Schools will need to set up their PSAT/NMSQT fee calculations so that Total Registration can show students their exam fee. These fee calculations are configured at PSAT/NMSQT Exam Service => Configure PSAT Registration => Fee Calculations.
Fee Calculation Methods
Your base PSAT Exam Fee was configured at PSAT/NMSQT Exam Service => Configure PSAT Registration => General Info.
- Fee Varies by Grade Level - Check this if students pay different fees based on the grade they are in. Many schools use this as they cover the cost of a particular grade, or offer the exams at a reduced cost depending on the student's grade level. Once you check yes, you will be presented a table that allows you to enter a "Discount" for each grade level. If a particular grade level receives a discount, enter the amount in the discount column. The system will show you how much that student will pay (Base Exam Fee - Grade Level Discount)
- A fee or waiver can be applied to students that answer a particular question a particular way. Some examples are:
- Students in a particular program (AVID) receive a discount
- Personal Checks have an additional fee
- Students who were given a special code receive a discount
In order to configure this fee calculation, schools will need to check the box and then click the link to set-up the question/answer combination that triggers the fee/discount to be applied.
1. First schools will select the question that will trigger/fee.
If the question is a free response question the school will enter a response that must be matched. If the question is multiple choice, the school must select the response that must be selected to receive the fee/waiver (if multiple responses, each must be configured individually)
2. Next enter the amount of the waiver or fee. Fees will be indicated by entering a positive value and waivers are negative values.
3. Enter a label that will be recorded with the fee/waiver
4. Choose how the fee/waiver will be calculated (Per Registration or Per Exam)
5. Click Save.
- Handling Multiple Waivers - Please use this option to tell the system how to handle waivers if a student is eligible for both a Free/Reduced Lunch Waiver and a Grade Level Waiver. Which waiver should the system apply first?
Free/Reduced Lunch
For the PSAT/NMSQT, the College Board provides a discount to juniors who participate in the Federal Free/Reduced Lunch Program. With this in mind, Total Registration offers several ways to handle this. The most popular method is to ask students to report their status and hold registrations for approval when students indicate they are Free/Reduced Lunch Students. Schools then have the ability to verify eligibility. If the waiver request is approved, TR will calculate the appropriate waiver and email students a confirmation with the waivers applied and information about paying (if school has payment processing). If a waiver request is denied students will be emailed a confirmation showing their balance due with directions of how to proceed.
In addition to this option schools can elect to not ask students of their F/R lunch status, ask but do not calculate a waiver (informational only, TR does not take any action) and the last option of automatically calculating a waiver without approval (only recommended for schools that have a very large percentage of F/R students).
Since the College Board will only provide F/R waivers to 11th graders, most schools will want to check Yes to Are 11th Graders the only ones who can receive Free/Reduced Lunch Waivers?