Tier 3 student-level funding
Tier 3 provides additional funding to Tier 1 and Tier 2, to support schools to deliver adjustments to meet the individual nature and acute impact of students with complex needs.
Schools must make reasonable adjustments to ensure that students with disability can access and participate in education on the same basis as students without disability. Additional resources provided to schools do not define or limit the support provided for student with disability. Refer to: Students with Disability.
For further information on the Disability Inclusion vision for inclusion, refer to vision for inclusive education .
How the Disability Inclusion Profile informs Tier 3 student-level funding
The Disability Inclusion Profile (profile) and surrounding process is designed to help schools and families detail the strengths, functional needs, and educational adjustments schools are making for individual students with disability.
Schools will need to prepare for, co-ordinate, and participate in the profile process, with parent/carer(s), to receive Disability Inclusion Tier 3 student-level funding. Refer to Disability Inclusion Profile for more information on this process.
Eligibility for Tier 3 student-level funding
A student is considered eligible for Tier 3 student-level funding where it is confirmed that:
- the school provides either substantial adjustments or extensive adjustments for at least 8 of the profile’s 31 educational-related activities or
- the school provides extensive adjustments for at least 3 of the profile’s 31 educational-related activities.
Should the student be eligible for Tier 3 funding, the student’s levels of adjustment across all 31 educational activities contribute to the Tier 3 funding allocation. As such, schools should provide supporting information related to all relevant activities and domains within the profile and not target a subset of activities.
In addition, there must be evidence to confirm that:
- the student has a severe functional capacity limitation, as identified by an Adaptive Behaviour Composite 70 or below on the Vineland 3 Teacher Form Comprehensive Version (completed within the past 12 months) or
- the student has a diagnosed condition that is known to cause a substantial increase in their functional needs. Refer to: Tier 3 validation – list of conditions .
All students are required to complete the Vineland-3 as part of the Disability Inclusion Profile process. Refer to: Registering and completing a Disability Inclusion Profile request.
For students with a diagnosis of a condition that is listed in the Tier 3 list of conditions, the principal or delegate must upload a scanned copy of the report that confirms this diagnosis. This diagnosis must have been made by a suitable practitioner, following current diagnostic assessment guidelines or criteria, for example the National Guideline for Assessment and Diagnosis of Autism. The report or letter must be signed by the diagnosing practitioner.
Without evidence of a severe functional limitation or diagnosed condition, eligibility can also be decided through an enhanced moderation pathway. Under this pathway, the Disability Inclusion Facilitator Service will review the supporting information provided to confirm if the school provides 8 substantial adjustments or 3 extensive adjustments and one of the extensive adjustments in one of the following profile educational-related activities:
- managing one’s own behaviour
- looking after one’s safety
- regulating behaviours within interactions
- interacting according to social rules.
Students who are found eligible through the enhanced moderation pathway will require a subsequent profile within 2 years.
The department will be reviewing these criteria as the Disability Inclusion roll-out progresses.
Tier 3 student-level funding allocation
If the eligibility is determined, an allocation of Tier 3 funding will be provided as part of the Student Resource Package of the school/s that the student attends in accordance with the student’s enrolment arrangements.
The amount of Tier 3 funding allocated is determined based on the confirmed ‘level of adjustment’ ratings across all of the profile’s 31 educational-related activities for each eligible student.
Schools will receive confirmation of funding allocations in the school’s termly budget update.
For existing students supported through the PSD who are yet to undertake a profile, their PSD funding allocation will continue to appear in schools’ budget reports as they do currently.
All mainstream schools (primary, secondary, and combined), specialist schools and language schools can be allocated Tier 3 funding.
Tier 3 student-level funding start dates
Funding start dates for eligible students are determined both by the date when the school registers the profile request, and by the date when the school completes the profile request.
Definitions
New enrolment
New enrolment is defined as a student enrolled after Week 2, Term 4 the year before, and before or on Census Date in the current year.
Existing enrolment
Existing enrolment is defined as a student enrolled no later than Week 2, Term 4 the year before.
Census Date
Census Date is the last school day in February each year.
Existing enrolments
For existing enrolments, funding (if eligible) will start:
- from Term 1 – if the profile request is registered by Census date and completed by Census Date
- from Term 2 – if the profile request is registered by Census date and completed by the end of Week 2, Term 2
- from Term 3 – if the profile request is registered by Census date and completed by the end of Week 2, Term 3
- from Term 4 – if the profile request is registered by Census date and completed by the end of Week 2, Term 4.
New enrolments
For new enrolments, funding (if eligible) will start:
- from Term 1 – if the profile request is registered by Census date and completed by the end of Term 2
- from Term 2 – if the profile request is registered by the end of Term 2 and completed by the end of Term 2
- from Term 3 – if the profile request is registered by the end of Term 2 and completed by the end of Week 2, Term 3
- from Term 4 – if the profile request is registered by the end of Term 2 and completed by the end of Week 2, Term 4.
Students enrolled after Census Date
For students enrolled after Census Date, funding (if eligible) will start from the term of enrolment if a complete profile request is received within 2 terms. The meeting itself does not need to take place within 2 terms.
For more information about funding start dates, refer to Key dates – Tier 3 student-level funding .
For further information about the funding allocation methodology, refer to: Student Resource Package - Disability Inclusion Tier 3 student-level funding (Reference 138).
Note: for international fee paying students, any Tier 3 funding will be allocated to the school the student attends separately to the Student Resource Package.
Implementing Tier 3 funding
When planning for the use of Tier 3 funding, schools must consider targeted, evidence-based strategies that will have lasting and long-term benefits for the individual student, as well as building the capacity of the school to provide an inclusive curriculum for students with additional learning needs.
Tier 3 funding can be used in a number of ways, including by providing:
- evidence-based teaching strategies and programs, which may include direct instruction and targeted teaching using the response to intervention
- teaching staff
- specialist staff, for example, a disability inclusion coordinator, occupational therapist, speech pathologist, or board-certified behaviour analyst
- teacher professional development
- specialist equipment/materials, including assistive technology
- education support staff.
Where a school is allocated resources to support more than one student, the principal may choose to liaise with members of the student support groups to discuss and evaluate any common requirements, for example, the funding of therapy services or inclusive education teacher positions.
Reviewed 23 January 2026