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Membership Dues
Wicklow Democratic School is a registered Irish charity (CHY 22018). Because our school does not follow the state curriculum, we are not eligible for any state support. We are therefore entirely self-funded by membership dues.
Membership dues are on a sliding scale, calculated based on household income.
All income from membership dues goes to the running of the school (rent, staff wages, utilities, insurance, materials etc.), as well as expanding the accessibility of the democratic education in Ireland. We aspire to be fully transparent about our charity’s finances and activities. We have endeavoured to make our dues system as fair and accessible as possible while ensuring that the school is financially sustainable.
If affordability is the reason you are not applying for enrolment, please contact us on info@wicklowdemocraticschool.ie
Striving for a balance of fairness and financial sustainability also means we are willing to work with families to find a solution if membership dues are a barrier to enrolment. We know that income is only one factor in a family’s financial situation, and we work with families regardless of whether their income would be considered high, low or anywhere in between.
Sliding Scale based on Income Assessment
Fee calculations based on a sliding scale allows us to achieve the following:
- Fairness: Make it affordable to families of all incomes to send their children to our
school. - Family-friendly: Offer generous sibling rates that make it easier for families to enroll
multiple children in our school, with 50% discount for enrolling a second child and 92% discount for enrolling a third child. - Sustainability: Ensure the financial viability of the school given that we receive no
support outside of membership dues.
Gross Household Income (GHI)
GHI is the total combined income of the household before taxes are deducted. Each family’s membership dues are calculated using their particular GHI figure. GHI excludes children’s allowance and certain other state allowances but includes social welfare payments such as unemployment assistance.
Income Distribution in Our School
In order to ensure that our school has enough funding to stay open, we need to maintain a certain distribution of income in our school community. Accordingly, we offer a certain number of spaces in each income level, and the number of spaces we offer is based on the distribution of GHI in Ireland.
We devised this system to ensure that the student body includes students from across the socioeconomic spectrum in Ireland. Enrolling a certain percentage of families from the higher income brackets means we can keep our fees for lower income families as low as possible and still be financially sustainable. At the same time, these percentages also serve as a limit preventing us from catering only to wealthier families in order to maximise our income.
When you submit your financial information along with your Enrollment Form, we will identify which grant bracket you are eligible for. In the event that all the grants in your income bracket have already been allocated, you can avail of the next grant up until a space becomes available.
Annual Fees
- Annual tuition fees are calculated at 12% of your GHI for one child
- If you enrol a second child, the annual tuition for the sibling will be 6% of your GHI (or
18% total) - For each addition child enrolled after the second child, the annual tuition will be 1% of
your GHI - The minimum fee for one child is an annual tuition fee of €2,400
- The highest fee for one child is €8,000, and high income families have the option to donate to a bursary fund to subsidise tuition for lower income families.
Bursaries
A small number of families may qualify for further subsidies if payment of the minimum membership dues is not possible, and if the school budget allows for such subsidies in the relevant year.
More information about the bursary program is available here.
Documentation regarding income
Before annual membership dues are determined and approved of, families must provide the necessary documentation of their GHI, most likely in the form of a tax return or a social welfare statement. Families can also choose to not disclose income documentation and pay the maximum membership dues.
When are fees payable?
- Fees are payable in advance or in three instalments.
- Payment schedules are issued after submission of enrolment forms.
Contact registrar@wicklowdemocraticschool.ie for further information