Private schools in Abu Dhabi cannot raise tuition fees by more than 15% even in exceptional cases and must meet a set of conditions before seeking approval for the extraordinary increase. These rules are part of the new education policy recently issued by the Department of Education and Knowledge – Abu Dhabi (ADEK). ADEK has set the cap for exceptional tuition fee increases based on Abu Dhabi’s Education Cost Index. Conditions for approval To qualify, schools must demonstrate financial losses over the past two years and provide audited financial statements for this period. Additionally, they must have been in operation for at least three years, hold a valid licence, and maintain an occupancy rate of at least 80 per cent. If approved, schools are limited to one exceptional fee increase per academic year. The Department emphasised its right to reject any request for fee increases, underscoring that tuition fees should be collected in at least three instalments – going up to 10 instalments – throughout the academic year. Registration fees According to the new policy, schools may collect the first instalment a month before the start of the academic year. The policy also authorises schools to charge a registration fee […]