Receiving the School Saving Bonus

The School Saving Bonus provided $400 in one-off support for Victorian school-aged students for use on school costs. Students must have been fully enrolled in a Victorian government school by 28 February 2025 to be eligible for the School Saving Bonus.

Receiving the School Saving Bonus

The way you received the School Saving Bonus depended on if your child, or children, attends a government school, or non-government school.

Government school information

Accessing the School Saving Bonus

Parents and carers of students enrolled at a government school for 2025, by 28 February 2025, were provided with their School Saving Bonus via an email sent from the Department of Education.

Any unspent School Saving Bonus funds, including online vouchers that were not redeemed by 11.59pm on 30 June 2025, will be available on your child’s school account as an activities credit from late July 2025. You should contact your child’s school for enquiries about using any activities credit funds.

Families who do not want to use the School Saving Bonus can elect to provide this money to their school for use by other students needing support. Please contact your school directly.

The Department of Education and the Victorian Government will never ask you to provide your banking or financial details for the School Saving Bonus.

Student eligibility

The School Saving Bonus was available to parents and carers of every Victorian government school student from Prep to Year 12 in 2025, except for full-fee international students, home-schooled students, and TAFE students.

There was no application required for eligible government school parents to receive the School Saving Bonus.

Non-government school information

Non-government school students receiving the means-tested Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) in 2025 were eligible for additional support through the School Saving Bonus.

Parents/carers of eligible non-government school students should contact their school if they have any questions about the distribution of the School Saving Bonus.

Resources for school leaders

School leaders

More information on the School Saving Bonus for school leaders and teachers is available via the Policy and Advisory Library (PAL).

Other support

The School Saving Bonus is in addition to existing and continuing means-tested supports for the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF). This helps to ensure that families most in need continue to get additional support.

The application-based Affordable School Uniform program, provided through State Schools’ Relief, is also available to families experiencing financial hardship or other forms of vulnerability and short-term crisis. This program allows schools to make multiple applications for support on parents’ behalf throughout the year if needed.

Contact us

Please contact your child’s school for any enquiries about the School Saving Bonus.