At School 5-18

School Start Bonus

Preparing to start primary school and making the change from primary to secondary school are important times for your child – and a big expense for your family. The Victorian Government is helping to ease this financial strain by providing a one-off School Start Bonus of $300 for children entering Prep or Year 7 in 2010.

The School Start Bonus helps to meet the costs of buying school uniforms, sports uniforms, school bags and other school items so that your child gets the best possible start to school.

You will receive a payment voucher from your child’s school, which you present along with your Photo ID at your local post office for cash redemption.

Your child’s school should have issued you with your voucher at the end of the 2009 school year.

The School Start Bonus is a separate payment from, and additional to, the Education Maintenance Allowance.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact your school in the first instance. Alternatively, contact our Department’s Information and Referral Service on 1800 809 834 – select option 6.

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Eligibility

Every student enrolled and attending Prep and Year 7 for the first time in Term 1, at a registered Victorian school, is eligible for the Bonus.

This includes:

  • all government and non-government school children enrolled and attending Prep and Year 7
  • children who attend schools without the standard grades and year levels, who will receive payments based on their age
  • children who are being home schooled and are registered by the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) by 26 March 2010. For more details, see: More Information

The School Start Bonus is not means tested, and has no connection with Centrelink.

Your child is not eligible if they:

  • are not in Prep or Year 7
  • are repeating Prep or Year 7
  • enrol after the end of Term 1 in 2010
  • are attending TAFE or colleges as full time students
  • are being home-schooled and are not registered with the VRQA
  • are an overseas exchange student attending a Victorian school
  • are on visa subclasses 560, 571, 572, 573, 574 and 575 (full fee paying)
  • are in a temporary resident family whose visa classification falls into any of the following subclasses:
    • 456 Business Short Stay
    • 459 Sponsored Business Visit
    • All 600 subclass visas or Temporary Visitors visas
    • 771–773 subclass visas or Transit and Border visas
    • UD 956 Business Entrance long validity
    • UD 976 Visitor ETA
    • UD 977 Business Entrant short validity
    • APEC Business Person visas. 
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Payment

Your School Start Bonus (SSB) payment will be made payable to the primary care giver and legal guardian listed when your child was enrolled at the school. If you are the one listed as the primary care giver, your child’s school will give you the 2010 SSB voucher worth $300.

You don’t need to make a claim or apply to receive the School Start Bonus. If your child is eligible you would have automatically received a voucher from their school towards the end of 2009 school year. If you have not received your payment voucher, please contact your child’s school towards the middle of January 2010.

The SSB voucher is redeemable for cash at any Australia Post office displaying the Bank@Post sign, from 11 January 2010.

The vouchers have a unique barcode for each school and family to prevent fraud. You will need to present your photo identification (drivers licence, passport etc) when you go to the post office to redeem your voucher.

Make sure you provide the school with your full legal name to create the voucher so that it is the same as your photo identification. If your name is incorrect on the voucher ask your school to reissue it in your correct legal name.

Dates

  • end of Term 4, 2009            Schools issue SSB vouchers to parents and guardians
  • from 11 January 2010         SSB vouchers redeemable at Australia Post offices

Joint custody arrangements

Vouchers cannot be divided into two payments for shared custody arrangements. If you have any dispute regarding who the voucher should be made out to it will need to be handled through the Family Law Court.

If your child changes school throughout the year

The School Start Bonus is a one off payment. No additional payments are made if your child changes school throughout Prep or Year 7, or if they are enrolled in more than one school, or if they repeat a year.

If you can't access an Australia Post office

If you are not able to get to an Australia Post office to redeem your SSB voucher contact the Department’s Information and Referral Service on 1800 809 834, selecting option 6. You can then ask that the payment be made by Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and deposited directly into your account. The Department will send you out a form to be completed with your bank details and sent back with your SSB voucher.

Loss of, or damage to, your voucher

If you lose or damage your voucher, your child’s school will be able to reissue it on presentation of your photo identification. The vouchers have a unique barcode for each school and family to prevent fraud.

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More information

  • For answers to any further queries you may have, contact the Department’s Information and Referral Service on 1800 809 834, option 6
  • To find your closest Australia Post office with Bank@Post available, see: Post Office and Street Posting Box Locator
  • If your child is being home schooled you will need to fill out a School Start Bonus application form and send this and a copy of the Victorian Registration Qualification Authority (VRQA) home-school registration letter to the Department by 26 March 2010, see: School Start Bonus Application Form for Home Schooled Students (PDF - 90Kb)
  • For further information about home schooling and VRQA registration, see: Home Schooling

 Information on the School Start Bonus is available in the following languages: