Purpose
The Back to school boost is a Queensland Government initiative that will provide an annual contribution of $100 for every primary school student (Prep to Year 6) from 2026 to assist parents and families with the cost of schooling essentials.
Information for parents and carers is available in the
Back to school boost fact sheet.
Duration of program
2026–2029
Eligibility
Primary school students (Prep to Year 6) who are:
- enrolled in Queensland state and non-state schools including special schools, schools of distance education
- registered for home education.
Allocation of funds
Information for schools
For state schools and schools of distance education
The Back to school boost funding will be distributed to state schools and schools of distance education (SDE) as follows:
- 100% in Term 1 (February) based on actual credits applied to student accounts using day 8 enrolments.
- Additional payments for students joining from Term 2 onwards will be made on a pro-rata basis.
See
part 1 for further payment details and timeframes.
Non-state schools
See
part 3 for payment details and time frames.
- Only 1 entitlement of the $100 Back to school boost is payable per eligible student per annum.
- Funding is calculated on full-time equivalent (FTE) enrolment census data.
Payments to non-state schools will be made at the beginning of the year.
Funds will be distributed directly to independent and grammar schools and distributed to Catholic schools through Catholic Education Queensland Limited in two instalments:
- 80% in February based on the previous year's February Non-state School Accreditation Board (NSSAB) Census
- the remaining 20% applied in Term 2, adjusted according to the updated February NSSAB census data.
Information for parents
For state schools
The Back to school boost is a $100 credit for each primary school student (Prep to year 6) to help reduce the cost of school essentials. A $100 credit will be placed on the account of each eligible primary school student at the start of the school year.
Parents have the choice to allocate the funding to reduce the cost schooling resources or activities, including:
- Student Resource Scheme (SRS)
- books and resources, school-organised camps, excursions, uniforms, learn to swim programs or other extracurricular activities.
For non-state schools
The non state sector will be responsible for the administration of the $100 Back to school boost, including demonstrating how this will be applied to reduce school related costs and determining how they will refund parents of students who leave their school part way through the year.
For home education
Parents of children registered for home education are paid the allowance directly by the department. See part 2 for more information.
Payment details
Part 1—primary schools, special schools and SDE
Term 1
|
Initial payment equal to the actual credits applied to student accounts using day 8 enrolments |
Term 2
|
Additional payment based on actual credits applied for students that enrol in a Queensland state school after day 8 of Term 1 and before the eighth school day of Term 2.
Credits will be $75 per student for students that have not already received a Back to school boost in the same year.
|
Term 3
|
Additional payment based on actual credits applied for students that enrol in a Queensland state school after the eighth school day of Term 2 and before the eighth school day of Term 3.
Credits will be $50 per student for students that have not already received a Back to school boost in the same year.
|
Term 4
|
Additional payment based on additional actual credits applied for students that enrol in a Queensland state school after the
eighth school day of Term 3 and before the
eighth week of Term 4.
Credits will be $25 per student for students that have not already received a Back to school boost in the same year.
|
Part 2—students registered for home education
| April |
Eligible students included in approved School Appropriation Payment Application (SAPA) Home Education Unit batches |
| August |
Eligible students included in approved SAPA Home Education Unit batches, not previously claimed in the same year |
| November |
Eligible students included in approved SAPA Home Education Unit batches, not previously claimed in the same year. Payments are not processed for claims received after 30 November |
Part 3—non-state schools
| February |
80% of the estimated entitlement in February, based on a school's previous year Survey Data Collection |
| June |
Balance of the entitlement in June, based on a school's survey data collection for that year |
Contribution amount
| Prep to Year 6 |
$100 per student per annum |
Refunds
In state schools, parents may request a refund of any remaining credit balance in their account if the student leaves the school or graduates at the end of Year 6. Please contact your school administration to organise this.
How to apply
State schools will receive the Back to school boost funding automatically based on enrolment data. No manual claim forms will be required.
From the start of the 2026 school year, a $100 credit will be applied to the student's account.
Parents can choose what the $100 credit is applied to. Examples of where the credit can be applied include; the school's Student Resource Scheme (SRS) or other method for supplying books and resources, school-organised camps, excursions, uniforms, learn to swim programs or other extracurricular activities.
Data requirements
| Enrolments (primary schools, special schools and SDE) |
OneSchool (OS) data maintained by schools |
Beginning of each term
|
| Enrolments (non state primary schools) |
State survey data collection for non-state schools |
February |
| Students registered for home education |
Queensland Home Education data
|
March and August |
For further information regarding the Back to school boost, please refer to the following:
- Student Resource Scheme OnePortal page (Department of Education employees only)
Contact
For school enquiries regarding Back to School Boost payments, please contact:
School Financial Resourcing
Phone: (07) 3034 5817
For parent enquiries regarding eligibility and ways to use the Back to school boost payment, please contact your school directly.