Dubai Schools: Financial Incentives to Join Early

With increasing competition for students, at least in Dubai, schools in the emirate are beginning to offer "early bird" discounts to attract new students early on in the school's history, before the school's reputation drives student numbers to their registration departments.

Here WhichSchoolAdvisor.com lists the incentives schools new schools are offering. If we have missed your school, please do write to editor@whichschooladvisor.com and we will add you to our list...

1. Foremarke - Founders fees
These apply to students joining the school until September 2016. Current fees range from AED 65000 - 85000. From 2016, fees rise to AED 90,000 to 98000. Still very much in the premium range, but a significant, significant discount to those who will join later.

2. GEMS have various schemes. In existing schools (as well as the new ones), they have a "refer a friend scheme". Upon completion of the registration and attendance of the friend's child, the referrer receives either a 4% discount on their own child's fees or a cash-back payment of the 4%. GEMS parents who pay for fees using the GEMS NBAD credit card, get a discount of up to 4% on the fees.

3. GEMS new schools all have discounted rates and most advise what they are:

- New Millenium Al Khail - there is an unspecified reduction currently.

- GEMS Firstpoint - FS1 to year 8 - KHDA approved fees AED 38,000 to AED 55,000; current year fees AED 30,400 to AED 44,000

- GEMS Metropole - FS1 to year 8 - KHDA approved fees AED 33,000 to AED 44,000; current year fees AED 26,400 - AED 35,200

- GEMS Wellington Al Khail - FS1 to year 9 - approved fees AED 52,000 to AED 85,000; 20% discount for child 3 and 50%
discount for child 4.

4. Nord Anglia - FS1 - year 9 - For families who registered before 1st September 2014, fees range from AED 52,000 to AED 75,000; families who registered
after 1st September will pay AED 60,000 to AED 80,000. Discount of 5% for child 3 and 10% for child 4+

5. Capital School - FS1 - year 6 - 2014 fees - AED 26,000 to AED 37,000. 2015 fees - AED 30,000 to AED 42,000. 5% discount for second child (this could be higher).

6. Safa Community School - FS1 to year 8 - Approved fees - AED 47,000 to AED 65,000; 2014 - AED 38,500 to AED 55,000

7. Ontario Canadian International School – not one but 2 discounts, plus a further (unspecified) one for Canadian students – pre-KG – Grade 6 approved fees AED 40,000 – AED 66,700; special discounted fee for 2014/15/16 – AED 34,500 to AED 60,275. Limited time discount (unspecified which period) AED 30,000 to AED 58,000.

8. Kings – the exception to the rule! Kings Dubai (Umm Suqeim) FS1 to year 6 fees are AED 36,203 to AED 55,096; Kings Al Barsha and Nad Al Sheba AED 50,200 to AED 63,700.