Purpose
Maintain consistent tuition collection, clearly communicate payment expectations to families, and ensure accounts are properly documented before escalation to collections.
This SOP covers: monitoring tuition payments; identifying unpaid accounts; applying the Friday 3:00 PM payment deadline; placing families on the Do-Not-Return List when required; verifying documentation before collections; escalating qualified accounts through the ScalePilot Collections Pipeline; maintaining accurate billing and attendance records in Brightwheel.
Goal: billing decisions are consistent, documented, and supported by enrollment and attendance records.
Scope
Billing Specialist VA and anyone responsible for tuition collection, account review, and collections preparation.
Primary tools
| Tool | Purpose |
| —- | —- |
| Brightwheel | Billing, attendance, enrollment, and family records |
| ScalePilot | Track and manage accounts escalated to Collections |
Standard billing policy
Tuition is due in advance of the service week. Families are expected to have tuition paid before the applicable service week begins. Review accounts regularly and follow the established collection timeline.
Workflow
Invoice/Balance Due → Payment Monitoring → Friday 3:00 PM Review → Do-Not-Return List → Documentation Review → ScalePilot Collections
1. Monitor tuition payments
Review Brightwheel for outstanding balances. Confirm: current balance, invoice/payment status, billing period, payment history when relevant, attendance, enrollment/schedule.
Do not immediately escalate solely because a balance appears unpaid. First determine whether payment is genuinely overdue, pending, needs adjustment/credit, or has an attendance/billing discrepancy. Resolve or escalate discrepancies before moving forward.
2. Friday 3:00 PM payment review
Key deadline: Friday at 3:00 PM. If tuition remains unpaid by then, the family is placed on the Do-Not-Return List.
Before 3:00 PM: review outstanding accounts; confirm balance accuracy; check recent payments; review known adjustments/disputes; determine who remains unpaid. At 3:00 PM, identify accounts that still have unpaid tuition.
3. Place family on the Do-Not-Return List
If unpaid after Friday 3:00 PM, place on the Do-Not-Return List per center process. Before placing: verify balance accuracy, deadline passed, no payment received/documented, no unresolved billing correction that would make the balance wrong.
Document: why placed, amount outstanding, billing period, date/time of review, important communication or circumstances.
4. Review account before Collections
Required documentation before ScalePilot Collections Pipeline:
Signed contract
Signed schedule
Attendance records
Do not send to Collections if required documentation is missing unless management specifically directs proceed.
5. Verify signed schedule and attendance
Confirm schedule belongs to the correct child, is signed, matches enrollment, and identifies the service period. Flag if missing/unclear.
Compare attendance to billing: attendance during billed period, correct child/dates, unusual patterns, discrepancies. If attendance conflicts with the amount being collected, pause escalation and investigate first.
6. Confirm amount owed
Review billing + contract + schedule + attendance so the escalated balance is supported. Make authorized corrections before escalation when needed.
7. Move to ScalePilot Collections with documentation
Checklist before moving: tuition unpaid; Friday 3:00 PM passed; Do-Not-Return List when applicable; signed contract/schedule/attendance verified; amount reviewed; discrepancies resolved or escalated.
Document when available: family/child name, outstanding balance, billing period, date delinquent, date on Do-Not-Return List, documentation status, communication, unresolved issues or management instructions.
Documentation standard: another teammate should understand who owes → how much → for what period → why valid → what has already been done.
8. Communication with families
Professional, clear, respectful. Identify yourself and the center; explain the reason; confirm balance; give relevant deadline; allow the parent to explain concerns; document; follow center collection policy.
Avoid argumentative language or accusations about failure to pay.
9. Billing disputes and retention
If a parent says the balance is incorrect: do not immediately send to Collections. Listen; review Brightwheel, invoice, signed schedule, attendance, credits/adjustments/payments; determine accuracy; escalate unresolved issues to the appropriate manager. Document the concern and investigation steps.
For difficult accounts with significant enrollment/retention impact: no unauthorized billing exceptions; document; follow policy; escalate to management when a business decision or exception is needed.
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