The popular School Saving Bonus continues to provide cost-of-living relief to thousands of Victorian families, paying for uniforms, textbooks and activities ahead of the 2025 school year thanks to the Allan Labor Government.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll today visited Athol Road Primary School in Springvale South to remind government school and eligible non-government school families they can still spend their $400 Bonus on items in the lead up to the start of Term 1 and beyond.
The School Saving Bonus can be used to buy school uniforms and textbooks or can go towards school activities such as camps or excursions. Around 700,000 students statewide will benefit from the Bonus.
More than 331,000 transactions have been processed, saving parents more than $80 million on back-to-school costs.
School uniforms have been the most popular item to use the Bonus on with over $32 million spent so far. School activities were also favoured with over $22 million allocated and nearly $26 million going towards textbooks.
The Bonus can be used at second-hand uniform and textbook shops run by schools as well as approved suppliers. Any unspent Bonus money will automatically transfer to a family's school account once the uniform and textbook voucher period expires on 30 June, with parents able to use the remaining funds on future school activities.
Any funds which remain unspent by the time a student leaves the school can be transferred to a sibling at the school or will be absorbed by the school to benefit other students.
Non-government school families who have a healthcare or concession card are also eligible to receive the Bonus. These schools decide how to allocate the Bonus to best accommodate the families in their communities.
The School Saving Bonus is just one way the Labor Government is easing cost-of-living pressures. It builds on many programs such as free school dental checkups through the Smile Squad, our Glasses for Kids program offering free glasses and vision checks for young students and the Schools Breakfast Club program dishing up almost 51 million meals since 2016.
For more information about the School Saving Bonus, visit vic.gov.au/school-saving-bonus
As stated by Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Ben Carroll
"It's great to see so many families benefitting from the Bonus. This help means all kids can fully participate in school and get the most out of their time in and out of the classroom."
"I encourage families to use the Bonus so they can get more money back in their pocket for the start of the school year."
As stated by Member for Clarinda Meng Heang Tak
"I'm thrilled to see that Athol Road Primary School families have already benefited from the cost-of-living support provided by the School Saving Bonus."
