Payment Policy

1. Tuition and when it is due

Courup charges full-time tuition once per academic year. For the 2026–2027 year it is $12,800, covering seven courses across the fall and spring semesters, and is due in full by Wednesday 26 August 2026 — one week before the first day of classes on 2 September 2026. Part-time elective tuition is due in full one week before the course begins.

A place is confirmed when tuition is received. Where a family is admitted fewer than seven days before classes begin, tuition is due before the student's first seminar.

Summer courses

The summer semester is open to both full-time and part-time students, and is taken to accelerate or to add a subject. It is optional and is not included in annual tuition. Summer courses are $2,500 each, due one week before the term begins: 31 May 2027 for Term I, and 12 July 2027 for Term II.

Registration fee

A one-time $500 registration fee is charged when a student first registers with Courup, whichever path they join on. It covers enrollment processing, platform access, and account setup. It is charged once only — not per year, per term, or per course — and is payable with the first tuition payment.

Credit electives — part-time students

Part-time credit electives are for students enrolled at another school. Courses run in both the fall and spring semesters, and a part-time student may start one in either — there is no single intake. Each course is $2,500, due one week before it begins. Part-time students pay no annual tuition, and may also enroll in the summer semester on the same terms as full-time students.

Joining mid-year

Because Courup admits on a rolling basis, students who join after the year has begun pay tuition pro-rated by the number of teaching weeks remaining in the academic year, rounded to the nearest whole week. Your academic advisor confirms the figure in writing before enrollment is finalized.

2. Discounts

• Sibling — 5% of annual tuition for the second and each subsequent child from the same family enrolled in the same academic year. Where the amounts differ, the discount applies to the lower tuition.

Courup does not offer an early payment discount. The sibling discount applies to tuition only, not to the application fee or the registration fee, and is calculated before any pro-rating for mid-year entry.

Tuition exemption on academic merit

Applicants who demonstrate exceptional English proficiency and academic ability, supported by documentary evidence, may have their tuition reduced or waived in whole or in part. Decisions are made case by case and at the school's discretion.

• There is no separate application form and no fixed award — raise it with the admissions team when you apply
• Evidence we consider includes school transcripts, standardized test results, English proficiency scores, competition or olympiad results, and any independent work the student can show us
• The entrance examination and interview weigh heavily, since they are the evidence we generate ourselves
• An exemption is granted for one academic year at a time and is reviewed annually against the student's record at Courup
• Courup does not currently operate a separate need-based financial assistance program

3. How to pay

We accept payment from families in any country by:

• International bank transfer in US dollars — our preferred method for families outside the United States. Sending-bank and intermediary fees are the payer's responsibility, and the amount Courup receives must match the invoiced total.
• ACH transfer for families with a US bank account.
• Credit or debit card, through our payment processor. Card payments carry a 2.9% processing fee, which is charged by the processor and not retained by Courup.

All invoices are issued and payable in US dollars. Courup does not accept payment in other currencies and is not responsible for exchange-rate movements between invoicing and payment.

4. Late payment

If tuition is not received by the due date, we will contact the family before taking any action that affects the student.

• After 14 days overdue — a written reminder to the family and a late fee of $150.
• After 30 days overdue — access to the learning platform may be suspended, and the student's place in capped seminar sections may be released.
• After 60 days overdue — enrollment may be terminated, and transcripts withheld until the balance is settled.

Families who anticipate difficulty should write to admission@courup.com before the due date. We would far rather agree on a schedule than suspend a student.

5. Withdrawal and refunds

Refunds are pro-rated on a declining schedule based on when written notice of withdrawal is received. Notice must be sent to admission@courup.com; the date we receive it governs the refund.

• Where a family has paid for the full year and withdraws during the fall semester, the spring semester portion is refunded in full, in addition to any fall refund due under the schedule above.
• Summer courses and part-time credit electives follow the same schedule, measured against the length of the course. The $500 registration fee is not refundable once teaching has begun.
• The $100 application fee is never refundable, as it covers the entrance examination, interview, and review already carried out.
• Card processing fees are not refundable, as they are retained by the processor.
• Refunds are issued to the original payer, by the original payment method where possible, within 30 days of the withdrawal being confirmed.
• Courup issues a transcript of all work completed, so credit earned here transfers to the student's next school.

If Courup cancels a course

If we cancel a course a student has paid for and cannot offer a suitable alternative, that course's tuition is refunded in full regardless of when the cancellation occurs.

Exceptional circumstances

Where a student must withdraw because of serious illness, bereavement, or comparable hardship, we will consider a refund beyond this schedule on written request with supporting documentation. Such decisions are made case by case and at the school's discretion.

6. Suspension, dismissal, and non-payment

Tuition is not refunded where a student is dismissed for a breach of the school's academic integrity or conduct policies. Where enrollment is terminated for non-payment, tuition already paid is treated under the refund schedule in section 5.

7. Changes to fees

Tuition for a given academic year is fixed once a family has enrolled and will not change mid-year. Tuition for future years is reviewed annually and published on the Admission page. Enrolled families are notified of the following year's tuition at least 90 days before it becomes payable.

8. Governing terms

This policy forms part of the enrollment agreement each family signs with Courup School LLC, a limited liability company registered in the State of California. Where this policy and a signed enrollment agreement conflict, the enrollment agreement prevails. This policy is governed by the laws of the State of California, consistent with our Terms of Use.

9. Questions

Any question about invoices, payment methods, discounts, or refunds: admission@courup.com. We answer billing questions within two business days.