Admission Referral System
Admission Referral Program
Everything you need to know — for school administrators and referral partners.
The Admission Referral Program lets your school run a commission-based partner network. Partners share their unique referral code with prospective students. When a referred student pays their admission application fee, the partner earns a commission automatically. Administrators manage everything from one dashboard — approving partners, monitoring referrals, and disbursing commissions.
Part 1 — For School Administrators
Setup, partner management, commissions, and controls
Step 1: Access the Referral Program
You will see the Referral Users page with a summary panel, a list of all your referral partners, and — if public signup is enabled — a Pending Approvals section for applications awaiting review.
Step 2: Enable or Disable Public Partner Signup
You can decide whether people can apply to become a referral partner on their own, or whether you add partners exclusively yourself.
When public signup is open, the signup link is displayed on that same card. Copy it and share it anywhere — social media, email, WhatsApp, your school website. All submitted applications are held for your review before becoming active.
When public signup is closed, the registration page shows a "Not currently accepting applications" message to any visitor who follows the link.
Step 3: Add a Partner Manually
If you already know who your partners will be, you can create their accounts directly:
The partner receives an email automatically with their login credentials (email address, referral code, and temporary password) and the link to your sign-in page.
Referral codes are permanent. Once a partner's code is saved, it cannot be changed — it may already be in circulation. Choose the code carefully before saving.
Step 4: Enable Referral on an Admission Exercise
The referral code field only appears on an admission form if you turn it on for that specific exercise.
5 for 5%, or 2000 for a ₦2,000 flat fee).Once enabled, the admission application form will include a Referral Code field. If an applicant enters a valid, active code, the system records it and a commission is triggered when the applicant pays.
Step 5: Review Pending Partner Applications
When public signup is open and someone submits an application, it appears in the Pending Approvals section at the bottom of the Referral Users page. This section is only visible when there are applications waiting.
To approve an application:
The partner's account is activated immediately and they receive an email with their login link, email address, and referral code.
To reject an application:
The partner receives an email informing them the application was not approved. Your reason is included in the email if you added one.
Step 6: Manage an Existing Partner
On any row in the Referral Users table, click the ⋯ actions button to see all available options:
| Action | What It Does |
|---|---|
| View | Summary card showing stats, bank details, and personal information |
| Commissions | Full list of commissions earned — both pending and disbursed |
| Referred Applicants | Every applicant who used this partner's referral code |
| Edit User | Update name, email, phone, bank details, and location |
| Update Password | Reset their portal password, with optional email notification |
| Activate / Deactivate | Toggle whether the partner is active. Only active partners earn commissions and their code is accepted on admission forms |
| Delete | Soft-deletes the account — data is preserved but the partner no longer appears in the list |
Step 7: Disburse Commissions
Commissions are recorded automatically when a referred applicant pays their fee. SchoolsFocus tracks the amounts — the actual bank transfer is made by you separately.
The commission is marked as Disbursed and the partner receives an automatic email notification.
Step 8: Create a Referral Sub-Account for an Existing User
A teacher, parent, or other existing user can also act as a referral partner without needing a separate login — they select which profile to use after signing in.
The system copies their details into a new referral partner profile and auto-generates a unique referral code for them. The next time they log in, they will be prompted to choose which profile to access.
How Commissions Are Calculated
| Type | Formula | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Percentage | (commission_value ÷ 100) × amount paid | 5% of ₦50,000 = ₦2,500 |
| Fixed | Flat amount per paid application | ₦2,000 per successful referral |
The commission is recorded the moment an applicant's invoice is marked as paid. The system prevents duplicates — if the same invoice is updated more than once, only one commission is ever created.
Part 2 — For Referral Partners
Signing up, your dashboard, sharing your code, and getting paid
How to Sign Up
If the school has opened public applications, you will have been given a signup link. Visit that link and fill in your full name, email address, and phone number. Country, city, and address are optional.
After you submit the form, you will receive an email with:
- A link to verify your email address
- Your temporary login password
- Your referral code (inactive until the school approves your application)
Click the email verification link as soon as you receive it. This confirms your email to the school and helps speed up the review process.
After verifying your email, your application waits for the school's review. You will receive another email as soon as a decision is made.
Logging In
Once your application is approved, log in at the school's sign-in page — the same page all school users use. Use the email address you registered with and the temporary password from your signup email.
Change your password after your first login. You can do this from your profile settings once you are inside the portal.
Your Dashboard
After logging in, you land on your Referral Partner Dashboard. Here you will find:
- Your referral code — copy this and share it with everyone you refer
- Total referrals — how many applicants have used your code
- Successful referrals — applicants who used your code and completed payment
- Pending commissions — money earned that has not yet been paid out to you
- Disbursed commissions — money the school has already paid to you
- A table of referred applicants showing each person who used your code and their application status
- A table of your commission records
Sharing Your Referral Code
Give your code to anyone who is considering applying to the school and tell them to enter it in the Referral Code field on the admission application form.
The code is tied to you — every application that uses it is tracked under your account automatically. There is no limit to how many people you can refer.
Getting Paid
When a referred applicant pays their admission fee, a commission entry appears on your dashboard automatically. The amount is determined by the commission rate the school has set for that admission exercise.
Commissions show as Pending until the school processes the payment to you. When the school disburses your commission, it is updated to Disbursed and you receive an email notification.
Payments are made directly by the school. SchoolsFocus records and tracks commissions, but the actual bank transfer happens outside the platform. Contact your school admin if you have questions about when a disbursement will be made.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from admins and partners
FAQ
