (FTCI).
• Calculation and schedule forms must be accessed from this form (data is thereby entered at FTCI level).

Element ranges (FINF2852) are not applicable to a Commonwealth Support Place fee, or when the Charge Method is FLATRATE.

Retention and Encumbrance schedules are not applicable when payment is optional.

The T-List item 'Loan Fee' allows the linking of a Fee Type Calendar Instance to a Loan Fee Rule.

Buttons

Further calculation data (Assessment Rates, Charge Method Apportionment and Element Ranges) and Payment Schedule, Retention Schedule and Fee Encumbrance, can be specified at this level by accessing the relevant forms from the buttons here.

Called forms:

Calculation data set up at this level precludes its inclusion at the FCFL level.

Schedules can be set up both at this level and at the Fee Category level (through the Maintain Fee Categories form) to operate complementarily.

See the relevant forms for further details:

Calculations:
Define Fee Assessment Rates (FINF2853)
Maintain Charge Method Apportion (FINF1720)
Define Element Ranges (FINF2852)

Schedules:
Define Payment Schedule form (FINF2860)
Define Retention Schedule form (FINF28A0)
Define Fee Encumbrances form (FINF2890)

Rules/Notes:

1617 - VET-SV FEE-HELP (Release 2)

- Removed Fee Cap Calendars button, added new validations, and added info about the VET TUITION System Fee Type.
- Added a note about the Rate Variations button being available for certain Fee Types.