Finance

REMINDER: Due date for payments 

Looking Head

Finance Notice

Dear Families,

And just like that—Term 2 is done! Thank you for all your support and efforts in navigating another busy term. As a fellow parent, I know how full-on it can be, and I truly appreciate everything you do to stay on top of school life.

As we head into the holidays, I hope you find some time to slow down, recharge, and enjoy those special moments with your children. The school year moves quickly, and these breaks are a great chance to reconnect.

Before we return for Term 3, we’ve included some important reminders below—covering key deadlines, payments, and how to make the most of the School Saving Bonus.

Please take a few moments to read through the information to help ensure a smooth start to the new term.

School Saving Bonus (SSB) – Portal Now Closed

On 5 May, I communicated to all families that the SSB Portal would officially close on Monday, 30 June 2025. I would now like to provide some important updates regarding this process.

Final unspent SSB balances for each student are expected to become available for use in early August. While my previous communication indicated a timeframe of late July, the Department of Education has since advised that additional processing is required between the portal’s closure and the finalisation of all accounts.

Please also note that the SSB telephone support line and online webform will close on Friday, 8 August 2025. However, the SSB email address will remain active should you have any further questions or require assistance beyond this date.

Need Help?

• 📞 Call: 1800 338 663 (Weekdays, 8:30am–4:30pm)
• 📧 Email: school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au

• 💻 View the SSB Parent Guide or watch the School Saving Bonus video on Vimeo

   

Using your SSB on COMPASS

The School Saving Bonus can be used to support a range of optional school activities. Common examples include:

• School camps, trips, excursions, and incursions
• Swimming and sporting programs
• Outdoor education programs
• Graduation events

Please note: The SSB cannot be used for the following:

• Activities required not part of the standard school curriculum i.e.: Music Extracurricular.
• Before and after school care
• Classroom and homework materials

If you would like to apply your SSB to an activity listed on Compass, please contact the front office—either in person, by phone, or via email—with the details of the activity. Our staff will be happy to assist and allocate the funds for you.

Compass Event Deadlines – Plan Ahead!

Camps, excursions, and special events are an integral part of our educational program, offering students meaningful and engaging learning experiences beyond the classroom.

To ensure the smooth organisation of these activities, all payments and consent forms must be submitted no later than two weeks prior to the event date. This timeline is critical, as it allows us to confirm bookings, finalise transport arrangements, and meet any external provider requirements.

Please note that late payments or consent submissions cannot be accepted. Due to strict deadlines with transport providers and venues, along with planning and safety requirements, we are unable to make exceptions or follow up with families once the deadline has passed.

To avoid disappointment, we strongly encourage families to plan ahead and monitor due dates closely. Your cooperation ensures all students have the opportunity to participate fully in these valuable experiences.

Thank you for your support and understanding.

Stay Informed 

To keep up to date with school events:

• Check Compass regularly
• Enable Compass notifications or set calendar alerts
• Contact the office if you need any help navigating Compass

Qkr! by Mastercard

Qkr! (pronounced “quicker”) is a mobile payment app created by Mastercard to help schools and organisations manage payments more efficiently.

For our Prep families who may not be familiar with Qkr!, please note that while it’s not used often, we do still use it occasionally—particularly for PFC-related payments—as it helps us meet certain school administration requirements.

This week the PFC released their School disco event, tickets can be purchased through the QKR APP.

You can download Qkr! from your device’s app store. If you need any help setting it up, please see the Parent User Guide linked below.

If you need assistance managing costs, our Finance Office can help you set up a direct debit payment plan tailored to your family’s needs.

Thank you for being such a valued part of our school community. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or need support.

Keep warm!

Jess Moran

Administration

For more information about COMPASS PAY, please visit the link below.

If you need additional assistance, feel free to reach out to our office staff.

A guide for parents & families | Compass Education AU

CSEF applies to financially means tested HealthCare Card applications.  If you have your own healthcare card (in your name), as listed below then you would qualify.

Below is a list of means tested cards that are accepted:

• ABSTUDY – Schooling Applicant (ABA)
• ABSTUDY – Secondary/Tertiary (ABY)
• Age Pension (AGE)
• Austudy Payment (AUS)
• Bereavement Allowance (BVA)
• Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• Health Care Card (HCC)
• Job Seeker (JSP)
• Newstart Allowance (NSA)
• Non-Agency Payment (NAP)
• Parenting Payment (PP)
• Partner Allowance (PTA)
• Sickness Allowance (SKA)
• Special Benefit (SPL)
• Widow Allowance (WDA)
• Widow B Pension (WID)
• Wife Pension Age (WFA)
• Wife Pension Disability (WFD)
• Veterans Card (Gold)
• Youth Allowance (YAL)

Cards that are not financially means tested are not accepted. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Foster (FO) – Foster Parents must provide a copy of the temporary care order letter from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS)
• Child Disability (CD)
• Family allowance (FA)
• Ex-Carer Allowance (Child) Health Care Card
• Carers Card (CAR)

Department Policy below. 

https://www2.education.vic.gov.au/pal/camps-sports-and-excursions-fund/guidance/eligibility

APPLICATIONS CLOSE AT THE END OF JUNE.

For the first time State Schools' Relief is now offering a SUMMER version of our Prep CSEF Uniform Package so that the newest students in 2025 can start their school year all decked out! Applications for the Prep 2025 Summer CSEF Uniform Package are open now and can be placed via our online application portal. 

Information sheets for families, plus the order form, can be found on our website and downloaded as required.  

Please note the following:

-  All vouchers have an expiry and must be redeemed before the expiration date

-  All applications for this package will close at the end of Term 1, 2025.

In order for a student to be eligible to receive the Prep 2025 Summer Uniform Package the student must be a Camps, Sports and Excursion Fund (CSEF) recipient. 

To find out more, please visit the Department of Education website. 

Should you have any questions about this package, please contact our Customer Service team on 8769 8400 between the hours of 8.30am - 4.30pm, Monday to Friday or email us anytime at contact@ssr.net.au

Make the Most of Your School Saving Bonus with State Schools' Relief!State Schools' Relief offers high-quality, unbranded school uniforms and school shoes, perfect for using your School Saving Bonus (SSB).To help parents and carers navigate the process, we've created a digital information pack with all the details you need. Click or download below for more information:

SSB PORTAL USER GUIDE

HOW TO MAXIMISE YOUR BONUS

EXHANGES POLICY

The best news is that when you shop with State Schools’ Relief, you’re helping more than just your own family. Every dollar spent supports critical welfare programs for students in need across Victoria. So, you can feel extra good about those new school shoes!

School Saving Bonus

Parent and carer School Saving Bonus code distribution 

The Victorian Government is delivering the School Saving Bonus – a one-off $400 support for government school students from Prep to Year 12 in 2025.

From Tuesday 26 November 2024, you will receive an email from the Department of Education with your unique $400 School Saving Bonus code.

The School Saving Bonus will help families cover the cost of uniforms, textbooks, excursions, activities and more.

If you have multiple children enrolled in Victorian government schools for 2025, you will receive one School Saving Bonus code email per child. These emails might arrive on different days. Please make sure to check your spam/junk email folder.

Parents and carers can use the School Saving Bonus code in store at school-nominated suppliers. Parents and carers can also choose to access the School Saving Bonus online system, where they can allocate part or all the $400 bonus to use at school nominated-online suppliers or for school activities.  To learn more about the School Saving Bonus, visit School Saving Bonus | vic.gov.au (www.vic.gov.au). A step-by-step user guide will be available on the webpage on 26 November.  

If you have not received your School Saving Bonus code via email by Friday 29 November, please contact the Department of Education by emailing school.saving.bonus@education.vic.gov.au