Student Fees and Charges

A Consistent Approach to Fees

PSD does not charge fees for required academic programming. Fees may be associated with optional activities such as athletics, clubs, school-sponsored trips, and events, which help offset program costs.

To ensure fairness and transparency, the Board of Education has approved a districtwide fee framework that must be followed by all schools. This framework:

Defines the types of fees schools may charge
Sets maximum limits for those fees
Requires that all school fees are listed in the individual school websites and comply with the same standards, regardless of school

We encourage you to review the Fee Schedule Framework. Because every PSD school now follows the same fee categories and the same maximum limits, reviewing it will help you know what to expect for your student.

You can see in advance what an activity may cost, understand what each fee helps pay for, and know when a fee waiver is available, no matter which school your student attends. The framework also caps how much any school can charge for a given activity, giving families more predictability and making it easier to plan and budget ahead.

How to Pay Fees

PSD strongly encourages families to pay all fees online through the District’s secure online payment system, SchoolPay. Online payment, which has long been available to PSD families, helps ensure accuracy and security, provides faster confirmation, and reduces administrative work at schools so staff can focus on supporting students.

To encourage its use, beginning in the 2026–27 school year we have eliminated the transaction and convenience fees that previously applied to online school-related payments. A few things to keep in mind:

There is no longer a transaction or convenience fee for online student fee payments.* Payments can be made through SchoolPay with credit card and debit card.
Please do not send cash or checks to school with your student. In most cases, school offices are no longer able to accept cash or check payments on-site.

We understand that paying online is not the right fit for every family. If you need to pay by cash or check, please do so in person at the Support Services Center, 2407 LaPorte Ave., 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

We are also preparing to move to a new online payment provider in January 2027, which will make paying online easier and more convenient for families.

*For Child Nutrition transactions only, a $1 transaction fee is applied to partially offset the credit card processing fee.

Qualifying Students May Apply to Have Fees/Charges Waived

To ensure cost does not prevent participation, PSD offers:

Centralized, private, and respectful handling of fee waiver information.
Income-based fee waivers for students approved to receive Free or Reduced-Price Meals (FRPM) when accompanied by a Permission to Share form.
Automatic waiver eligibility for students identified under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act, with no additional paperwork required.

Please note: Schools do not make decisions about fee waiver eligibility. All fee waiver determinations are made through a centralized District process to ensure consistency, confidentiality, and fairness. If you have questions about fee waivers or would like support with the process, please contact info@psdschools.org rather than the school.

Note: You must submit the waiver form each school year to have fees and charges waived for that school year.

To have eligible fees/charges waived, you must:

1. Be approved to receive free or reduced-priced meals for the current school year. See federal income and eligibility requirements and apply online on the Free and Reduced Lunch web page.

2. Complete the Permission to Share Information for Fee/Charge Waivers form for the current school year, which gives PSD’s Child Nutrition Department permission to share your child’s eligibility status with other district officials. These officials must also maintain confidentiality of your child’s eligibility status.

You may complete the Permission to Share form at your child's school or by accessing your child’s account on-line via ParentVue. Contact your child’s school if you need assistance or need a new activation code to access the account.

After you submit the form and your child is approved, SchoolPay will automatically update fees/charges that are eligible for a waiver, displaying as $0.00 balance due once you proceed to checkout in SchoolPay. You still need to follow through with the checkout process in SchoolPay for your child to receive the item(s) or to participate in the activity.

This form must be submitted each school year to have fees and charges waived for that school year.

Your child’s eligibility for free or reduced-price meals will not be affected if you choose not to submit the Permission to Share form.

Fee/Charge Waivers

If you qualify, complete the Permission to Share form in ParentVue to have fee/charge waivers applied to your student's account.

Free & Reduced Lunch Eligibility

See income and eligibility requirements on the Free and Reduced Lunch program web page.