What subsidised private schools (concertadas) really charge

Terms used

• Concertada — A concertada is a privately run school that receives public funding, so teaching is free in its funded stages.
• Cuota — The cuota is the regular payment a school asks families to make, which should cover only authorised services and extras.
• Comedor — The comedor is the school lunch service.
• AMPA — The AMPA is the school's parents' association.
• Consejo escolar — The consejo escolar is the school council, which includes parents, teachers and management.
• Inspección Educativa — The Inspección Educativa is the regional education inspection service that oversees schools.

Key rules

• Free teaching: In funded stages, a concertada cannot charge for teaching or for activities that are part of the curriculum.
• True monthly cost: Your real cost is the authorised cuota for services plus extras you choose.
• Voluntary payments: A concertada cannot make admission or re-enrolment depend on a voluntary contribution, or treat your child differently if you do not pay it.
• Authorisation: Service charges must be authorised by the regional education administration, so ask for proof.

What you really pay

Your true monthly cost is the cuota for authorised complementary services, plus any extras you choose. Nothing else is owed. In the funded stages, teaching itself is free, so a concertada cannot charge tuition or charge for activities that are part of the curriculum.

What a concertada can charge for

A school can charge for services and optional extras, as long as the regional education administration has authorised the charges:

• School lunch (comedor).
• School transport.
• Extended hours, such as early drop-off or after-school care.
• Extracurricular activities and optional extras.

Ask for a written list of every monthly charge. Each line should say what it pays for. Add up the authorised cuota and only the extras you actually want. That total is your real monthly cost.

Voluntary contributions

Schools often ask for a "donation" or "activities fee". A voluntary contribution must be genuinely voluntary. It cannot pay for teaching. If the school describes it as a cuota everyone pays, ask what it covers. If it covers curriculum activities or teaching, you can challenge it.

A concertada cannot make admission or re-enrolment depend on a voluntary contribution, or treat your child differently if you do not pay it. That includes AMPA membership. Your child cannot be excluded from classes, activities or services that are part of the funded teaching because you did not pay.

If you are pressured

Complain in this order:

1. The school director and the school council (consejo escolar).
2. The regional education inspection (Inspección Educativa) and the regional education department.
3. The Defensor del Pueblo, or its regional equivalent, which can also receive complaints.

Put your complaint in writing and keep a copy.

How much to expect

Amounts vary widely by region and by school. In Madrid, cuotas often range from nothing or a small voluntary amount up to a few hundred euros, and they are higher in central or religious schools. Cataluña and País Vasco tend to be lower, and in Cataluña the Generalitat regulates the cuota. Many Andalucía concertadas charge small amounts. Compare the school's total with other concertadas nearby.

Stages without funding

These protections apply to the funded stages. Some stages, such as certain infantil 0-3 years or Bachillerato, may not be funded, and there the school can charge differently. Ask the school which stages are funded before you compare costs.

The checklist below gives the questions to ask the school.

Checklist

• Ask the school for a written list of every monthly charge, split into the cuota for authorised complementary services (comedor, transport, extended hours) and extras.

• Ask which charges are for activities that are part of the curriculum, and challenge any charge for them: funded teaching must be free.

• Ask whether the regional education administration has authorised each service charge, and request proof.

• Check whether any 'donation' or 'activities fee' is described as voluntary, and ask what it pays for. It cannot pay for teaching.

• Add up the authorised cuota and the extras you actually want to get the true monthly cost, leaving out the optional ones.

• Compare the total with what other concertadas in your region charge, and ask the regional education department for the current typical figure.

• If you are pressured over a voluntary payment, complain first to the school director and school council (consejo escolar), then to the regional education inspection (Inspección Educativa).

What to watch out for

• Voluntary payments tied to your place: A school may hint that admission or re-enrolment depends on a donation, a 'cuota' described as a donation, or joining the parents' association (AMPA). In funded stages this is not allowed. Ask for the request in writing, do not pay under pressure, and complain to the school council and then the regional education inspection (Inspección Educativa).

• A 'donation' that is really a fee: Some schools present a regular monthly amount as a donation or activities fee, so it looks compulsory. Funded teaching cannot be charged for, so it cannot be paid for this way. Ask what the amount covers and whether the education administration has authorised it. Pay only for services and extras you chose.

• Unfunded stages work differently: Stages without public funding, such as some nursery (0-3) years or Bachillerato, can carry normal fees. Ask whether your child's stage is funded before comparing costs.

Quick answers about concertada and private school fees and discounts

What happens if I do not pay the voluntary contribution?

Your child cannot be treated differently at a concertada because you did not pay a voluntary contribution. That includes being left out of classes, activities or services that are part of the funded teaching.

How many months do private schools bill fees over?

Most private and concertada schools bill tuition over 10 months (September to June) or 11 months. Some spread the yearly total over 12 months, often including July, to make payments smaller. Comedor (school lunch) and extras usually appear on the same monthly receipt, paid by direct debit, and your enrolment contract sets the pattern.

Can I get my reservation fee back if my child does not take the place?

Usually not, because the reservation fee (reserva de plaza) is commonly non-refundable if you do not take the place. A refund is more likely if the school cannot provide the place or your contract lets you withdraw by a set deadline. An abusive clause can be challenged under consumer law, so read the withdrawal clause before you pay.