Noooli Learn
Voluntary school contributions: what parents need to know
Victoria rewrote its parent contributions policy for 2027. What Australian government schools can ask families to pay for, and what must stay free.
Read the guideKey points
Government schools in Victoria and New South Wales may ask families for contributions, but payment is voluntary and no child may be disadvantaged for not paying [1][5].
Victoria updated its policy on 15 September 2026, and the changes apply to the arrangements schools set up during 2026 for the 2027 school year [2].
Schools may charge for items and activities outside curriculum delivery, such as camps that are not required for the curriculum, and may invite families to buy materials the child keeps [2].
New South Wales caps primary school contributions at $51 for 2026 and funds classroom items and core textbooks from the school budget [6].
Are school contributions compulsory?
Term 4 is when most families receive a letter about next year: book lists, uniform orders and a request for money. This guide sets out what government schools may and may not ask for, using the published policies of the two largest states.
No. In Victoria, the Department of Education's Parent Contributions policy states that parents and carers "decide whether to make voluntary contributions, how much to contribute and when to contribute", and that schools cannot set payment plans or schedules [2]. Schools must state in all communications that each contribution is voluntary, and must not use terms such as fees, charges or levies "that suggest or communicate that voluntary contributions are compulsory" [2].
In New South Wales, the position rests on the Education Act 1990, section 31, which the department's policy says means there is no charge for instruction in government schools, apart from overseas students. The policy states that "the payment of voluntary school contributions is at the discretion of parents and carers" [5].
Both states bar consequences for non-payment. Victorian schools must not refuse curriculum instruction, limit subject choice or deny access to items required for the curriculum because a contribution was not made, and must not undertake debt recovery [2]. New South Wales schools must not deny a student the opportunity to meet syllabus requirements or to take part in broader school activities, including end-of-year or end-of-school activities, and must not use incentives or consequences over payment [5][6].
What changed in Victoria for 2027?
Victoria announced changes to the policy on 15 September 2026, renaming it from Parent Payments to Parent Contributions. The changes apply to the arrangements developed during 2026 for the 2027 school year [2].
The core principle is unchanged and now stated plainly: schools must provide students with "free instruction and free access to all items, activities and services that are used by the school to fulfil the requirements of the curriculum", and cannot indicate that items or activities required for curriculum delivery are user-pays [2]. The parent-facing summary is blunter still: "Victorian government schools cannot charge fees" [3].
On 16 October 2026, the ABC reported that schools had been given a template letter reminding families that contributions are voluntary, and that principals were concerned it would reduce the amount collected. The Education Minister, Gabrielle Williams, said the policy "was updated to make it absolutely clear that school contributions are voluntary" [1].
One change matters specifically to primary families. From 2027, if you have a child in Kindergarten to Year 6 at a Victorian government school, the school must not invite or allow you to provide, buy or rent a laptop or tablet for your child to use at school [3].
What can a school still ask you to pay for?
The Victorian policy sorts other payments into two groups [2].
The first is extra-curricular items and activities, offered on a user-pays basis: excursions and camps that are not required for curriculum delivery, and non-curriculum items such as a school magazine or yearbook. Schools must not describe a user-pays camp or excursion as compulsory. It must not include learning materials such as stationery packs, digital devices, textbooks or calculators, or general or subject enrolment fees [2].
The second is learning materials for students to use and own. Schools may invite families to provide, buy or lease these for a child's personal use. Crucially, if a family does not, "the school must ensure that the student has free access to items required for delivery of the curriculum" [2]. Schools must not invite families to buy classroom consumables required for curriculum delivery, or school-developed workbooks and exam papers [2].
New South Wales draws a similar line. Subject contributions cannot be charged for mandatory subjects that deliver the core curriculum, and the department lists classroom items such as tissues and markers, textbooks and course materials for core subjects, and technology subscriptions used in direct instruction or mandatory homework as costs the school should fund. Families can be asked to contribute to mandatory excursions, incursions and specialist activities [6].
What if money is tight?
Say so early, in writing if easier. Victorian schools must "prepare for and support families experiencing financial hardship" [2]. In New South Wales, schools must provide student assistance for part or all of the cost of a mandatory excursion, incursion or specialist activity in cases of financial hardship [6].
Victoria also runs the Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund. For 2026 the payment was $400 a year for every eligible student, up from $154 for primary and $256 for secondary. Eligibility had two conditions: a means-tested concession card held on the first student day of Term 1 or Term 2, and the student attending a registered Victorian school. Disability and Carer's Cards are not means-tested and so do not qualify. Amounts and dates for 2027 had not been published at the time of writing [4].
Why schools ask at all
On 21 October 2026 the Victorian Premier, Ben Carroll, announced that his government had signed off on a school funding agreement with the federal government. The ABC reported that Victoria currently contributes 70 per cent of the School Resource Standard and the Commonwealth 20 per cent, that Victoria will lift its share to 75 per cent, and that schools will not receive the full standard until 2034 [7].
Rules differ by state and sector, and independent and Catholic schools set their own fees. If a letter is unclear, ask the office which category each line falls into: curriculum, extra-curricular, or materials your child keeps.
What this means at home
None of this changes what helps a child in maths: short, regular practice on what their year level is working on, which costs nothing. If you are unsure what your child should be covering, what the curriculum expects in each year (/learn/is-my-child-on-track) sets it out, and free printable practice by year and topic is at /worksheets/maths.
How Noooli can help
Noooli publishes free printable maths worksheets for Kindergarten to Year 6, with answer keys and no sign-up, at /worksheets/maths. There is also short daily maths practice of about ten minutes, aligned to the Australian Curriculum, with progress parents can see. Noooli is also on the App Store and Google Play: get the app (/free/app).
References
1. Payne, S., "Victorian schools told to remind parents education is free", ABC News, 16 October 2026. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-16/victoria-public-school-payment-advice-concern/107272410
2. Department of Education (Victoria), "Parent Contributions: Policy", Policy and Advisory Library, updated 15 September 2026. https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/parent-contributions/policy
3. Victorian Government, "School costs and fees", updated 15 September 2026. https://www.vic.gov.au/school-costs-and-fees
4. Victorian Government, "Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund", updated 16 July 2026. https://www.vic.gov.au/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund
5. NSW Department of Education, "Voluntary school contribution", policy PD-2020-0472-12, implemented 20 June 2024, last updated 2 December 2025. https://education.nsw.gov.au/policy-library/policies/pd-2020-0472-12
6. NSW Department of Education, "Voluntary school contributions and elective subject contributions", last updated 27 May 2026. https://education.nsw.gov.au/about-us/strategies-and-reports/schools-funding/voluntary-school-contributions
7. Payne, S., "Victoria strikes deal with Commonwealth to fully fund state schools by 2034", ABC News, 22 October 2026. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-10-22/victorian-public-schools-to-be-fully-funded-under-gonski-deal/107292858
Common questions
Do I have to pay voluntary school contributions?
No. In both Victoria and New South Wales, government schools may invite contributions, but paying is a decision for parents and carers. Schools must say clearly that contributions are voluntary, and they must not use the words fee, charge or levy to describe them.
Can my child miss out if we do not contribute?
No. Victorian schools must not refuse curriculum instruction, limit subject choice or deny access to items needed for the curriculum because a contribution was not made. New South Wales schools must not deny a student the chance to meet syllabus requirements or to join broader school activities.
What can a government school still charge for?
Activities and items outside curriculum delivery, such as camps and excursions not required for the curriculum, a school magazine or a yearbook. Schools may also invite families to buy learning materials the child keeps, but the child must still get free access to curriculum items.
