The financial strain of school fees is cutting into children’s participation in activities and programmes, according to a survey commissioned by Tabby, the UAE-based financial services app.
Of 2,814 UAE parents with children currently enrolled in school, university, or nursery, 88% said they feel financial strain when fees fall due. Half said they struggle to pay in full upfront, and nine in ten said the ability to spread payments would allow their child to take part in activities they currently have to forgo.
Appetite for alternatives appears strong: 97% of respondents said they would likely use a flexible payment solution if their school offered one.
Tabby announced on Wednesday it is entering the education sector through a partnership with zenda, a school fee payment platform. The arrangement lets institutions offer Tabby’s instalment plans through their existing payment infrastructure, covering tuition, transport, extracurricular costs and other school-related fees across up to 12 months, with no hidden fees.
The company says it is already live with more than 100 institutions in the UAE, including Amity School Dubai and Sharjah University, spanning nurseries, secondary schools, universities, and professional courses.
“Families across the UAE are already doing the work of managing education costs carefully, moving money around, planning ahead and making trade-offs,” said Zarik Nabi, Chief Commercial Officer at Tabby. “We’re giving schools the infrastructure to make that easier for parents, and giving parents a way to stay in control without the pressure of paying everything at once.”
For schools, the integration is framed around improving cashflow predictability and reducing payment delays. For parents, the pitch is replacing lump-sum pressure with structured plans. Zenda co-founder Haseeb Ahmed described the partnership as giving families “more choice and flexibility” on top of what his platform already handles: fee collection, automated schedules, reconciliation, and trip payments.
