Answered by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani
Is it permissible to charge an application fee for families applying to an Islamic school? It costs the school staff time and energy to review their application and yet it could be perceived by the applicant if their application is rejected that they did not receive a service “of value” in exchange for their fee.
Walaikum assalam wa rahmatullah,
I pray this finds you in the best of health and spirits.
There is nothing in itself wrong with charging fees for services–such the processing services related to school applications. At the same time, educational and community institutions should strive to achieve a balance between excellence of service and accessibility.
And Allah alone gives success.
Faraz Rabbani