Three municipalities in Kathmandu—Budhanilkantha, Nagarjun and Kirtipur—have fixed minimum and maximum fees that private schools can charge, aiming to standardise costs and regulate school operations.

The local governments have categorised schools into ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’ groups, with Kirtipur introducing an additional ‘D’ category, and published detailed fee structures on their official websites. Mayor Mitharam Adhikari of Budhanilkantha Municipality said the move is intended to bring uniformity and transparency to private school fees.

Under the new framework, monthly fees range from Rs2,400 for early childhood development classes to a maximum of Rs7,755 for Grade 10.

In Budhanilkantha, monthly fees are set at Rs2,860 for playgroup, Rs2,960 for nursery, Rs3,080 for LKG and Rs3,190 for UKG.

In Nagarjun, nursery fees range between Rs2,400 and Rs3,705 depending on category—Rs3,705 for ‘A’, Rs3,000 for ‘B’ and Rs2,400 for ‘C’. Officials said the classification determines the fee ceiling.

Kirtipur has introduced four categories. For Grades 1–5, ‘A’ category schools can charge Rs 4,814, while ‘D’ category schools are capped at Rs2,406.

For Grade 1, Budhanilkantha allows fees of Rs4,290 (‘A’), Rs 3,575 (‘B’) and Rs 2,860 (‘C’), slightly higher than Nagarjun’s Rs4,200, Rs3,375 and Rs2,700 respectively.

At the lower secondary level, Grade 8 fees in Budhanilkantha are capped at Rs5,600 (‘A’), Rs4,675 (‘B’) and Rs3,740 (‘C’). Nagarjun has set slightly lower caps, while Kirtipur’s Grades 6–8 fees reach up to Rs5,501 for ‘A’ category schools.

For secondary levels, Kirtipur allows a maximum monthly fee of Rs7,436 for Grades 9–10, while Nagarjun permits up to Rs7,000 for Grade 12 and Rs5,950 for Grade 10. In Budhanilkantha, ‘A’ category schools can charge up to Rs7,755 for Grade 10.

The fee ceilings are based on the Institutional (Private) School Fee Determination Standards Guidelines, 2015, issued by the Ministry of Education. The directive outlines criteria for school classification and limits on fee collection.

Private schools are allowed to charge fees under 14 headings, including tuition, admission, annual charges, examinations, transport, meals and educational materials.

However, strict limits apply. Admission fees can only be charged once and must not exceed one month’s tuition. Annual fees are capped at two months’ tuition, while examination fees cannot exceed half of the monthly tuition.

Authorities said schools must obtain formal approval from local governments before implementing any fee structure, and failure to comply may invite action.