Build a multi-year education budget covering tuition, deposits, transport, activities, devices, examinations and transition costs.
Separate recurring and one-off costs.
Tuition may be the largest item, but application charges, registration fees, deposits, capital levies, uniforms, devices and initial transport can make the first year materially more expensive.
Price the complete school week.
Include meals, buses, activities, trips, examinations, tutoring, after-school care and any additional language or learning support.
Build a multi-year view.
Model annual fee increases, exchange-rate exposure, sibling timing, examination years and possible changes in transport or housing. A school should remain affordable beyond the first invoice.
A published tuition figure is not a family education budget.
Ask the school for the current compulsory and optional fee schedule, refund rules and deposit conditions.
Keep contingency capacity.
Reserve funds for a delayed start, unexpected support, a curriculum change or an additional application cycle. Education decisions become harder when the budget has no flexibility.
Planning note: 2026-08-11. Fees and payment terms change. Obtain written current figures from each school and distinguish refundable, non-refundable, compulsory and optional charges.Official reference: EducationUSA study-finance guidance