> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.deandesk.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Invoicing

> Create and send invoices to one or more students for custom charges, fees, and credits.

<Info>
  **School-level feature** — managed within your school portal at `yourschool.deandesk.com`.
</Info>

Use invoicing for charges that fall outside a recurring product plan — registration fees, supply costs, late fees, or any custom amount. You can invoice one student or dozens at once with the same line items, and DeanDesk automatically applies any scholarship or financial aid discounts on the student's profile.

Open **Finance → Invoicing** in the admin sidebar.

## Create invoices

<Steps>
  <Step title="Select recipients">
    Use the student search dropdown to find and select the students who should receive the invoice. You can select multiple students — each one receives their own individual invoice with the same line items.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add line items">
    Click **Add Line Item** for each charge. Each line item has:

    * **Item Name** — a description of the charge (e.g., "Registration Fee", "Course Materials")
    * **Price** — the amount in dollars (e.g., 75.00)

    Add as many line items as needed. The total is calculated automatically.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Apply credits with negative amounts">
    To issue a credit or refund, add a line item with a **negative amount** (e.g., -50.00 for a \$50 credit). This reduces the invoice total.

    <Tip>
      Negative line items are useful for adjustments like partial refunds, billing corrections, or merit-based credits. The student sees the credit as a line item on their invoice.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review and send">
    Review the line items and total, then click **Create Invoices**. DeanDesk creates one invoice per selected student and sends each an email notification.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Automatic discounts

When creating invoices, DeanDesk automatically applies any **scholarship discount** and **financial aid discount** set on the student's profile. Each student's invoice reflects their individual discount rate, so you don't need to calculate discounted amounts manually.

For example, if a student has a 50% scholarship discount and you invoice them for $200, their invoice total is automatically reduced to $100.

<Note>
  Scholarship and financial aid discounts are set on individual student profiles under User Management. The invoice creation screen does not show the discount — it is applied automatically when the invoice is saved.
</Note>

## What happens when an invoice is sent

When you create invoices:

1. **Invoice created** — one invoice is saved per recipient with a unique batch ID linking them together
2. **Email sent** — each student receives an email notification with a link to view and pay the invoice
3. **Balance updated** — the invoice amount appears as an outstanding balance on the student's Billing History page

Students can view their invoices and pay their outstanding balance directly from their **Billing History** page. The invoice total is included in their account balance calculation.

## Invoice statuses

| Status            | Meaning                                       |
| ----------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| **Open**          | Invoice has been sent and is awaiting payment |
| **Paid**          | Invoice has been paid                         |
| **Uncollectible** | Invoice has been marked as unable to collect  |
| **Void**          | Invoice has been cancelled                    |

## Viewing invoices

Students see their invoices on their **Billing History** page, which shows:

* Each invoice with its line items and amounts
* The creation date
* The total amount
* Their overall account balance (total owed minus total paid)

Admins can view any student's invoices by navigating to the student's profile and clicking the **Billing** tab.

## Best practices

* **Use descriptive line item names.** Students should be able to understand what each charge is for without contacting your office.
* **Batch related charges into one invoice.** If a student owes a registration fee and materials fee, include both as line items on a single invoice rather than sending two separate invoices.
* **Issue credits as negative line items** rather than deleting invoices. This creates a clear audit trail.
* **Check student discount profiles first.** If a student has scholarship or financial aid discounts, those are applied automatically — you do not need to manually reduce the amounts.