Closing the term is where weak fee records show up. Payments that were never matched, balances that do not agree with receipts, and parents who say they have paid all land on the bursar at once.
Use this checklist in the last two weeks of term. It works with paper, Excel or software.
Two weeks before term ends
- Match every payment. Go through the M-Pesa, bank and cash records and match each one to a learner. Keep a short list of anything you cannot match.
- Chase the unmatched. Call or message the parents behind each unmatched payment. A reference number or admission number is usually all you need.
- Check receipts. Every payment should have a receipt. Receipts should add up to the money banked.
- Update balances. Recalculate each learner's balance after the last payments are in.
In the last week
- List arrears by class. Put the largest balances first. Separate this term's balances from older ones, because they need different conversations.
- Send fee statements. Give every parent a statement showing charges, payments and the balance. It settles most "we already paid" questions before they start.
- Agree payment plans. For parents who cannot clear in one go, write down the amounts and dates. A plan on paper is easier to follow up than a promise.
- Prepare the next term's fee structure. Check it against what was approved and note any changes parents need to hear about early.
On closing day
- Reconcile one final time. Compare total expected, total collected and total owed. The three numbers must agree.
- Report to the head teacher. Fees collected against expected, balances by class, the biggest arrears and unmatched items.
- Back up the records. Copy the files, or confirm your system's backup, before anyone starts editing for the next term.
- Note what slowed you down. Write down the three things that took longest. That is next term's improvement list.
Make the next close shorter
Closing is slow when work is left to the end. Match payments as they arrive, send reminders on a schedule, and give parents a way to see their own balance. Our fee collection health check scores these habits and shows which to fix first.
For the full method, read how to reduce school fee arrears with M-Pesa tracking and M-Pesa fee reconciliation for Kenyan schools.
Frequently asked questions
What should a bursar do at the end of term?
Reconcile every payment, clear unmatched receipts, list balances by class, send statements to parents and prepare a summary for the head teacher. Then back up the records before the next term starts.
How do I reconcile M-Pesa school fee payments?
Match each M-Pesa statement line to a learner using the admission number in the account reference. Anything without a reference goes on an unmatched list that you follow up with the parent.
How long should closing the term take?
It depends on how much is still done by hand. When payments are matched as they arrive, closing is mostly checking and reporting. When everything is matched at the end, it can take days.
What reports should the head teacher receive from the bursar?
Fees collected against expected, balances by class, the largest arrears and any unmatched payments. Add a short note on actions agreed with parents.