Accountant on DreamApply Knowledge Base

Manage fees

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In DreamApply, fees represent charges linked to specific programmes. You can set up various types of fees, define their amounts and geographical variations.

To define which fee must be applied, DreamApply uses the territory hierarchy. It checks for a fee starting from the most specific territory and moves up to more general levels. For example:

If a specific fee is set for a country, that fee will be applied for applicants whose citizenship is set to that country.
If no fee is set for a country, the system checks the region to which the country belongs.
If no regional fee is found, the system applies the global (World) fee.

You can mark a fee as visible or hidden. All visible fees for a programme are displayed in the fees section on the programme description page.

Organize invoices

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

To keep your invoices organized and trackable in the system, you can set up invoice series. This feature ensures that all invoice numbers follow a clear, consistent format, which helps in maintaining better records.

Invoice series are optional in DreamApply. If you do set up a custom invoice series, DreamApply will use its default series to generate invoices. The default series uses a simple auto-incrementing numeric sequence without a prefix.

Set up invoice templates

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

To ensure all invoices follow a consistent format and include accurate financial details, you need to set up invoice templates. Well-prepared invoice templates streamline the invoicing process and help institutions maintain its branding guidelines.

Before you begin

To set up invoice templates, your account must have the Superuser or Accountant role or the accounting-view and accounting-edit permissions.

Define document types

You can define what types of financial documents your institution will use to support the invoicing process. Document types are specified in invoice templates, allowing institutions to accurately manage financial transactions. Common document types include invoices, proforma invoices, receipts and so on.

Set up VAT rules

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

To follow local tax laws and correctly calculate the charges on invoices, you need to set up VAT (Value Added Tax) rules in DreamApply. When an invoice is created, DreamApply adds the VAT amount to the total fee and shows it as a separate line on all receipts and invoices generated by the system.

To define which VAT rate must be applied, DreamApply uses the territory hierarchy. It checks for a rate starting from the most specific territory and moves up to more general levels. For example:

Issue invoices

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

To provide applicants with official financial documents whenever they are required to pay fees or purchase additional services, institutions can generate invoices with DreamApply.

DreamApply supports two methods for issuing invoices:

Automated invoice issuing
Manual invoice issuing

Before you begin

To automate invoice generation and issue invoices manually, your account must have the Superuser or Accountant role or the accounting-view and accounting-edit permissions.

Automate invoice issuing

DreamApply can be set up to automatically generate invoices when predefined events occur, for example, an applicant makes an admission decision or purchases an additional service. This type of invoicing is recommended for standard, routine payments when immediate invoicing is needed without staff intervention.

Personalized messaging

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

DreamApply allows Administrators to send direct messages to applicants. This type of communication can be helpful to clarify requirements, provide additional guidance or address specific applicant queries.

Administrators can:

Send a message to an individual applicant
Send a message to multiple applicants

Before you begin

To enable the two-way messaging mode, your account must have the Superuser role or the instance permission.
To view messages in message threads, your account must have the Superuser, Admissions administrator, Academic supervisor, Academic consultant, Marketing administrator or Accountant or the applicants-view and applications-view permissions.
To create threads and send messages, your account must have the Superuser or Admissions administrator role or the applicants-view, applications-view and applicants-edit permission.

Enable two-way messaging

To send messages using the Messages view in DreamApply, you must first enable the two-way messaging mode. All sent and received messages are organized into threads, making it simple to track the conversation history.

Process payments

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

DreamApply lists all issued invoices in the Invoices view under Finance. You can use this view to track the status of each invoice, monitor payments and keep financial records organized.

Before you begin

To view and manage invoices, your account must have the Superuser or Accountant role or the accounting-view and accounting-edit permissions.
To subscribe to journal events, your account must have the Superuser or Admissions administrator role or the journal-view and journal-edit permissions.

Track invoices

Using the Invoices view, you can check invoices statuses and see whether they are fully paid, partially paid or still pending.

Statistics

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To gain insights into the admission process using structured data, you can use the Statistics view in DreamApply. This view allows you to explore statistics using predefined data segments, apply filters and compare data across different segments.

To access application statistics, in the main menu, under Applications, select Statistics.

Before you begin

To view application statistics, your account must have the Superuser, Admissions administrator, Academic supervisor, Academic consultant, Marketing administrator or Accountant role or the applications-view permission.

Mark invoices as lapsed

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In some cases, an issued invoice is no longer needed and should be removed from the active admission process. This typically occurs when:

An application is moved to a later term.
An applicant withdraws their application.
An invoice needs to be corrected and reissued.

To manage invoices that should no longer be considered for payment, you can mark invoices as lapsed. When an invoice is marked as lapsed:

DreamApply excludes the invoice from processing and payment tracking. The system can automatically generate a new invoice for the application if a fee trigger event occurs, for example, a new course is added to the application or the application is re-submitted.

Retain or delete invoices

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

In some situations, institutions may need to delete applicants and their data from DreamApply — either when applicants execute their right to be forgotten or due to an administrative decision. DreamApply offers two options for handling invoices issued to these applicants:

Preserve invoices
Delete invoices with other applicant data

DreamApply never deletes invoices that have been fully or partially paid. If any amount has been collected, the invoice is automatically preserved and stored as a detached record in the system.

Preserve invoices

Typically, institutions need to keep invoices for financial reporting and auditing, even after an applicant record linked to these invoices is deleted.