Tuition & Fees

Please choose the Annual Schedule of Fees 2020/2021 respectively.

The following components are part of the school fees:

• Application Fee

A one-time Application Fee is payable upon submission of the online application forms. Re-entries and re-applicants are also obliged to pay this fee. Applications will only be processed after receipt of the Application Fee in full. The Application Fee is non-refundable.

• Admission Fee

A one-time Admission Fee is payable by the person(s) assuming liability for the school fees after VIS has confirmed the offer of a place for the student concerned. Re-entries (students who re-enter VIS within two years after withdrawal) must pay half the Admission Fee. If the Admission Fee is not received in full before the expiration of the deadline indicated by VIS, the application for admission will be deemed to have been withdrawn. The Admission Fee is non-refundable and will be charged in full regardless of the date of entry or withdrawal.

• Capital Fee

A one-time Capital Fee is payable after the parent/guardian has accepted a place at VIS and by the date stipulated on the offer. This applies only to the first two children enroling at VIS. Re-entering students do not pay the Capital Fee. The fee is assigned to a fund specifically created to finance capital investments. The Capital Fee is non-refundable and will be charged in full regardless of the date of entry or withdrawal.

• Deposit

A one-time refundable deposit to cover the cost of any loss or damage incurred during the time the student attends the School. The deposit is payable in full for each and every student before attendance commences. The deposit or any residual portion thereof is refundable (without interest) to the parent/guardian (at the time of the student’s withdrawal) by way of a bank-to-bank transfer, provided that the parent/guardian submits a completed online Leaver Clearance Form. A refund, if any, can only be made if the parent/guardian also indicates in writing a bank account. If no appropriate request for a refund is received by VIS within three (3) years from the student’s withdrawal, the parent/guardian will no longer be entitled to a refund. Please note that the deposit will not be refunded in case of withdrawal of re-admission after the given deadline.

• Tuition Fee

Is an annual fee relating to instructional costs, agreed category A and B school trips (ref: Policy 6.600), payable for each student. Full payment of the Tuition Fee is due within four weeks of the date of billing as stated on the invoice. Families may request an installment payment plan (see page 1). The Tuition Fee might vary depending on grade level and time of enrolment or departure, subject to the rules in the 'Legal' section. The calculation of annual tuition fees is determined on the basis of full months, regardless of the number of days that a student actually attends school. The annual fee covers ten months (September – June), therefore the monthly fee calculated is dividing the annual fee in 10 months.

Admittance may be refused until full payment of the due fees.

• Testing and Examination Fees

Students who are re-sitting IB Diploma level examinations will be charged a subject-specific Examination Fee. Testing Fees are invoiced separately when application is made for a student to sit for external examinations (eg. SAT, PSAT). Payment terms are specified on the invoice at the time.

• Learning Support Needs Fees

Fees charged to cover the costs associated with the assessment of learning support needs of a student. Parents/guardians will be informed in writing of these costs prior to an assessment being carried out. Students who require learning support and who are not the children of VBO or Diplomatic Corps parents will be charged an additional fee per semester.

• ESL – English as Second Language

Fees charged for students to cover the costs of ESL tuition. Students who require ESL and who are not the children of VBO or Diplomatic Corps parents will be charged an additional fee per semester.

• Fees for School Trips and Excursions

Fees charged to parents/guardians for the actual costs of school trips and excursions, billed on individual participation basis (see Policy 6.600, categories C and D). The costs will be communicated to a participating student’s parent/guardian at least four weeks in advance of the school trip departure. Any deposit received by the School will not be reimbursed if the student subsequently withdraws from the activity, unless withdrawal is due to certified medical reasons, or if the participation has to be cancelled due to student behaviour.

• Speech therapy, Mother Tongue Language, After School Music, and other Individual Support Services

Parents/Guardians will be invoiced directly by the professionals who provide special services not provided within the curriculum by VIS.

• After School Activity Fee

The School offers a range of after school activities with varying fee structures. For more details please refer to the published schedule of after school activities.

• Payment Method Tuition Fees

Parents/Guardians are encouraged to pay fees in full within four weeks of the date of billing. Alternatively, payments can be made in four equal instalments for Grades Early Learning Centre (ELC) to Grade 11 students and in three instalments for Grade 12 students. The amount of each instalment and the date when each of the instalments is due and payable are stated in the Schedule of Fees attached. Special provisions apply in the case of 4 enrolments during the school year (see 3.I below). In all cases, the total annual fees must be paid in full by 15 March. Payments of instalments must be made either by standing order or by way of direct debit authorization. The School will not accept payments made in cash.

• Electronic Invoicing

Invoices are sent electronically to the e-mail address provided to the School and as recorded in the school database. By providing their email address, parents/guardians consent to the receipt of invoices by e-mail. Parents/Guardians ensure that e-mails from VIS can be received at the e-mail address provided, and that firewalls, spam filters or similar settings are adjusted accordingly. Automatically generated answers (e.g. absence notices) cannot be taken into consideration and do not hinder a valid delivery of an invoice. Parents/Guardians need to immediately inform VIS in writing of any changes regarding the email address provided for invoicing. Deliveries of invoices to the last notified e-mail address shall be valid, if parents/guardians do not meet this obligation of notifying changes regarding their e-mail address. Parents/Guardians may at any time revoke the electronic invoicing in writing by e-mail or letter to the Finance Department. After receiving and processing the written revocation, parents/guardians will receive invoices solely by mail to the last notified address. VIS reserves its right to change at its sole discretion the invoice delivery to postal delivery for good cause.

• Late Payment

In the event of a late payment of any amounts due to VIS from the parent/guardian for more than two (2) weeks, arrears interest at the rate of 1% (one per cent) per month calculated from the day following the due date until receipt of payment by VIS is payable by the parent/guardian. If a late payment continues for more than one (1) month, the Director of VIS at his/her discretion may terminate the schooling contract and dis-enrol the student by way of a notice in writing to the parent/guardian. Such a termination takes effect at the end of the month following the month of the giving of such notice. In all other respects the provisions regarding “Early Departures” apply correspondingly. Legal costs incurred by VIS in the recovery of outstanding fees will be borne by the parent/guardian.

• Conditions which apply to late fee payment

Families with an unpaid balance of fees at the close of the school year will not be allowed to re-enrol their children for the following, or subsequent years, unless and until all fees have been paid for the current school year. The entire amount of school fees for the forthcoming school year must be paid in full BEFORE the student(s) can be considered for re-admission to the School. Re-admission is dependent upon the availability of space within the grade.

If circumstances warrant, fees for the forthcoming school year may be levied in full and in advance of the commencement of the academic year.

The fees for Grade 12 students must either be paid in full at the time of billing or be paid in three (3) instalments: 15 August, 15 October, 15 January. Parents are advised that disenrolment of a Grade 12 student will take place at any time during the school year if school fees are not paid according to the above schedule.

• Continuing Enrolment

The School has a clearly defined set of expectations and values that apply to all members of the school community. These expectations and values are set forth in the school’s written Policy Handbook and Austrian law. If the student or his/her parent/guardian fails to respect these defined rules and values, the School reserves the right to terminate the School Agreement and to refuse the re-admission of a student for the following year. There are limits to the learning support that the School can offer. If it emerges that the School cannot meet a student’s needs, the student may be dis-enroled upon prior consultation with the parents/guardians.

• Enrolments during the School Year

Students are accepted to enter the School at any time during the school year, provided a class vacancy is available, within agreed Admissions Policy (see Policy 7.115). Students who are enroled upon or after the day on which the first of the instalments as stated in the schedule is due and payable are deemed to be mid-year enrolments (unless enrolment were for a later school year). A first instalment is due and payable upon enrolment.

• Early Departures

Parents/Guardians may terminate the schooling contract prematurely before its expiration at the end of the school year by way of a notice in writing to the Admissions Office. The termination takes effect at the end of the second (2nd) calendar month following the month of receipt of the notice by VIS, unless the notice expressly states that the termination takes effect on the last day of a later month. Unless notice is given in writing, fees will continue to be charged and the deposit will not be returned. School fees, calculated pro rata on the basis of complete calendar months, are payable until the termination takes effect. If the termination takes effect at the end of the month of May, school fees are payable until the end of the school year. In the case of early departures, all and any of the school’s outstanding claims against the parent/guardian are due and payable not later than on the school working day preceding the last day of the student’s attendance. Parents/Guardians are entitled to a refund (without interest) of a credit balance of school fees paid in advance, if any, remaining after settlement of any and all outstanding claims. Parents/Guardians are responsible for the payment of all fees.

• Re-Admission

The schooling contract is entered into on an annual basis and expires at the end of each and every school year. For a student’s attendance in the next school year, formal re-admission by the given deadline (mid-February latest) of the current school year is necessary. Parents/Guardians must use the online Re-Admission System. In the event of no reply by the given deadline or withdrawal of confirmed re-admission after the given deadline, a fee equivalent to the amount of the deposit is not refunded.

• Applicable Law

Austrian law applies. The ordinary courts of law in the city of Vienna having territorial jurisdiction over the 22nd District of Vienna shall have non-exclusive jurisdiction over any disputes arising from, or in connection with, the schooling contract to the extent permitted under Austrian law.

• Force Majeure

There is no refund of the Tuition Fee for instructional days lost due to reasons beyond the School’s control. This particularly applies to school closure due to weather conditions, fire, flood, strikes, epidemics, pandemics or other similar events.

• Third Party Payments

Parents/Guardians may declare on the School Application Form that a specific third party will pay the school fees on their behalf. It is, however, the responsibility of the parents/guardians to assure that the third party payments are made according to the school’s payment terms, and parents/guardians are liable for any outstanding balances of school fees including charges for late payments.

• Grade Level Placement

The School reserves the right to determine the grade level placement of a student and is not required to follow wishes of parents/guardians. Grade level placement may not always correspond to that of other schools and other education systems.

• Disciplinary Actions

In response to any student misbehaviour, the School has the right to take legally permissible disciplinary actions against the student including dis-enrolment from the School.

• Variation of Fees and Conditions

VIS expressly reserves the right to amend and to vary Fees and Conditions in respect of subsequent school years. Fees may be increased or decreased on the basis of changes in the costs of operating VIS, such as staff salaries, taxes, charges, social security contributions, the cost of electricity, heating, communications, cleaning, maintenance and repairs of buildings, facilities and equipment and their replacement, as well as on the basis of changes in the contribution of the Republic of Austria and in other revenue, such as rental and interest income, etc., with 7 due regard to provisions and reserves necessary or advisable in accordance with generally accepted accounting standards. A copy of the Annual Schedule of School Fees and of VIS Terms and Conditions for the next school year will be published on the School’s website every year before the end of the month of March. From the day of posting, copies are also available upon request. If VIS sends a copy to the parents/guardians care of his/her last-notified email address, the parents/guardians, in any event, will be deemed to have received such copy.