Support for children’s education and childcare costs.
The cost of childcare and school can be a daunting prospect. It’s common for parents or guardians to make sacrifices so their children get what they need. There are steps you can take to help your children get the education they deserve without breaking the bank.
Childcare subsidy
The Australian Government’s Child Care Subsidy helps people access a range of childcare services at a reduced cost. These include:
- centre-based day care, like long day care and occasional day care
- family day care
- outside school hours care, including vacation care
- in-home care.
Eligibility and how it works
There are certain requirements you must meet before qualifying for the Child Care Subsidy. These include residency status, income, and how often your child is in care.
The subsidy is usually paid directly to your childcare provider and is passed on to you as a reduction in fees.
The Child Care Subsidy typically doesn’t extend to cover the full cost of childcare, so families are expected to make a ‘gap’ payment – which is the difference between the subsidy and the provider’s fees.
Where to find information
Child Care Subsidy – what you get and the eligibility criteria
Additional Child Care Subsidy – what it is and who it applies to (e.g. grandparents, people transitioning to work, people experiencing temporary financial hardship)
StartingBlocks – find government-approved childcare services and costs
Public school costs in Australia
Primary and secondary school in Australia is delivered by:
- public ‘state’ schools, run by state and territory governments, that usually don’t require fees for a child to attend core curriculum education
- non-government private schools that require fees.
Private schools can be very expensive to attend. Public state schools are fully government-funded and free to attend for core curriculum education, in most cases, around Australia.
However, state schools do request that families pay a voluntary ‘school levy’ or ‘contribution’. It’s important to remember that this payment is voluntary. You are not legally required to pay it and the school cannot pressure you to pay.
Other expenses
While fees aren’t compulsory in the state school system, there are other expenses such as uniforms, books, and school supplies. Plus, depending on your school, payment is required for extra-curricular subjects, some in-school subjects, and activities such as excursions.
In Australia’s state school system, the cost of educating one child from their first year right through to Year 12 can amount to more than $50,000.
For families finding it difficult to pay these extra expenses, you might be able to ask for other arrangements to be set up with the school, like payment plans.
Financial support in your state or territory
Many state schools receive special funding to help parents and children with unique challenges in their area. For example, if the area is remote or economically disadvantaged. This may mean that your local state school has extra resources to make sure your child receives the full advantages of both educational and broader school activities. Here are some links to government assistance in your state or territory:
Concession schemes
The state and territory governments run concession and financial assistance schemes to help with the costs of education for students, parents and guardians of students.
| Australian Capital Territory | Assistance |
| New South Wales | Concessions, rebates and assistance |
| Northern Territory | Concessions and payments |
| Queensland | Concessions |
| South Australia | Concessions |
| Tasmania | Tasmanian Government Concessions |
| Victoria | Concessions and benefits |
| Western Australia | Concessions |
Paying for school and childcare in financial hardship
If you’re having trouble with ongoing costs, your school or childcare centre may have support options available to you to help you cover education-related expenses. Try having a confidential conversation with the wellbeing officer, principal, or accounts person.
How schools may help
- alternate ways to pay fees (including payment plans, cost-saving alternatives, reducing or waiving fees entirely)
- assistance finding second hand textbooks
- access to any devices needed for school, like laptops
- interpretation and translation services
- referrals to not-for-profit community programs for education costs such as The Smith Family Learning for Life program
- access on your behalf to support services such as State School Relief in Victoria which can provide school supplies like uniforms, calculators and stationery
Centrelink payments
The Australian Government provides income support payments through Centrelink. You can use this tool to learn about your eligibility for payments, or go to Services Australia to learn more about the services and support they offer.
Available payments
| Students | ABSTUDY for First Nations students Youth Allowance for students and apprentices Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme – payments for students who can’t attend a local or state school |
| Parents or guardians | Parenting Payment Parental Leave Pay Family Tax Benefit Part A Family Tax Benefit Part B Child Care Subsidy Additional Child Care Subsidy Carer Allowance Child Dental Benefits Schedule |
Dealing with Centrelink
Many people find dealing with Centrelink difficult. Applying for payments can be confusing. Most payments are set too low and have overly strict requirements.
📌 See our dealing with Centrelink page.
No interest loans
No Interest Loans (NILs) allow you to borrow money to help you get back on your feet without having any of the crippling interest or high fees that come with other forms of loans.
How does it work?
NILs are typically offered for up to $2,000-$3,000 for education fees, rent or bond, essentials like fridges, washing machines, furniture, kitchenware, medical expenses, car repairs, and other goods and services you might need to get back on your feet.
There are certain rules around who can apply for NILs. Broadly, you must:
- have a Health Care Card, a Pensioner Concession Card (or an income less than $45,000 per year after tax)
- have lived at your current address for more than three months
- show that you can repay the loan.
Who provides NILs?
The No Interest Loan Scheme is one of the financial services provided by Good Shepherd Microfinance. You can find providers over at the Good Shepherd website.
Saver Plus program
Saver Plus is a financial education program for families and individuals on a tight budget. The program is designed to build financial skills and develop life-long savings habits, and offers up to $500 to help with education costs.
This information was last updated on 5 June 2023.
The links and resources in this article have been compiled and reviewed by the Brotherhood of St. Laurence. We aren’t responsible for what you’ll find at the links, though we do hope you find the information useful. See our disclaimer if you’d like to know more.
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