Sahel EDU

Bursar and accountant: the school’s money, from fee collection to payroll

The bursar, or the school accountant, is the person through whom money comes in and goes out: fees, expenses, payroll, bank statements. In Sahel EDU this post corresponds to the bursar profile. This page starts from that day, then shows screen by screen what the software provides, the rights of the profile and what does not depend on it.

A bursar’s day: collecting, checking, justifying

At opening time the bursar counts the cash float, collects fees from families, issues receipts, settles a few suppliers, then closes the cash desk and counts again. At the end of the month come the staff payroll and the justification of expenses; during the term, the chasing of unpaid fees.

A handwritten receipt: a forgotten number, a duplicate, an amount crossed out.
A family’s balance to rebuild from several notebooks.
A cash desk that does not balance in the evening, without knowing why.
Bank deposits whose proof arrives as a photo, to be matched against the statement.
Payroll for teachers paid by the hour, to recount every month.

Collecting: fees by item, numbered receipts, unpaid fees

Fees are defined item by item (application, enrolment, PTA, exam, tuition, uniform…) with their payment schedules. Each payment is split across the items and produces a numbered PDF receipt in three languages, with the amount in words. The means used (cash, bank transfer, cheque or payment by mobile phone) is recorded.

Sahel EDU records the payment; it does not trigger any online payment and sends parents no payment link. Families pay at the cash desk or by deposit; the family then sees its receipt and balance in its own space.

“School fees”: what is due, paid and outstanding, by student and by class, with unpaid fees, reminders and export.
A payment entered by mistake is cancelled with a reason and stays on record. A document is corrected by a credit note, never by editing it.
“Financial document register”: invoices, receipts, credit notes and statements, numbered without gaps, with a Sahel Shield QR Code. No VAT is applied by default.
“Withheld report cards”: the bursar sees the list and collects payment; releasing a report card is for the head of school.

The cash desk, expenses and bank deposits

The day’s cash desk opens with a float and closes with the difference, which is then fixed: in the evening you know whether it balances and by how much it is out. Expenses are entered with their supporting document; a cancelled expense keeps its reason and is never erased. Suppliers’ purchase orders need dual validation.

“Expenses” and “Suppliers”: money going out, with purchase orders; expense entry is kept on the phone when the network drops.
“Separate funds”: the PTA, the exams, each with its own budget and report; the PTA committee reads its fund, with no access to marks or absences.
“Deposits”: the family declares a deposit with a photo of its slip; the bursar checks it, imports the bank statement and reconciles. The deposit becomes a payment split across items, with a receipt.
The “zero cash” option suits schools that take no cash at the counter.

Payroll and accounting entries

In “Payroll” each person’s rate is set (hourly or monthly), hours are calculated from the timetable checked against clock-ins, and the payslip comes out as a PDF; each staff member finds theirs under “My pay”. Contribution rates are settings that the school must have validated, and payroll returns are prepared documents, not online filings.

“Accounts” proposes a SYSCOHADA mapping plan that the accountant checks and validates, then gives the journal of entries, the general ledger, whether the year balances and the gaps to examine between payroll, documents and the cash desk. The file of entries exports to CSV or Excel. The proposed accounts are a starting point: have them checked before any official use.

Rights, limits and where to start

The bursar profile collects payment, cancels a payment with a trace, runs the cash desk, expenses, deposits and payroll, consults the document register and requests credit notes. It cannot grant a discount, award a scholarship (it sees the cost), release a withheld report card or see marks; a credit note above the threshold needs the validation of a second authorised person. Signing in is protected by compulsory two-factor authentication.

To get started: define the fees by item and their schedules, import the payments already received before installation so that balances are right, then open the day’s cash desk. Collecting tuition needs a connection.

Frequently asked questions

Can parents pay online with Sahel EDU?

No. Families pay at the cash desk or by bank or mobile deposit; the school records the payment and the family sees its receipt and balance.

What if a payment was entered by mistake?

It is cancelled with a reason and stays on record, never erased. A document already issued is corrected with a credit note.

Can the bursar grant a family a discount?

No, that belongs to the head of school. The bursar sees the cost of scholarships and discounts, without awarding them.

Are payroll contributions already set up?

No. Contribution rates are settings that the school must have validated, and the returns are prepared, not sent.

Can we try it before committing?

Yes. The free trial lasts 30 days, with no commitment. The price is then negotiated with each school and can be read on the Pricing page.

Try Sahel EDU for free

Try Sahel EDU free for 30 days, no commitment. Afterwards, the price is negotiated with your school and confirmed in writing.

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