EHPS Contact

School Saving Bonus

As shared with you previously, parents and carers of every child enrolled in a Victorian Government school in 2025 will receive the one-off School Saving Bonus $400 support. Most families have now received their School Saving Bonus (SSB) code(s). EHPS families are encouraged to take advantage of this government support.

 

The following guidance for families has been provided:

 

We have published two important updates about the School Saving Bonus to the school community in your Compass News Feed this year. In accordance with these two messages:

  1. All eligible families are encouraged to allocate their $400 School Saving Bonus in the portal as soon as possible. 
  2. To access your unique code to access the School Saving Bonus, locate the School Saving Bonus email sent to the email address for Adult A in your child’s student record from the Department of Education. Contact the School Office to confirm which email address this is, if required. There is a separate email for each child enrolled. This email was sent in November or December 2024, however please check all email in your Inbox and Junk/Spam folders since this time. Families who recently enrolled at EHPS from interstate or overseas should receive an email soon from the Department of Education with details of your unique code.
  3. If you do not successfully locate this email, parent/guardians must complete the School Saving Bonus enquiry form so the dedicated Department of Education SSB contact centre can investigate. If required once your investigation is activated, you can follow up with the contact centre by calling 1800 338 663, between 8.30am and 4.30pm on weekdays.
  4. When you have received your unique SSB code, open the School Saving Bonus portal. A copy of the SSB System guide for parents and carers is accessible in your Compass News Feed for your reference to assist with step by step instructions. 
  5. Decide how you want to allocate your $400. Please note that once you have allocated the $400 in the portal it cannot be changed. For EHPS students you can choose:
    1. In-store purchase – uniform from our uniform supplier, Spartan School World.
    2. Online Purchase – uniform from State Schools Relief.
    3. School Activities – excursions / incursions (all year levels), camp (students in Year 3/4, 5 and 6), sporting activities (e.g. Year 6 Inter-School Sport), Swimming program (all year levels), other activities or events that are a compulsory part of the curriculum for our students. SSB cannot be used for the annual parent payment, or optional programs such as our Instrumental Music Program, or after school/lunchtime programs.
  6. The school will be notified of the amount of SSB funds allocated to School Activities. Please allow approximately four days from allocation in the portal to when the funds will be available for the school to apply to any eligible events/activities for your child. As advised in the Compass News Feed published this week, the school policy is that SSB funds applied to School Activities will be used to pay for every eligible event/activity for your child that occurs from when the school receives your funds allocated to School Activities, until used. In the meantime, you will need to consent and pay for any events/activities for your child until the funds become available.
  7. Please don’t hesitate to contact our School Office after SSB funds you’ve allocated to School Activities are available, if you don’t see the charge/cost amended in your Compass event notice for Terence, so this can be checked and amended if funds are available.
  8. Please note that if any of your $400 SSB remains unused at 30 June 2025, regardless of how you allocated it in the portal, the balance will transfer to your family account at the school, and will be applied to all eligible events / activities until used.

 

Families who do not want to use the School Saving Bonus provided for their child/children can elect to provide this money to the school for use for other students:

  • Schools can allocate funds to be used to assist other students at the school within the scope of the School Saving Bonus (that is, school-incurred costs for camps, sports and excursions).
  • Funds cannot be used for costs outside of the scope of the School Saving Bonus (such as, voluntary parent payments, Instrumental Music Program, or after school/lunchtime programs).
  • Schools are required to retain records of the parent request to reallocate funding.

Please write an email to our Acting Principal, Elisha Cotterell, if you intend to donate your SSB.