Skip to content
Mero Vidyalayaमेरो विद्यालय
NewsParentsFees

Private school fees in Nepal: what schools may charge, and what happened to the 3% fee

The government is enforcing the 2015 fee rules for private schools, and the Prime Minister dropped a proposed 3% 'equity fee' in July. Here's what schools are allowed to charge, what the 2083/84 budget gives schools, and what parents can do.

Mero Vidyalaya Team · · 4 min read

The main gate of Singha Durbar, the government secretariat in Kathmandu, with traffic and pedestrians in front
Photo: Gaurav Dhwaj Khadka, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Fees are the first worry for most parents with children in private schools, called institutional schools (संस्थागत विद्यालय) in official records. In 2026 the government told private schools to follow the fee limits set in 2015. It also proposed a new 3% fee on private school fees, then dropped it after a public backlash.

Here's what the rules say, what changed, and what you can do. Facts are as of 24 September 2026; sources are listed at the end.

What private schools are allowed to charge

In early April 2026 the Ministry of Education told private schools to follow the Institutional (Private) School Fee Determination Criteria Directive, 2015, the Kathmandu Post reported. Under that directive:

FeeThe limit
TuitionFor no more than 12 months a year
Admission feeOnce only, and no more than one month's approved tuition
Annual feeNo more than two months' tuition
Exam feeNo more than 50% of monthly tuition
Educational materials10% of monthly tuition, charged once a year

Penalties: a fine of up to Rs25,000 for a first offence, and cancellation of the school's licence for a second. Ministry spokesperson Joint Secretary Shiva Kumar Sapkota said schools must refund fees collected against the rules.

Enforcement is still the weak point. In July the Kathmandu Post reported that a helpline for fee complaints had received more than 5,000 cases, and none had been resolved.

The 3% "education equity fee": proposed, then dropped

  • 29 May 2026: the budget for the fiscal year 2083/84 proposed a 3% "education equity fee" on fees charged by private schools and colleges.
  • June: private school associations and parents objected, Republica reported. One association leader said the fee "effectively punishes parents who choose private education".
  • 21 July 2026: Prime Minister Balendra Shah announced on Facebook that the 3% fee on private education and health services would not be implemented as proposed. He said it "would impose an additional financial burden on the general public".

One loose end: the fee had already been written into the Finance Act. The Kathmandu Post reported on 22 July that Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle would take a proposal to the Cabinet to formally withdraw it, and that the change would need to be published in the Nepal Gazette. We haven't found a report of that formal decision yet.

What this means for you: the Prime Minister has said the fee will not be charged. If your child's school adds a new "3% equity fee" to your bill, ask the school what it is for, and in writing.

Stricter rules for private schools

In July the Cabinet amended the Education Regulations. One change affects private schools directly: the security deposit a private school must lodge with the government rose to Rs1 million for secondary schools and Rs500,000 for basic schools. It was previously between Rs50,000 and Rs200,000.

A new School Education Bill is also being drafted. The previous draft proposed gradually turning private schools into non-profit trusts, and private school leaders oppose that. The new bill hasn't been published yet. Read what we know about it.

What the 2083/84 budget gives schools

Finance Minister Swarnim Wagle presented the budget on 29 May 2026.

  • Rs218.30 billion for education, about Rs7 billion more than the previous year. Minister Pokharel described this as 10.28% of the Rs2.12 trillion budget, for "education and sports" together.
  • Rs151.69 billion for school education, including Rs10.45 billion for school buildings and infrastructure.
  • Rs1.07 billion for smart boards in all community secondary schools.
  • Midday meal: Rs25 per student per day in the former Karnali zone, and Rs20 elsewhere.
  • Rs1 billion to map what community schools need in infrastructure.

A checklist for parents

  1. Ask for the fee structure in writing, with each fee named (admission, annual, exam, materials, tuition).
  2. Compare it with the limits above. For example, the admission fee should be charged only once and be no more than one month's tuition.
  3. Keep every receipt. The ministry says schools must refund fees collected against the rules.
  4. Raise concerns with the school first, then with your municipality's education section. Local governments approve and oversee school fees.
  5. Compare schools before you decide. Browse institutional schools and community schools in Pokhara, and read community vs institutional schools.

Facts as of 24 September 2026. We'll update this page when the Cabinet formally decides on the 3% fee.

Sources

More guides