What is the difference between a concession, a discount and a waiver?

Schools use the words loosely. A concession usually means a standing reduction for a category of student, a discount a reduction for something like early payment, and a waiver a one-off write-off of dues. Whatever you call them, record each with a reason and an approver.

Can a school give concessions to some students and not others?

Schools do, under written criteria. Publish the criteria and apply them the same way every time. Your state's fee rules may limit what a school can do, so check them.

Does ProEMS support fee concessions?

Yes. Concessions and discounts are part of fee set-up on the Gold plan. A concession is a percentage off the Tuition Fee head. The Platinum advanced reports include a concession detail report.

Glossary

Fee concession

A fee concession is a reduction in the fees a school charges a particular student, such as a sibling, staff-ward or merit discount, approved and recorded by the school.

Last reviewed 21 October 2026
3 sources, each dated
By the ProEMS team

Also called: Fee waiver, Fee discount
Decided by: The school, under its own written policy. The RTE Act's free seats are the exception.
Common types: Sibling, staff ward, merit or scholarship, and financial hardship.
Required by law: For Class I entry, unaided and specified-category schools must admit at least 25% from weaker and disadvantaged groups and educate them free.^[1]
Recorded as: A reduction on the student's fee heads, with a reason, an approver and a date.
Limit: Where fees are regulated, as in Delhi, a concession can't be recovered by collecting more than the approved fee.^[2]

What kinds of fee concession do schools give?

School concessions usually fall into four kinds: a sibling concession, a staff-ward concession, a merit or scholarship concession, and a financial-hardship concession. Each is set as a percentage of a fee or a fixed amount, and may apply to the whole fee or only to heads such as tuition. Apart from the RTE seats below, we found no national rule that lists the types, so each school writes its own policy.

Do any rules require a school to give fee concessions?

Yes, in one case. The RTE Act requires unaided and specified-category schools to admit at least 25% of their Class I strength from children of the weaker section and disadvantaged group in the neighbourhood, and to give them free elementary education (section 12(1)(c)).^[1] The Act defines a disadvantaged group to include SC, ST and socially and educationally backward children, and a weaker section by annual income below a limit the government notifies (section 2(d) and (e)). An unaided school that admits these children is reimbursed the lesser of the State's per-child expenditure and the amount it actually charges (section 12(2)).^[1] State rules fix the income limit and the process, so check yours.

Don't trade concessions for donations. The Act bans capitation fees, meaning any donation, contribution or payment other than the fee the school has notified (sections 2(b) and 13).^[1]

How should a school approve and record a concession?

Write the policy down first: the categories, the percentage or amount, which fee heads it covers and who can approve it. Then record each concession against the student's fees, not as a quiet discount at the counter. A usable record holds the student and admission number, the type, the amount or percentage, the heads it covers, the approver, the date, the proof seen and the session it is valid for. Review concessions every session, and keep income proofs under restricted access.

A concession lowers what one student owes. It doesn't change the fee schedule. In Delhi, the 2025 Act defines fee as “any amount, by whatever name called, collected directly or indirectly” and bars collecting more than the fee fixed or approved, so a concession can't be offset through another head.^[2] The Act is under challenge in the Delhi High Court, which in February 2026 let schools collect the previous year's fee for 2026-27 until their fee is fixed under the Act.^[3] For dues and reminders, see our fee collection guide.

How does ProEMS record fee concessions?

On the Gold plan, ProEMS fee set-up includes concessions and discounts alongside heads and late fines, so they reduce what is due. A concession is set as a percentage off the Tuition Fee head, and other heads aren't reduced by it. If staff change a bill's tuition rate by hand, the concession isn't applied on top. The Platinum advanced reports add a concession detail report. Ask in the demo how a concession is applied to a student and how it shows on the receipt.

Sources

Every fact on this page about rules, prices or other products comes from one of these. We read each one on the date shown and will update this page when they change.

Government of India (Gazette copy hosted by the Delhi Directorate of Education). The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (No. 35 of 2009) (edudel.nic.in). 2009. Read 21 October 2026.A scanned copy of the Act as first enacted, without later amendments. The Act covers children aged 6 to 14.
Government of NCT of Delhi (copy hosted by the Directorate of Education). The Delhi School Education (Transparency in Fixation and Regulation of Fees) Act, 2025 (Delhi Act 4 of 2025) (edudel.nic.in). Passed 8 August 2025; in force from 10 December 2025. Read 21 October 2026.Applies to private unaided schools in Delhi. Private schools have challenged it in the Delhi High Court. Other states have their own laws.
High Court of Delhi. Judgment on stay applications in W.P.(C) 122/2026 and connected petitions (Delhi School Education (Removal of Difficulties) Order, 2026) (delhihighcourt.nic.in). 28 February 2026. Read 21 October 2026.An interim ruling. The challenge to the Act itself was left for the final hearing.

FAQ

Questions about Fee concession

Short answers. The sections above have the detail and the sources.

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What is the difference between a concession, a discount and a waiver?: Schools use the words loosely. A concession usually means a standing reduction for a category of student, a discount a reduction for something like early payment, and a waiver a one-off write-off of dues. Whatever you call them, record each with a reason and an approver.
Can a school give concessions to some students and not others?: Schools do, under written criteria. Publish the criteria and apply them the same way every time. Your state's fee rules may limit what a school can do, so check them.
Does ProEMS support fee concessions?: Yes. Concessions and discounts are part of fee set-up on the Gold plan. A concession is a percentage off the Tuition Fee head. The Platinum advanced reports include a concession detail report.

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