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Both the Commonwealth and all states & territories have programs to provide financial support for students and their families. These vary between states but could include items from Education Tax Refunds, concession transport cards, specialised transport for students with disabilities, bursaries, scholarships, accommodation assistance, textbook allowances and more.
Links are provided to information for as many of those about which we are aware.
If you are aware of any that have been omitted, your assistance in notifying us is requested. We would prefer to have as full a listing as possible.
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State & Territory Information
Australian Capital Territory
- ACT Junior Secondary Bursary Scheme
Assistance for low-income earners with students in Years 7-10. Check the Secondary Bursary Scheme section for details. - Student Transport - Urban Services
Details including procedures to follow. Information also at this Student Transport Program site. - Transport of Students with Disabilities
New South Wales
- Subsidies, Grants & Allowances. This has the following sections.
- Learning Community Grants [New South Wales]
Get details on what is available. - NSW Government Assistance for Secondary Students. This includes :
- Living Away from Home;
- Access Scholarships for Isolated Students;
- Agricultural High School Boarder Scholarships.
- Special Needs Transport Service
‘Transport to and/or from school for some students with disabilities, behaviour disorders and learning difficulties, when the parents or caregivers responsible for transport are unable to do so.’
- Subsidised Travel for Eligible Students
- Youth Allowance
Information from Centrelink through the NSW Department of Education & Training.
Northern Territory
- Student Assistance Schemes
Includes the following specific areas [forms, etc.] plus access to the Student Assistance Schemes Handbook :
- Conveyance Subsidy;
- Correspondence Materials Delivery Allowance;
- Delivery Assistance;
- Isolated Students Education Allowance;
- MidTerm Travel Scheme;
- Remote Area Travel Allowance;
- School of the Air Student Functions;
- Student Assistance [includes Proof of Residency];
- Student Travel Scheme
- Tertiary Fare Re-imbursement ;
Queensland
- Financial Assistance
‘A guide to State and Commonwealth Government assistance available to Queensland parents and school-age students.’ PDF booklet. Scroll down to Further Information. - Grants & Allowances
Non-State Schools From Capital Assistance through to Upper Primary Literacy Grants. - Living Away from Home Allowance
- Parents and Students - Financial Allowances
PDF booklet. Details State & Commonwealth assistance. - School Transport
Queensland Transport. Includes all transport options including School Transport Assistance Scheme, School Transport for Students with Disabilities, Code of Conduct, behaviour, Non-Government Schools Transport Scheme, even bus replacement options. - State Education and Financial Assistance
Covers financial assistance, some of which are covered elsewhere in this section, plus access to several PDF documents. - Student Hostel Assistance
- Targeted Funding
‘Targeted grants are provided to support the achievement of specific outcomes and schools are required to report on the outcomes associated with the use of these funds.’ - Textbook and Resource Allowance
‘Assistance to parents of secondary school age students attending state and approved non-state schools to contribute towards the cost of textbooks and learning resources. Registered home education students in years 8-12 are also eligible.’
South Australia
- School Card
‘Provides financial assistance towards the educational expenses incurred by families at government and non-government schools and who meet the eligibility criteria.’ - Transport Assistance, Students With Disabilities
Information, contact details, link to further information - Concession Card [SA]
Adelaide Metro. Information below the card graphics.
Tasmania
- Awards, Bursaries & Scholarships
Details several awards, etc., many included in the other listings. - Other Student Assistance Schemes
Includes Concession Bus pass, Conveyance Allowance, scholarships and bursaries plus several other schemes. Links for several Commonwealth funding schemes such as AbStudy. - School Life
Gives a similar listing when you click on the Costs & Assistance menu [drop down menu from Starting School] and select from choices available. - Student Financial Assistance
Includes :
- Accommodation Allowance for Tertiary Students;
- Student Accommodation Allowance;
- Other Financial Assistance, including Bursaries;
- Spectacles Assistance Scheme;
Victoria
- Concession Card [Vic]
Concessions for those eligible for transport to and from school. Download information at Victorian Fares & Ticketing Manual via either the relevant chapter on Concessions, or the whole document. - Education Maintenance Allowance
Assistance to help with educating full time students from families with limited income. Details available in a multiple languages. - Financial Assistance
Details some of the other items listed here and also links to other sources of income assistance, e.g. Abstudy, Youth Allowances, etc.. - School Start Bonus
FAQs that provide essential information related to this payment.
Western Australia
- Further information can be sought on the three items below by using the following email address : Schools
Resourcing Email Link, or going to the Western Australia Education Department’s site for Student
Allowances.
You now have to be able to log-in to access this site.
- Agricultural College Special Subsidy
Apply through the college you are going to attend/are attending. - Boarding Away from Home Allowance
Links to other isolation allowances from Centrelink, but is paid by Western Australia. - Secondary Assistance Scheme
Includes Clothing, Educational Program and Abstudy Fees Allowance Supplement. Information can be obtained from the office of any secondary school. Eligibility restrictions apply.
- Financial Assistance, Allowances and Subsidies
You now have to be able to log-in to access this site, which appears to cover all allowances. - Student Subsidised Travel Scheme
For students travelling from a Defined Remote Area to attend school or university. - Student Transport Concessions
TransPerth. Sections covers Primary, Secondary and Tertiary students.
Primary & Secondary
In addition to the information supplied above, you should also check information regarding scholarships/allowances/assistance by going to the Scholarships pages.
You should also check sites information regarding scholarships/allowances/assistance from individual institutions. Check schools by going to School Web Sites and following the instructions. These are often also to be found in major daily papers in each state at appropriate times of the year. Most non-government schools advertise in February & March for scholarships applicable in the following year.
The following links apply to all states & territories. Most are Commonwealth Government funding programs.
- Abstudy
Financial assistance for people of Indigenous descent to undertake secondary or tertiary study. Check details for granting this. - Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme
Commonwealth initiative. Helps if you have a ‘primary, secondary or under 16 year old tertiary student who cannot go to an appropriate government school because you live too far away.’ - Child Carer Allowance
Financial assistance for carers of children with disabilities. - Education Tax Refund
‘If you’re eligible for the Education Tax Refund you could get 50% back on a range of primary and secondary school education expenses. This site will help you determine if you are eligible, what you can claim, how much you can claim and how you can claim it.’ - Investing in Our Schools Programme
A Federal government programme through DEEWR targetting both government and non-government schools. Find details about grants, applications, guidelines, etc., at this site. - Westfield Premier’s Educational Scholarships
This is the Western Australian link. Each state has a similar link. - Youth Allowance
Tertiary
In addition to the information supplied below, you should also check the Scholarships pages for information regarding scholarships/allowances/assistance from individual universities. Similarly, a number of colleges linked also have scholarships/allowances/assistance. Information on these can be found through individual College sites, and in some cases the Scholarships link noted above.
Australian Government Sites
- Australian Skills Vouchers Program
‘Through the Australian Skills Vouchers Programme, eligible Australians may now apply for a voucher which helps cover the cost of specific types of training. This training is available through approved training providers across Australia.’ Check eligibility criteria. - Austudy
Provides income support to eligible students over the age of 25. - Child Carer Allowance
Financial assistance for carers of children with disabilities. - Defence Force Jobs
As well as providing general information about all aspects of defence force jobs, this looks at positions at the ADF [Defence Forces Academy, check under Education] and the help that is available. You do have to sign up for a minimum period of service wherever they send you.
HECS & HELP Assistance
- FEE-HELP
‘FEE-HELP is a loan given to eligible fee-paying students to help pay part or all of their tuition fees. You can borrow up to the amount of the tuition fee being charged by your provider for your unit of study. However, over your lifetime you can borrow only up to the FEE-HELP limit.’ - Higher Education Loans Program [ATO]
Details on this method of deferring payment for university studies. Includes Student Financial Supplement Scheme information. Also check the Overview page for more detailed information. - HECS-HELP
Detailed information on what it was/is, eligibility, repayments, booklet, other information. - My Future
has a section on scholarships and funding, e.g. 240+ listed beginning with A. Click on The Facts, then choose Awards and Scholarships under the Funding heading. You can choose alphabetically, by region/organisation/subject, or by using the search engine if you know what you are after. It also has a section on Financial Support. - Paying For Your Studies, HELP Loans
Online and downloadable booklets provide all the information you need. - Payment Options & HECS-HELP
Post Graduate Assistance
- Commonwealth Scholarships DEEWR
Sections relate to post graduate work. Check eligibility. - See details for FEE-HELP above.
General Sites
- EducationSoftware.com.au
One of several online sources where students [and teachers] can legitimately buy quality software from known brands at academic prices. - FastWeb
If you are looking to study at an American university and need financial assistance, this could be the site for you. It helps you find Free scholarships as well as information about colleges. - Student VIP
You need to join StudentVIP to access all areas. A portal including the following sites. among others including travel, grants and discounts :
- Education Software
Order here or link to EducationSoftware.com.au [see above]. - Magazines4Students
‘We coordinate education-rate subscriptions on world class magazines for Australian students and academic staff.’ - Textbookexchange
‘Australia’s largest second hand textbook site - and it’s still 100% Free. Turn last semester’s used textbooks into cash. Save heaps off new text book prices.’