Admissions
Designed to meet the academic and social needs of college-bound internationally-minded students, our school welcomes the enrollment of all expatriate children and qualified Lao National students willing to engage in serious academic study. To apply to VIS, please see information below. Applications for enrollment are accepted throughout the academic year.
Placement
Placement in a grade level is determined by the student’s age and/or by the last grade they completed in their previous school. A September 1st birth date is used as a guideline for placement for all grade levels. A September 1st birth date is followed explicitly for placement in the Early Years 3 (3 year old), Early Years 4 (4 year old), and Primary Preparation (5 year old) classes. Students must turn the required age prior to September 1st.
In higher grades factors such as maturity, educational background, and achievement level are also taken into consideration to ensure each child can be successful at VIS. New students from Grade 6 through Grade 12 will have a general admissions assessment which is used to place students in courses appropriately. Parents are requested to provide the school with educational records demonstrating the educational background and achievements of the student. It is particularly important that the school be given all of the records documenting any special educational needs as VIS is only able to provide a program for students with mild learning difficulties.
Refer to grade placement document below.Grade Placement 2018 - 2019
Grade Placement 2019 - 2020
EAL (English as as Additional Language)
In our diverse population many children speak languages other than English as their Mother Tongue. VIS provides an English as an Additional Language (EAL) support program to assist these students to be successful. Students who may require English support will be assessed during the admissions process to determine the level of support required. Enrollment at a particular time may be dependent on the availability of appropriate support within the limitations of the resources.
Application Info
Application Information
Applications can easily be completed online (see below). There are currently waiting lists for some grade levels. Also please note that we are unable to admit any child who is not toilet trained. Please check with the Admissions Manager when applying.
Our school year commences in August and concludes in June. For admissions to the new school year placement offers commence from April.
Vientiane has a transient international community and students enter the school throughout the year. We welcome your questions and inquiries about the school and our programs to help your family to have a successful admission to Vientiane International School.
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Tuition and Fees
Tuition Fees
Tuition fees are determined by grade level as per the table below, with the option of annual or semester payments. Tuition fees are used to provide for all annual operational costs incurred in delivering the curriculum to students.
| Grade Level | Annual $USD | 1st Semester $USD | 2nd Semester $USD |
| Early Years 3 & 4 | 9,300 | 4,650 | 4,650 |
| Prep - Grade 5 | 17,200 | 8,600 | 8,600 |
| Grades 6 - 8 | 19,800 | 9,900 | 9,900 |
| Grades 9 - 12 | 22,100 | 11,050 | 11,050 |
Annual Capital Fee
The Annual Capital Fee of $2,800 USD must be paid for each student enrolled in Prep through to Grade 12. This fee is payable in full whether a student joins for one semester or for the entire school year. It is non-refundable under any circumstance and must be paid in total before 1st August 2018. For students who enrol during the school year, the fee is payable within two working weeks after the date of enrollment. This fee is used for the development of VIS facilities and all major capital items, as well as to service debt as part of the development of the school.
Fees For High Level English Support
| Grade Level | Annual $USD | 1st Semester $USD | 2nd Semester $USD |
| Prep to Grade 8 - Full Support | 4,200 | 2,100 | 2,100 |
If a student is simultaneously enrolled in the High Level English support program and a Language A - Mother Tongue program, with the exception of Lao Mother Tongue, a reduction in fees is applicable (refer to the Discounts Section below).
Additional Fees
| Language A -Mother Tongue | Annual $USD | 1st Semester $USD | 2nd Semester $USD |
| German Mother Tongue (Prep - G10) | 3,000 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| IB Taught German Language A | 1,200 | 600 | 600 |
| Lao Mother Tongue | Included in main tuition fee |
| All Other Mother Tongues | Payment direct to teacher as advised. All enquiries are to be directed to the language department: languagesadmin@ourvis.com |
International Baccalaureate Examination Fees: Grade 12 students will be charged exam fees as an additional cost. A separate invoice is sent out to parents in February each year.
Bus Fees: A limited bus service is provided for students residing in Vientiane. The cost of the bus service is $550 per semester (both pick-up and drop-off), or $1,100 per year. This service is optional and dependent on route availability.
Lunch fees: An onsite caterer provides a-la-carte meals cooked on the premises daily, available to all students. Charges and payment for this service are made directly to the caterer.
Discounts
Tuition Fee: Families with three or more children simultaneously enrolled in the school receive a 10% discount for the third child and 10% for each child thereafter on tuition fees only. The discount will first be applied to the youngest child and then to the next youngest child. Families who receive part or full payments by an organisation, government or company for any of their children are not eligible.
High Level English Support (HLS): Students who are enrolled simultaneously in the HLS program and a Language A - Mother Tongue program (with the exception of Lao mother tongue) are entitled to receive a 50% discount on the total HLS fee, only if the family is 100% responsible for the payment of tuition fees. Families who receive part or full payments by an organisation, government or company for any of their children are not eligible.
Fees And Payment Policy
Tuition and payment responsibility: Parents/guardians are responsible for the prompt payment of all school fees by the due date. This responsibility extends to situations whereby fees are payable in part/full via a third party, part/full via parents, or part/full reimbursed to parents via a third party. Payment for the 1st semester must be made before 1st August 2018 and for the 2nd semester before 7th January 2019. For students who enrol during the school year, fees are payable within two working weeks from the date of enrolment.
Please note that the school will take action to suspend a student’s right to attend classes and other school activities should school fees remain unpaid by 1st September 2018 for the 1st semester and 1st February 2019 for the 2nd semester. Students will not receive report cards or school transcripts if fees remain unpaid by the end of the school year.
New students enrolling after the commencement of a semester will be charged the entire semester rate. Students withdrawing during or after the commencement of the semester will not be entitled to a refund. However, if the annual tuition fee has been paid upfront and the student withdraws before the start of the 2nd semester, the 2nd semester tuition fee will be refunded in full.
Application Fee Refund Policy: This fee is non-refundable and non-transferable unless VIS cannot offer a placement for the prospective student due to unavailability of places in our language program or general class sizes are at capacity.
If an enrolled student withdraws from VIS for a period of more than two years and subsequently re-enrols, the application fee is again payable. If returning within this two year period, this fee will be waived.
If a student is offered a placement at VIS and the family decides to defer the start date or does not start, the two year policy as above applies.
Language testing as part of the admissions process for the EAL program costs $300.00 (USD) per test. In the event that VIS cannot offer a place to a prospective student, this amount will be deducted for each test undertaken from the original application fee paid.
VIS Board of Trustees Policy: Vientiane International School sets its annual fees based upon projected income and expenses. In case of severe financial problems, the Board of Trustees reserves the right to revise fees or the fee policy at any time during the school year.
Method of Payment
Method of Payment
All charges are quoted in US Dollars, although payments can be made in Kip. The exchange rate applied will be as per the Business Office monthly exchange rate for all transactions.
All payments must be deposited into one of the bank accounts listed below. The VIS Business Office will not accept any cash payments for tuition fees.
Please provide the VIS Business Office with a copy of the bank deposit or internet transfer document, quoting the invoice number stated on the invoice.
| Preferred Bank for International or Local on-line Transfers or Deposits in $USD |
| Bank Name | BCEL (Banque pour le Commerce Extérieur Lao) |
| Bank Address | 1 Pangkham Road Vientiane LAO PDR |
| Account Name | Vientiane International School |
| Account Number | 010-1101-0026-0621-001 |
| Swift Code | COEBLALA |
| For Local Deposits by KIP |
| Bank Name | BCEL (Banque pour le Commerce Extérieur Lao) |
| Bank Address | 1 Pangkham Road Vientiane LAO PDR |
| Account Name | Vientiane International School |
| Account Number | 010-1100-0026-0621-001 |
| 2nd International Transfer Option |
| Bank Name | Banque Franco Lao Ltd |
| Bank Address | Lane Xang Avenue Vientiane LAO PDR |
| Account Name | Vientiane International School |
| Account Number | 001-0000-54423-010-010 |
| Swift Code | BFLLLALA |
Please contact the Business Office for full information of bfl intermediary bank (3rd party) as the information supplied is dependent on the origin of transfer.
Payments shall be deemed received after an authorised copy of the bank deposit or internet transfer document is forwarded to the Business Office and VIS receives confirmation of the deposit from the bank.
When transferring payments into any VIS account via internet or international transfer, including depositing of cheques, the total amount due must be credited and the payer is responsible for the payment of all fees incurred, regardless of which bank charges them (payer's bank, correspondent bank, or VIS's bank).