Development of a Digital School Fees Payment and Receipt System for Private Secondary Schools in Enugu

The management of school fees in Nigerian private secondary schools is largely cash-based, exposing institutions and parents to risks of payment disputes, receipt falsification, revenue leakages, and poor financial record-keeping. In Enugu, where the private secondary school sector has grown substantially over the past decade, the absence of structured digital payment systems has complicated financial administration for school proprietors and bursary staff. This study developed a digital school fees payment and receipt system designed for private secondary schools in Enugu, providing a web-based platform through which parents could make fee payments electronically and receive tamper-proof digital receipts, while school administrators accessed a comprehensive financial management dashboard. The system was built using PHP, MySQL, and Paystack API integration, supporting bank transfer, card, and USSD payment channels aligned with the payment preferences of Nigerian parents. Key features included student fee account management, instalment payment tracking, automated receipt generation, outstanding balance notifications, and termly financial summary reports for school management. System testing confirmed successful end-to-end payment processing, accurate receipt generation, and reliable outstanding balance computation across varied payment scenarios. Usability evaluation with school administrators and parents in Enugu indicated strong acceptance, with parents particularly appreciating automated payment confirmation messages. The study concluded that a digital school fees system would improve financial transparency, reduce revenue mismanagement, and enhance parent trust in private secondary school financial administration across Enugu State.

Keywords: school fees payment, digital receipts, private secondary schools, Enugu, financial management