UAE Schools Suspend or Refund Transport Fees During Distance Learning

A growing number of UAE school groups have suspended or refunded student transport fees during periods of distance learning, as providers respond to shifting academic schedules. Among them, School Transport Services, which operates buses for schools under GEMS Education and other groups, has introduced pro-rata adjustments on April fees. Parents can either carry the amount forward as a credit or request a refund, while advance payments will be applied to the next academic year. Final-year students will receive any remaining balance as a refund, and March transport fees remain payable, with refunds to be processed once schools reopen. Other school operators have followed with their own measures. Woodlem Education has waived transport fees for the duration of distance learning, covering more than 20,000 students across 10 schools in Dubai, Ajman, and Sharjah, with the waiver taking effect from April 2026 after March fees had already been collected. Similarly, the Indian High Group of Schools has suspended transport fee billing for the duration of online learning. Charges will resume only when students return to in-person classes, and if further distance learning days are mandated after reopening, transport fees will not apply for those periods. Habitat Group of Schools has also paused transport fee collection from April onward for as long as distance learning continues, affecting around 9,500 students across three schools. Advance payments will be adjusted against future months. The group pointed to operational pressures linked to its fleet of 185 buses and has requested rental waivers while continuing to meet financial obligations. JSS Group of Schools has likewise waived transport fees for March 2026 across its Dubai schools, adding to a broader pattern of temporary fee adjustments across the sector.