In EDUBase, give each sibling the same family number on the admission form or student profile, and they are linked as one family. Fee vouchers, family-wise payments, receipts, defaulter reports and reminders can then work per family instead of per child.
What does linking siblings into one family actually do?
EDUBase links brothers and sisters under a shared family number. Once siblings carry the same family number, the fee and communication tools can treat them as one household rather than as separate, unrelated students.
Each child still keeps their own student record, class, fee plan, attendance and marks. The family link sits on top of those records, so nothing about an individual child is lost when they are grouped.
- Fee vouchers can be printed per family as well as per child.
- Payments for all siblings can be collected together with one family receipt.
- Fee defaulters can be listed by family.
- Reminders and messages can be sent per family, and the Family SMS Report shows what each family was sent.
How do I link a sibling when admitting a new child?
The admission form includes guardian details and a family number alongside the session, fee plan and photo. When an older brother or sister is already enrolled, enter that existing family number on the new child's admission form instead of creating a new one.
Before saving, check that the guardian details match the sibling already on record. Linking the wrong family number means the child's fees and messages will be grouped with the wrong household.
- Look up the enrolled sibling and note their family number.
- Fill in the admission form for the new child, entering the same family number.
- Complete the class, session and fee plan as normal; the fee plan can differ from the sibling's.
- Save, and if the admission goes through an approval step, the link is kept once it is approved.
How do I link siblings who are already enrolled?
For one or two children, open the student's profile and correct the family number so it matches the sibling's. Family links are kept current on the same screens the rest of the system reads from, so fees, attendance and exams continue to see the same child.
For many students at once, Bulk update lets you change a field across a selection of students in one action, which is quicker than editing profiles one by one. When moving from registers or another system, students can also be added or updated from Excel through Upload Students, and during onboarding the EDUBase team loads the student data Excel for you.
- Single corrections: edit the family number on the student profile.
- Many corrections: use Bulk update on the selected students.
- New schools or large clean-ups: prepare the data in Excel and use Upload Students.
How are fees collected and receipted per family?
Once siblings are linked, the office can print a family voucher and take payment for all the children together. Family-wise payment produces one receipt for the family instead of a slip per child, and when a parent pays several months at once, a consolidated receipt replaces one slip per month.
Individual vouchers remain available. If a parent wants to pay for only one child, the single challan can still be printed and paid, in full or in part.
- Print single, family or compact multi-per-page vouchers.
- Collect for all siblings together with family-wise payment.
- Review everything a family has paid in Payment History.
- Collections still appear in Day Wise Paid Challans for the daily cash-up.
How do reminders and messages reach the family?
The fee defaulter reports can be run by family, each with print and SMS or WhatsApp actions. Automatic fee defaulter reminders can be scheduled for a chosen day and hour, and one of the two defaulter definitions ignores families who have paid something this month, which avoids chasing a household that has already started paying.
For general announcements, SMS Blaster sends a message to any selection of students, families, classes or staff. Afterwards, the Family SMS Report shows what was sent and to whom.
- Fee defaulters by family, with print and SMS/WhatsApp actions.
- Printed fee reminder letters for families who have not paid.
- SMS Blaster for messages to selected families.
- Family SMS Report to confirm delivery per family.
How can I check that a family is linked correctly?
Open Student 360° for any child and use the Siblings section to jump to the brothers and sisters in the same family. If a sibling is missing or an unrelated child appears, the family number needs correcting.
User Logging records who created, changed or deleted a record, with the changed fields highlighted, so you can trace when and by whom a family link was changed.
- Student 360°: confirm the siblings listed are the right children.
- Family voucher: print one and check every child appears.
- User Logging: see who changed a student's record and when.
Handling siblings separately versus as one linked family
| Task | Siblings not linked | Siblings linked by family number |
|---|---|---|
| Printing vouchers | One voucher per child, matched by hand at the counter | Family voucher available alongside single vouchers |
| Taking payment | Separate payment entry for each child | Family-wise payment for all siblings together |
| Receipts | One slip per child | One receipt for the family |
| Defaulter list | Each child appears as a separate defaulter | Fee defaulters can be listed by family |
| Reminder rules | A family that has paid for one child may still be chased | Option to ignore families who have paid something this month |
| Message records | Logs show individual students only | Family SMS Report shows what each family was sent |
| Finding siblings | Searching by guardian name or phone | Siblings section in Student 360° |
Related modules
- Student Management & Admissions — Every student record, from first enquiry to leaving certificate, in one place.
- Fee Management & Challans — Fee plans, monthly challans, discounts, family payments and receipts, without spreadsheets.
- Fee Reports & Defaulters — Know what was billed, what was collected and who still owes, per class, family or month.
- Fee Automation — Let the system generate challans, apply late fees and chase defaulters on schedule.
- SMS, WhatsApp & Notifications — Reach parents by SMS, WhatsApp, branded SMS or app notification, from every screen that matters.
- Student 360° — One child, one screen: profile, attendance, marks, position, fee, conduct, meetings and siblings.
- Bulk Data Import & Onboarding Tools — Move from registers or another system by Excel: students, fee plans, old dues and past payments.