Sibling Discounts & Family-Based Fees – Finalsite Enrollment

Sibling Order is a special field Finalsite Enrollment assigns to siblings actively enrolling in your school, numbered from the highest grade down. Used in contract fee rules, it lets you give sibling discounts or apply fees only to certain siblings.

💡Quick Answers

How is sibling order assigned? Starting with 1 for the sibling in the highest grade, working down. Only siblings in active enrollment statuses get a number.
What about twins or siblings in the same grade? They get different numbers, with the sibling created first (by timestamp) in Finalsite Enrollment getting the lower number.
Are half-siblings or step-siblings included? No, the system does not automatically recognize them for discounts. To include them in the sibling_order calculation, their relationship status must be manually set to Sibling, Sister, or Brother.
What if a new sibling enrolls later? The system recalculates sibling order for all siblings whenever a new one enters enrollment.
How do I use sibling order for discounts? Set up fee rules like: sibling_order = 1 (no discount), sibling_order = 2 (5% off), sibling_order = 3 (10% off). Contact Support to configure.
How do I charge a fee only once per family? Apply the fee only when sibling_order = 1, so only the first sibling's contract picks it up.
Can I apply different fees to new vs. returning families? Yes. Use the family_type field (values: new or returning) in a fee rule to apply different fees or discounts.

How-To: Use Sibling Order to Assign Discounts/Fees

Sibling order can be used in a contract fee rule to assign tuition discounts or fees based on which sibling order number a student has assigned to them. To get these fee rules set up, please contact our Support Team and include information about your fees and how you want them to be assessed to siblings.

Example sibling discount structure:

if sibling_order = 1 - full tuition amount - apply no discount
if sibling_order = 2 - apply a 5% tuition discount
if sibling_order = 3 - apply a 10% tuition discount

Example family-based fee structure:

if sibling_order = 1 - apply the family registration fee
if sibling_order = 1 - do not apply the family registration fee

This means that the registration fee would only apply to the contract for the first sibling (sibling_order = 1), and not any younger siblings. This is useful when you have fees that should be applied per family instead of per student. For families with only a single student attending, the fee will still be charged.

Use case not supported via the sibling order feature:

If there are multiple students attending the school, give a discount to all students including the first sibling. This cannot be accomplished via the sibling_order functionally. A flat field could be created if either set by the school or filled out by the family.

⚠️ Important Note: Half-Siblings and Step-Siblings

Please note that half-siblings and step-siblings are not automatically recognized by the system's sibling discount rules.

If a family wishes half- or step-siblings to qualify for the sibling order discount, their relationship status must be manually updated to Sibling, Sister, or Brother within Finalsite Enrollment. Otherwise, the system will not factor them into the sibling_order calculation.

How-To: Use Family Type to Assign Fees

Because Finalsite Enrollment is a student-centric system, contracts are signed on a student-by-student basis, rather than a single contract that encompasses all siblings that are attending the school. If your school has a fee that is only charged once for the entire family, this can be accomplished by creating a fee that only applies to the first sibling (i.e. sibling_order = 1), as detailed in the section above.

You can also assess fees and discounts based on whether a family is new or returning, using the magical field Family Type (family_type). Returning families are those who have at least one student who is returning to enroll in your school (i.e. enrollment_type = Returning), even if there are siblings who are new to the school (i.e. enrollment_type = New). New families do not have any students who have previously attended the school.

Examples:

if family_type = new - apply the new family fee of $500
if family_type = returning - apply the returning family fee of $200

Additional Resources