Parents enrolling children in Dubai’s private schools need to understand how schools can structure application fees, enrolment deposits and other charges. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) regulates private-school fees. It also provides a framework covering deposits and refunds.
Schools can charge an application fee of up to AED 500 for a new student. Current school fees fact sheets indicate that the application fee is AED 500, including assessment. This is different from the annual fee and is not just an extra charge imposed along with it.
Therefore, parents should check the KHDA-approved school fees fact sheets before paying any amount. Once a school offers a place and a parent accepts it, the school may request an enrolment deposit. KHDA’s fee framework limits this deposit to 10% of the annual tuition fee.
The deposit is not meant to become an extra tuition burden, as it is deductible from the first-term fees when the student enrols. Current KHDA fact sheets also identify enrolment fees as non-refundable and deductible from first-term fees.
Looking ahead, tuition is not always the only cost parents face. The fact sheets of school fees at KHDA differentiate between mandatory education expenses and optional services, which may include books, stationery, uniforms, transportation, extra-curricular activities, trips, and other programs.
Parents should check such costs before they calculate the actual cost of sending their children to school. The fee rules come as Dubai has frozen private-school tuition fees for the 2026-27 academic year. KHDA announced the decision on May 22, 2026.
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