Coronavirus Update: Head of School Update, April 20: Tuition Fees 2020 – 2021

Dear SSIS Parents, 

We are living in an unprecedented time that is testing all of us. Our families, businesses, and communities are facing challenges that only a few months ago would have seemed unimaginable. And until COVID-19 no longer threatens our health, we can assume that there will still be uncertainty in the world.

As Head of School, I take the responsibility of guiding this school community through this global crisis very seriously. My commitment is to our students, our parents, our faculty, and staff as we navigate these uncharted waters. It is the great fortune of our community to have a Board of Directors who demonstrate care and compassion in their actions and their decisions. They are committed to providing the best environment and conditions for every member of this community.

Throughout this time, our community has grown stronger. We have come together and learned together in the face of adversity, and we couldn’t be more grateful for your loyal support. As one of the many beautiful proverbs of our host country states,” Một con én không làm nên mùa xuân,” One swallow does not make a spring, only an entire flock does; we have indeed proven this to be true.

And, just as diamonds are created under intense pressure, your children have demonstrated an ability to shine, despite challenges. But this is not by chance. That self-driven resilience is what we nurture every day at SSIS as we ready your children to be competitive at a global level and to meet unforeseen challenges in a changing world.

Throughout our 22 years, we have remained steadfast in the mission established by our founding fathers; to prepare your children for college and purposeful lives as global citizens by nurturing their intellectual and personal development. Our mission has proven resilient to time and continues to bring our students immense success, clearly demonstrated by our seniors’ recent university acceptances from top-tier universities like Cambridge, University of Melbourne, Columbia, and Cornell University. 

2020 – 2021 New Fee Structure

In determining the fee structure for 2020-2021, we have balanced our community’s needs with our commitment to your children. To ensure that we prepare them to enter the finest universities in the world, we must maintain the highest quality programs in all areas of the curriculum. We must also retain a highly-educated and experienced faculty and staff. In other words, we must safeguard our mission, balancing the decisions we make today against the long-term viability of our school, and our commitment to provide your children with a world-class education.

Based on these considerations, our fee approach for 2020-2021 school year will be as follows:

– For all grades EC to Grade 12, there will be a 0% annual tuition fee increase for the 2020-2021 school year.

– In recognition of the widespread economic challenges our families have faced this semester and your extraordinary support during the unanticipated campus closure, all current families returning to SSIS for the 2020-2021 school year will receive a fee-credit for each child returning to SSIS. The fee-credit will be based on the period of time that our students have been off-campus.

– The fee credit is as below:

– 10% fee credit for returning students entering Grades  2 – Grades 12.

– 15% fee credit for returning students entering EC 4, Kindergarten and Grade 1.

To re-enroll your child, please ensure that the re-enrollment deposit is paid by May 1. Once the re-enrollment deposit is confirmed, SSIS will apply the fee-credit to your account. The fee-credit is not transferable and may only be used against the 2020-2021 school year.

We are proud to be able to offer this fee-credit to our returning students. However, even without it, SSIS continues to offer some of the best programs in Ho Chi Minh City, led by highly experienced faculty, at a very competitive price.

Summer School

In addition to the tuition fee freeze and the fee-credit, we are, as previously communicated, offering each of our currently enrolled students two weeks in our summer school program free of charge. The Summer School program has been developed specifically for SSIS students and will create essential opportunities for socialization and peer/teacher interaction. The program will provide a balance of focused academic skills development and English language development. Many families have already responded enthusiastically to our offer, and we hope that as many of you as possible will take advantage of it.

Providing these benefits to our community requires that we, like many of you and businesses around the world, implement certain austerity measures to ensure our longevity as a pillar in this community. Each action we take is carefully weighed to ensure the least possible impact on the exceptional programs on which the reputation of SSIS has been built; our commitment to the SSIS mission, and your children, remains unwavering.

With this, we wish to extend our gratitude to you and the support that you continue to show. It has enabled us to prepare for whatever challenge the next school year may bring as we focus all of our efforts and resources on providing your children with the high-quality education that they deserve.

We wish you and your family continued health, and we look forward to better times for our SSIS community and the world. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding this or any other matters.

All good wishes,

Dr. Catriona Moran
Head of School