Q. Why do we charge fees in a public education system?
Fees are charged to cover the gap between the cost of programs and services and the funding provided by the province.^
Q. I can’t afford to pay the fees all at once. What options do I have to pay these fees?
The CBE provides parents with flexible payment options, including:
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Online | Fees are available to be paid once registration for services has been received and entered.
MyCBE accepts VISA, MasterCard, or VISA/MasterCard Debit. Payments can be made throughout the year in the amount that best suits your financial situation.
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Cheque | You are encouraged to use
MyCBE to pay all fees. Cheque payments can be made at the school if this is not possible. All cheques must be accompanied by student name and CBE ID number as well as fee details.
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Q. How can I register for lunch supervision or bus transportation?
Parents/guardians have the option to register online for lunch supervision and yellow school bus transportation for regular or alternative programs. Online registration using
MyCBE is the simplest and most convenient way to register for lunch supervision and transportation services.^
Q. When do I need to pay my fees?
Fees are due starting in September. Payment of school fees can be made online using your
MyCBE account after fees have been assigned.
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Q. What happens if I cannot afford the fees?
No child is ever denied access to an education in the CBE because of an inability to pay. There are several ways to be considered eligible for a waiver. More details regarding waivers can be found at
https://cbe.ab.ca/registration/fees-and-waivers/Pages/Waivers.aspx
Applications can be made online at
MyCBE.
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Q. I applied for a waiver but I still see fees on my account. Why is this?
We have a backlog for waiver applications. While we are processing waiver applications, your children are welcome to keep taking the bus and staying in school for lunch. You will receive an email notification once your waiver has been processed. If you do not have a valid email address on file, a letter will be sent via Canada Post. In the meantime, please do not pay the outstanding fees unless your waiver has been denied. Thank you for your patience and understanding.
If you'd like to check the status of your waiver online, login to your
MyCBE account, select Student Fees & Service Registrations and click on the Paid tab. You will see the adjusted amount once the waiver has been processed.^
Q. Why do I still have outstanding fees showing on my account if my waiver was approved?
The approved waiver covers Central fees only (student supplies fee, lunch supervision, music instrument rental and transportation). All other fees are school generated fees and should be discussed with your school.^
Q. I have outstanding fees from a previous school year but don’t see them online. Where do I find this information and how do I pay my outstanding years’ fees?
Historical data was not imported into our new fee system. Please contact the school your student attended at the time of the fees as they will have a record of what is outstanding and instruct you on how to pay them.^
Q. Does the CBE use collection agencies?
If CBE efforts to collect fees fail, our last resort is sending the account to a collection agency. If you use a CBE program or service, our policy is to charge you for that program or service. If you cannot afford the fees, there are several ways that the fees can be waived. Fees are only sent to collection if families have not declared a financial hardship for services they use and after every reasonable attempt has been made to settle the amount owing. No outstanding balances are sent to collections until after at least 2 invoices are sent and 180 days have elapsed. Our policies require us to work to collect fees owing from any source. Again, no child is ever denied access to CBE programs or services because of an inability to pay.^
Q. I have outstanding lunch supervision and/or transportation fees that have now gone to collections. How do I pay for them?
The best way is to pay through the collection agency. You should have received a letter or phone call from them with information on how to pay
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Q. What if I received a collection notice in error?
If there has been an error, please contact our Finance Department immediately at
studentfees@cbe.ab.ca. We will work with you to correct the error as soon as possible.
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Q. My outstanding fees were sent to collections in error. How do I correct this?
If you did not receive any communications from the CBE about your outstanding fees, it could mean the address on record is incorrect. Please update your address and contact information at the school to ensure you receive future notices.
If you already paid in full, please contact
studentfees@cbe.ab.ca with all of the payment information and explanation and the team will investigate the payment status.
If you have a waiver, email
studentfees@cbe.ab.ca with your information and we will investigate this.
Q. Why can’t I find previous payment information on the new system?
Historical information was not imported into the new system. If you did not save your payment history contact
studentfees@cbe.ab.ca with the specific record you require a copy of. Please note that there was a notification posted on our website to warn parents that this was happening and to save any receipts before the transition if they so desired.^
Q. Why am I being charged for lunch supervision or transportation when I did not register for these services?
If your student is using these services, per the terms and conditions of the program, you will be charged for it.
Please be advised that if you use the services but do not sign the registration form, you will be deemed to have accepted this registration by your conduct and will be charged the full amount of the applicable fee. Unpaid fees may be referred to collections by the CBE without further notice.
It is not mandatory for your student to stay at school during the lunch hour; however, if the student stays on school grounds during the lunch hour, they are deemed to be a part of the lunch supervision program.
If they leave school grounds, the office must be made aware of this decision, and your student must be signed out at the office every day and signed back in.^
Q. I already paid for transportation. Why am I seeing charges for lunch supervision?
These are separate services and both have a fee. The lunch supervision charge must also be paid.^
Q. I have a split household and we have payment arrangements. How do I receive an updated invoice to reflect this?
We are not able to change the billing information on the invoice, as it pulls the information directly from our student information system. All financial arrangements (legal or otherwise) is the responsibility of the family to manage.^
Q. I need an income tax receipt. Where do I get one?
Parents/Guardians are able to download their own tax receipts online through their MyCBE account for lunch supervision fees (child care).
If you are unable to retrieve the receipts you are looking for, please contact student fees
studentfees@cbe.ab.ca and make a request. Please include your student’s name, school, ID number and requesting school year.
Note:
- We are not able to change the information on the income tax receipt.
- If you need to split the amount to be claimed between another party, please make the arrangements amongst yourselves.
- We only have records going back for the past 7 years. Anything older we are unable to pull.^
Q. Why are you charging the student supply fee?
The CBE believes every student should have the basic tools they need to learn from the first day of school. As CBE adjusts it processes to align with the new Assurance and Funding Framework, grant funding from the province needs to be directed to programming. Starting with the 2020-21 school year, to support student learning, CBE charges a school supplies fee for students in kindergarten to Grade 9. The CBE will use its purchasing power to buy items like pens, pencils, and erasers at a reasonable cost and provide supplies to students instead of families purchasing them individually.^
Q. Doesn’t the
Education Act prohibit the charging for supplies?
The
School Fees Regulation states that “a board shall not charge any fees for textbooks, workbooks or photocopying, printing or paper supplies.” The student supply fee will not be used to purchase or supplement these types of items.^
Q. Can my school still ask me to bring supplies even though I am charged this fee?
Yes, the school may ask for other materials to be brought so long as they are not the items identified as provided through the student supplies fee. Items covered by the fee include: crayons, pencil sharpeners, pencils, erasers, markers, notebooks, duotangs, binders, binder dividers, looseleaf paper, pencil cases, kleenex, highlighters, ziplock bags (Lrg) and pencil crayons.^
Q. Why doesn’t my bank debit card (interact online) work for online payments?
Please be advised that Interac has terminated their online debit card transaction service as of Fall 2024.
The CBE continues to accept VISA/MasterCard Debit and regular credit cards as forms of payment on MyCBE.
Alternatively, CBE schools accept all payment methods.^
Q. My child has been required to isolate, will I be refunded for the days they needed to stay home?
No. Refunds are only offered for days the CBE is not able to provide transportation or lunch supervision services due to provincial direction to move to at-home learning.
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