Further technical and support information to assist schools with implementing and managing the School Saving Bonus will be progressively added to this page.
Policy
The purpose of this policy is to ensure that School Saving Bonus funding is appropriately administered, and access for families is supported to help with education costs.
Summary
- The School Saving Bonus is a one-off $400 support for government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.
- Non-government school students who are receiving the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) in 2024 are also eligible for the School Saving Bonus.
- The School Saving Bonus is provided to help with the costs of uniforms, textbooks and school activities.
- Schools must:
- communicate to families the availability of the School Saving Bonus, noting the department has provided template communications to schools
- plan, oversee and record all financial activities associated with the School Saving Bonus
- ensure the School Saving Bonus funds are used for the appropriate purposes.
To access School Saving Bonus information sheets for parents, including translated resources, refer to the Resources tab.
Details
School Saving Bonus eligibility
Government schools
The School Saving Bonus is available for parents and carers of each Victorian government school student from Prep to Year 12 in 2025. The school that the student is enrolled at for the 2025 school year is the school that will receive the School Saving Bonus for that student. Enrolment data has been gathered in preparation for the initial release of the School Saving Bonus in late November 2024, with any enrolment changes to be captured in future data updates.
The School Saving Bonus is not payable to full-fee international students, home schooled students, TAFE students and students attending kindergarten in 2025.
There is no application required for eligible government school parents to receive the School Saving Bonus – the bonus will be provided directly to the school in November 2024.
Non-government schools
Non-government school students receiving a payment from the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) in 2024 are eligible for additional support through the School Saving Bonus. There is no application required for non-government school students to receive the bonus.
Non-government schools will receive funding based on the number of families eligible for the CSEF in November 2024, and are responsible for managing the distribution of funds to eligible students to assist with 2025 education costs.
Refer to Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund for further information on eligibility criteria and the application process for access to the CSEF.
School Saving Bonus expenditure
Government schools
For government school students, the $400 School Saving Bonus will be provided directly to the school.
Families will receive an email from the department with their $400 School Saving Bonus code information and access to an online system. Families can choose how to use and allocate the $400 bonus – on school activities, to purchase uniforms or textbooks, or a mixture of all three.
If families choose to allocate funds to school activities, they will do so via the online system. Families will determine the amount to allocate, and the funds will then be available for the family to use at the school for activities.
The parent/carer can advise the school of their intention to use the School Saving Bonus when giving permission for their child to attend or participate in an activity.
Some common examples of school activities for which the School Saving Bonus may be used include:
- school camps, trips, excursions and incursions
- swimming and sporting programs
- outdoor education programs
- graduations.
The School Saving Bonus cannot be used towards:
- activities required for the school’s delivery of the curriculum
- before/after school care
- locker hire
- classroom and homework materials
- formals or debutante balls.
Alternatively, the parent/carer can purchase uniforms and/or textbooks via an in-store or online purchase, with an approved supplier.
The bonus can be used to purchase second-hand items where the sale of items is managed by the school (that is, where the school is the supplier).
Generic uniform items, including shoes, can also be purchased through State Schools’ Relief.
The bonus cannot be used for purchases at general retailers (for example, Kmart, Big W, Best&Less) or to support transactions between individuals.
Online access to the School Saving Bonus will expire on 30 June 2025. Any balance remaining at this time will automatically transfer to family accounts at the school for families to use toward school activities. Families and schools do not need to action this transfer.
Funds will rollover for use in future years if not all spent in 2025.
Families who have more than one child at the same school can combine their School Saving Bonus to use on one child or for a specific activity (for example, a camp). The School Saving Bonus cannot be combined across different schools and cannot be transferred between government and non-government schools.
Unused money from the School Saving Bonus will follow students transferring between government schools. Where a student leaves the government school system any unused money can be transferred to a sibling at the same school. If there is no sibling, the funds can be retained by the school to support other students with educational costs.
Additional supports
The School Saving Bonus will be in addition to existing and continuing means-tested supports for Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) and the Affordable School Uniforms Program, through State Schools’ Relief. This helps to ensure that the families who need it most continue to get additional support.
Approved suppliers
The School Saving Bonus can be used until 30 June 2025 at school-nominated textbook or uniform suppliers either in store or online, or through State Schools’ Relief.
The school-nominated suppliers were determined by schools and the department and may include a school uniform or bookshop, where appropriate.
The School Saving Bonus will also be redeemable for purchasing second-hand uniforms and textbooks directly from schools.
Non-government schools
Payments for eligible non-government students will be made directly to the student’s school. Non-government schools are required to administer the School Saving Bonus in consultation with the student’s family and in accordance with the intent of the initiative. The allocation of the School Saving Bonus should be visible to families through a family statement or equivalent.
Communication with parents/carers
Schools must communicate the availability of the School Saving Bonus to their school community.
Schools may communicate using any communication tool that is suitable for their school context. This includes letters in the post, email, or using third party communication tools.
The Resources tab contains School Saving Bonus information to support schools with communicating to families.
Families who do not wish to access their School Saving Bonus
Families who do not want to use the School Saving Bonus provided for their child/children can elect to provide this money to the school for use for other students:
- Schools can allocate funds to be used to assist other students at the school within the scope of the School Saving Bonus (that is, school-incurred costs for camps, sports and excursions).
- Funds cannot be used for costs outside of the scope of the School Saving Bonus (that is, voluntary parent payments, school building/grounds improvements or stationery items).
- Schools must retain records of the parent request to reallocate funding.
Record keeping
School Saving Bonus records are treated as financial records that detail the receipt and expenditure of public monies. Schools must retain the records and documents relating to the School Saving Bonus for 7 years (as set out in the Retention and Disposal Authority for Records of Common Administrative , issued by the Public Records Office Victoria).
Schools must also securely store CSEF records during the 7-year document retention period. For more information about security of storage refer to: Records Management – School Records.
Definitions
School Saving Bonus
A one-off bonus provided by the department to assist families with the cost of school uniforms, textbooks and participation in school activities, such as excursions and sport.
Related policies
Reviewed 24 November 2024