International School Fees Explained: Tuition, Capital Levy, Debentures, Deposits and Sibling Discounts

Quick Answer: An international school fee schedule has up to a dozen lines beyond tuition: application and enrolment fees, a capital levy or building fund, sometimes a debenture or nomination right, a deposit, EAL, exams, bus and lunch. Most are non-refundable; the deposit and some debentures are the exceptions. Here is what each one means, with 2026/27 examples from Singapore, Hong Kong and Bangkok.

An international school fee schedule is rarely one number. Tuition is the biggest line, but a family joining a school in Singapore, Hong Kong or Bangkok in 2026/27 will also meet application and enrolment fees, a capital levy, sometimes a debenture or nomination right, a deposit, and annual extras from EAL to exams. Together these add S$5,000 to S$15,000 in one-off charges in Singapore and HK$38,000 to HK$500,000 in Hong Kong. This guide explains every line, says which ones come back, and gives 2026/27 figures from the schools' own fee pages. For city tables see our Singapore fees guide and Bangkok fees guide, and browse schools on our Singapore and Hong Kong pages.

What are the one-off fees before your child starts?

Three charges come before the first tuition invoice. The application fee pays for admissions processing and any assessment; it is never refunded and never guarantees a place. It runs from S$288 at XCL World Academy to S$1,500 at Dulwich College (Singapore), HK$2,800 at ESF schools and THB 4,000 at Bangkok Patana (THB 5,500 from 1 August 2026), with Kellett folding its assessment into a HK$2,500 fee from Year 5.

The enrolment fee (also called confirmation, registration, placement or entrance fee) is paid to accept an offer and is the school's protection against no-shows. Singapore schools charge S$3,815 (SJI International) to S$6,355 (XCL). Bangkok's are far larger: THB 250,000 for a first child at Patana, THB 260,000 at ISB and THB 225,000 at Harrow Bangkok and Shrewsbury. All are non-refundable, with one narrow exception: ISB returns its registration fee if a new student withdraws within the first 20 days.

The deposit is the line that should come back. SJI International holds S$6,000, Patana THB 50,000, Harrow Bangkok THB 200,000 and Shrewsbury THB 225,000, each refunded on leaving with the required notice, less anything owed. ESF's is two months' fees, credited against the first and last months instead.

What is a capital levy, and is it the same as a debenture?

A capital levy funds buildings and major equipment. Hong Kong's Education Bureau regulates it as one of the "Other Charges" private schools may collect, alongside debentures and nomination rights. It comes in two shapes. One-off: S$4,500 at Tanglin Trust and Dulwich, S$8,320 at Stamford American, S$4,300 at CIS, and at ESF a sliding scale from HK$38,000 for Year 1 entry to HK$3,800 for Year 13. Annual: UWCSEA charges a development levy of S$9,537 in the first year and S$5,166 after, GESS S$6,130 in year one then half, Nexus S$2,000, Patana THB 30,000, Kellett HK$40,000 and CDNIS HK$43,000. ESF's FAQ states the levy is not an asset of the payer and is not refundable, redeemable or transferable, which is the standard position everywhere.

A debenture is a Hong Kong speciality: a large sum that buys admission priority for a named child and exempts the family from the annual capital levy. Kellett and CDNIS require every student to be covered by one or the other. An individual debenture covers one child; a corporate debenture is bought by an employer and reassigned as staff come and go. Kellett prices its corporate debenture at HK$1,000,000, its Foundation debenture at HK$10,000,000 and a three-child Golden Jubilee debenture at HK$20,000,000. CDNIS issues no new debentures; existing ones change hands through the school at an indicative HK$2,800,000 (May 2026). ESF kindergartens sell a redeemable Class A debenture at HK$500,000, refunded within 30 days of the child leaving.

Nomination rights are the non-refundable cousin. ESF's Individual Nomination Right costs HK$500,000, of which only the HK$50,000 application deposit is returned if the child fails the assessment; it lifts the child to fifth priority, behind corporate nominees, staff children and siblings.

What annual extras sit on top of tuition?

Fee line	What it is	Typical 2026/27 range	Refundable?
Application fee	Processing and assessment	S$288 to S$1,500; HK$2,000 to HK$2,800; THB 4,000 to 5,500	No
Enrolment / registration fee	Accepting the offer	S$3,815 to S$6,355; HK$12,500 (CDNIS); THB 225,000 to 260,000	No (ISB: within 20 days only)
Deposit	Security against unpaid fees	S$6,000; HK$80,000 (CDNIS); THB 50,000 to 225,000	Yes, with notice
Capital levy, one-off	Buildings fund on entry	S$4,300 to S$8,320; HK$3,800 to HK$38,000	No
Capital levy, annual	Buildings fund each year	S$2,000 to S$9,537; HK$40,000 to HK$43,000; THB 30,000	No
Debenture	Priority admission, levy exemption	HK$500,000 to HK$20,000,000	Some; check terms
Nomination right	Fast-track priority	HK$500,000 (ESF)	No
EAL / ESL	English support	S$3,000 to S$7,450 per semester; THB 105,000 a year	No
Exam fees	IGCSE, A Level, IB entries	S$1,000 to S$2,500; THB 35,000 to 65,000	No
Bus	Contracted transport	S$670 to S$2,687 per term (UWCSEA)	Partly, by provider

EAL is mandatory once a school's assessment says a child needs it: Stamford charges S$9,100 or S$14,900 a year by level, Nexus S$3,000 to S$6,000 a semester, Patana THB 105,000 a year for Years 1 to 9. Technology is either a fee (Stamford S$1,020 to S$1,270 a year) or a bring-your-own-laptop rule (Dulwich from Year 7, UWCSEA from Grade 6). Exam fees are billed separately at most schools: UWCSEA S$1,200 to S$1,800, Tanglin S$1,000 to S$2,500, SJI International S$238 per IB subject; Kellett and CDNIS build them into tuition. Bus, lunch and uniform are invoiced by providers: UWCSEA's bus runs S$670.34 to S$2,686.97 a term, its canteen S$4 to S$8 a day.

How and when do you pay?

Singapore's British and IB schools bill three equal terms, a term ahead: Tanglin asks new families for two terms before admission and Dulwich bills Term 1 from 8 May 2026 with 14 days to pay. Bangkok schools weight the terms to the front (Patana's Year 1 fee of THB 749,000 splits THB 329,000, 229,000 and 191,000). ESF collects over ten monthly direct debits; American-curriculum schools bill two semesters. Paying the year up front earns 1.5% at Harrow Bangkok and 2% at Prem in Chiang Mai.

Which discounts and refunds can you actually get?

Sibling discounts mostly start at the third child: Dulwich 5% off tuition for families with three or more enrolled, SJI International 15% for the third and 25% for the fourth, Patana and Harrow Bangkok 5%, 10% and 15% for the third, fourth and fifth, AIS 50% off enrolment and facility fees for a third child and 100% from the fourth. CIS charges S$4,500 confirmation for a second child and nothing from the third. Corporate discounts are negotiated, not published; ask your employer's mobility team. Refunds follow the student contract and a withdrawal deadline, usually a full term ahead: miss it and the next term's fees are due.