Financial Assistance

CSEF

WHAT IS IT?

The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) provides payments for eligible students to attend activities like:

• school camps or trips
• swimming and school-organised sport programs
• outdoor education programs
• excursions and in school activities

Payments are $125 per Primary School aged student per year and $225 per Secondary School aged student per year.

Applications for 2023 are now open and will close on 23 June 2023 (end of Term 2).

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

On the first day of Term 1 (27 January 2023) or the first day of Term 2 (24 April 2023), a parent or legal guardian of a student must:

• be an eligible beneficiary of one of these cards:
  Veterans Affairs Gold Card
  Centrelink Health Care Card
  Pensioner Concession Card
• OR they must be a temporary foster parent
• OR the student is 16 years or older and holds a valid concession card (such as a Youth Allowance Health Care Card)
• AND the parent or legal guardian must submit an application by the due date

Parents who receive a carer allowance on behalf of a child, or any other benefit or allowance not income tested by Centrelink, are not eligible for the CSEF unless they also comply with the above. Eligibility will be determined when the parent’s concession card successfully validates with Centrelink on either the first day of Term 1 or Term 2.

HOW TO APPLY 

Contact the school office to obtain a CSEF application form or download from Compass by clicking on the Community Icon \ School Documentation \ Parent Information \ CSEF \ CSEF Application Form. This is also attached below.

HAVE HAD CSEF IN THE PAST? 

If you applied for the CSEF at your child’s current school in 2022, you do not need to complete an application form in 2023 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances. 

You only need to complete an application form if any of the following changes have occurred: 

New student enrolments: Your child has started at or changed schools in 2023 or you did not apply in 2022. 

Changed family circumstances: Such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2023. 

Please check with the school office if you are unsure. 

Family Split Billing Arrangements 

All parents of students at Armstrong Creek School are liable for the payment of their child’s essential education item charges. 

Any agreement / arrangement between parents of students at Armstrong Creek School regarding the liability for payments is separate from the school and the school has no role in facilitating such agreements / arrangements. It is not for the Armstrong Creek School to become involved in the allocation of financial responsibility between parents. 

The primary parent will be invoiced and it is the responsibility of both parents to come to an arrangement to settle their child’s account. 

Centrepay

What is Centrepay?

Centrepay is a voluntary bill-paying service which is free for Centrelink customers. Use Centrepay to arrange regular deductions from your Centrelink payment. 

You can start or change a deduction at any time. The quickest way to do it is through your Centrelink account online. You can use Centrepay to pay bills and ongoing expenses like accommodation, education and employment, health, financial products, legal and professional services, utilities, travel and transport, as well as other household costs. 

Other ways to start deductions:

A Customer can set up a Deduction in a number of ways: 

• via their Centrelink online account via MyGov 

• using the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app 

• by contacting the Department, or 

• by providing a Deduction Authority to a Centrepay approved Business (Armstrong Creek School) to manage their Deductions via Centrelink Business Online Services (CBOS). 

The minimum Deduction amount for Centrepay is $10. 

Go to humanservices.gov.au/Centrepay for more information.

Please contact the school for our Centrelink Reference Number if you wish to sign up to Centrepay or to complete a Deduction Authority.

Financial Assistance

If you are struggling to meet the costs of school uniforms and shoes for your children, you may be eligible to receive these for free or at a discounted rate through State Schools’ Relief.

Families with children in government schools in any year level can receive help if they are facing one or more of the following:

• Health issues resulting in serious financial difficulty
• House fires where school clothing is lost
• Natural disasters
• Serious financial difficulty

Please telephone the office to make an appointment (confidential) with Kylie, our Business Manager, who will discuss with you the possibility of this additional support.