Paying for the school year in South Sudan: support and financing
Banks in South Sudan offer no dedicated school loan. Families pay for uniforms, fees and supplies through savings, rotating savings groups and salary loans, and many girls receive cash transfers from the Girls' Education South Sudan programme.
The GESS programme for girls in school
Funded notably by the United Kingdom, Canada, the European Union, Sweden and Norway, the Girls' Education South Sudan programme pays a cash transfer to girls who attend regularly, from the fifth year of primary school to the end of secondary.
More than 400,000 pupils covered
In November 2023, some 425,000 pupils were targeted by a distribution. The transfer does not have to be repaid and aims to ease the burden of fees on parents; it is in no way a form of credit or loan.
The real cost of a school year in Juba
Uniforms, shoes, exercise books, contributions requested by the school, national exams and transport make up most of the budget. In Juba, private schools often charge in dollars, while public schools ask for smaller contributions in pounds.
Late teacher pay and parent contributions
When public salaries for teachers arrive late, some schools ask parents for an extra contribution. These unexpected sums, demanded in South Sudanese pounds, push already vulnerable families into emergency borrowing just as the school year begins.
A salary loan for back-to-school costs
Salaried parents ask their bank for an advance or a personal loan against their salary to cover fees for several children. It is best to match the term to the school year so the loan is cleared before the next one.
Back-to-school savings pots among traders
Many savings groups in Juba and Yei schedule the payout of their pot just before the school year starts. This collective calendar avoids turning to a market lender whose terms are expensive and often opaque.
Employer advances for school fees
Some NGOs and companies grant salary advances for school fees, repaid over a few months. Where it exists, this is often the cheapest option, because it involves neither bank interest nor arrangement fees.
Spreading fees with the school management
Many private schools accept payment by term. Negotiating this arrangement in writing with the head teacher reduces the need to borrow and prevents the child from being sent home mid-year over unpaid fees.
Uniform sellers and microfinance
Sellers of uniforms and school supplies often borrow before the new school year to build up stock. A microloan for traders meets this seasonal need in the markets of Juba or Wau, separate from a family's school fees.
Fake GESS registrations
Messages promise private school scholarships or GESS registration in return for payment. Registration for the programme goes through the school and requires no payment at all, so any request for money should be turned down.
After secondary school, a different budget
After secondary school, costs change scale, especially for study in Kampala or Nairobi. Our page on paying for higher education in South Sudan covers scholarships, family loans and the alternatives open to school leavers.
Diaspora and mutual aid: the Somali case
In South Sudan, as with school loans in Somalia, families rely heavily on the diaspora and mutual aid. The main difference is the GESS programme, which here provides direct cash support to girls in school.
Planning how to pay for the school year in South Sudan
- List the costs for each child: contributions, uniform, supplies, exams and transport.
- Check with the school that eligible girls are registered for the GESS programme.
- Ask the school for a written schedule for fees payable by term.
- Request an employer advance or a salary loan if savings are not enough.
- Repay before the next school year so you do not carry two years of debt.
What a school year costs in South Sudan
| Expense | Variables | Guidance |
|---|---|---|
| School contributions and fees | Public or private, level | Sometimes in dollars at private schools |
| Uniform and shoes | School and size | Bought every year for younger children |
| Supplies | Level and school list | Prices vary with imports |
| National exams | End of primary or secondary | Amount set by the authorities |
| Transport | Distance and season | Dearer in the rainy season |
Useful papers for funding schooling in Juba
- Parent's ID document
- Payslip or employer's letter
- Invoice or list of fees issued by the school
- Child's school report
- Bank statements for a salary loan
Back-to-school mistakes South Sudanese families make
- Paying a middleman to register a daughter for GESS, when registration is done free of charge through the school.
- Borrowing from a market lender at the start of term without knowing the mark-up, then repaying far more than was received.
- Choosing a loan term longer than the school year and still being in debt when the next year begins.
- Enrolling a child in a school that charges in dollars without anticipating the rise in pounds by the second term.
School fees in South Sudan: answers for parents
Does the GESS transfer have to be repaid?
No. It is donor-funded support paid to eligible girls who attend school regularly. It is never repaid and should never involve any payment to a middleman, whatever a caller or message may claim.
Which pupils can receive the GESS transfer?
In the 2023 distribution, it targeted girls from the fifth year of primary to the fourth year of secondary, as well as those in the accelerated learning programme, subject to regular attendance. The criteria may change from year to year.
Do South Sudanese banks offer back-to-school loans?
We have not identified a dedicated product. Parents use a personal salary loan or an advance from their employer, ideally choosing a term that ends before the following school year begins.
What can I do if I cannot pay school fees in Juba?
It is advisable to meet the school management to negotiate a written payment plan. Parents' committees and some local NGOs also help struggling families find a solution so that the child can stay in class.