Is money for school admission a bribe?

Question

Question: I want to admit my son, who is 3 years old, to a school, but there seems to be no school where admission is possible without money: without paying at least a thousand rupees there is no admission. Will my giving this be counted as a bribe? If it counts as giving a bribe, what should I do?

Answer

If this money is for the child’s expenses — for example, room rent, payment for water and lighting, the cost of meals and breakfast, clothing expenses, the servant’s wages, and so on and so forth — then it is not a bribe; these expenses are your responsibility. If this money falls under fees and protection and supervision, then too it is not a bribe.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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