How to save thousands on your school fees in the UAE
There are options available such as paying annual fees upfront (as opposed to by term) to earn a possible discount, looking for interest-free school loans or taking out a credit card that lets you earn cashback on school fees.
'It's no surprise many families are looking for ways to soften the blow, and cashback credit cards seem like an obvious solution,' says Mike Coady, CEO of Skybound Wealth Management. 'There is opportunity here, but only if you understand the rules of the game.'
The catch
There are many credit cards available that offer cashback on spending. But you need to make sure your credit card explicitly includes education payments in its cashback categories, or you may be disappointed when that generous reward fails to land.
'Not all credit cards treat school fee payments equally. Some banks classify them under education, others under government services or quasi-cash transactions, which may be excluded from cashback altogether. So read the fine print,' says Coady, who is also a financial adviser. 'Too many people assume that just because they used their card, they'll earn cashback. But unless the transaction codes align with your card's reward criteria, you could walk away with nothing.'
Deals and limits
Also look out for limits on the cashback you can earn. Most UAE cashback cards cap their rewards somewhere between 200 and 1,000 dirhams per month. The CBD Super Saver credit card offers a maximum of 10 per cent cashback a month but it needs to be spread across different spending categories (bills, education, supermarket and transport). The most you can earn for education fees is 150 dirhams cashback a month – 1,800 a year.
The ADIB Cashback credit card pays 4 per cent cashback which includes education costs, but with a 300 dirham monthly cashback limit. That works out at a maximum cashback of 3,600 a year – one of the most generous deals around. Emirates Islamic Cashback Plus offers education-specific cashback rates but you will need to check the criteria.
Rehaan Nensey has one child at Brighton College in Al Barsha and uses the CBD Super Saver card. 'I know it offers up to 10 per cent cashback but it is capped and depends on spend. But I'd say I have saved about Dh2,500 so far on school fees. A friend mentioned that the monthly option is generally available, but not all schools advertise it. Some other parents just split school fees across different cards.'
So, your first step should be to ask the school if you can pay your fees monthly. Not all schools allow this, and those that do may charge administrative fees. Speak directly with the school bursar or finance team.
It's also worth checking out cashback cards from Sharjah Islamic Bank, Ajman Bank and Emirates Islamic, although check their cashback limits on education spending. While FAB GEMS remains the only card with an exclusive, branded school partnership (with GEMS Education), and pays up to 4.25 per cent cashback.
Watch the interest
'It's only a win if you're paying off your balance in full every month,' adds Coady. 'Otherwise, that 3 per cent cashback is quickly erased by 30 per cent interest.'
It's also worth exploring zero per cent instalment plans on credit cards. Many UAE banks partner directly with schools to allow parents to split large payments over 3–12 months interest-free, a smart way to ease cash flow pressure, even if it doesn't earn cashback.
Stuti Sri, the co-founder of creditcardfinder.ae, says that Emirates NBD continues to provide zero per cent instalment plans of up to 24 months on education expenses through popular cards like Go4it Platinum and Manchester United. ADCB also offers zero per cent Easy Payment Plans for school fees via its Touchpoint and Lulu cards, which parents often use to break up large annual payments.
'RAKBANK, through its Skiply app, supports fee payments to over 300 schools and allows parents to pay using RAKBANK cards with 0 per cent instalments and no extra processing fee. Ajman Bank also offers zero per cent profit instalments on education payments above Dh1,000 without any processing fee at all,' she adds.
According to creditcardfinder.ae research, Al Hilal Bank provides an Education Cash feature where up to 80 per cent of your credit limit can be transferred directly to the school with 0 per cent profit (a one-time fee applies). Standard Chartered and HSBC both offer school fees deals with zero per cent instalment plans.
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