What are the Back to School NSW Vouchers and who can access them?
A welcome relief is on its way for thousands of Aussie families whose back to school shopping will have a little less sting in 2023.
What are the Back to School NSW Vouchers?
The Back to School NSW Vouchers program helps families pay for school supplies.
Parents, guardians, carers or students can apply for 3 x $50 vouchers, totalling $150 for each eligible student.
The vouchers can be used:
- towards the cost of school uniforms, shoes, bags, textbooks and stationery
- at registered businesses
- before 30 June 2023.
Only one application can be made for each student.
You can apply for vouchers for more than one student in the same application as long as they’re on the same Medicare card.
Who is eligible for Back to School NSW Vouchers?
You can apply for the vouchers if you’re a caregiver of a student, who is:
- a NSW resident
- enrolled to attend school in 2023 (from kindergarten to year 12), including students who are:
- home-schooled
- enrolled in year 10 or year 12 equivalent qualifications at TAFE NSW.
Students can apply on their own behalf if they meet the eligibility criteria and have their own Medicare card.
Back to School NSW Vouchers are helping families cover the costs of a new school year.
How can you spend the Back to School NSW Vouchers?
The vouchers can be redeemed to help cover the costs of returning to school for a new year of education.
Eligible purchases are limited to the following:
- School uniforms, including: shoes and socks, hats, and sports uniform and shoes.
- School equipment, including: school bags, lunch boxes, drink bottles, umbrellas and/or raincoats
necessary protective equipment (for students enrolled in specialised classes such as chemistry, who may require goggles or a lab coat), or tools or equipment specific to sports or other programs (for students participating in sports, art or musical classes, who may require sporting gear, art supplies or musical instruments). - School-prescribed textbooks or other reading material.
- Lesson resources (such as art diaries, major work materials, elective subject resources)
- Other stationery, including but not limited to: exercise books, pens/pencils, coloured pencils/crayons, textas/highlighters, erasers, pencil cases, rulers, sharpeners, glue, scissors, calculators, or geometry sets.
There are a few rules when it comes to using the vouchers that you should be aware of.
You can use each voucher:
- once (if the cost is less than the voucher amount, the remaining balance is given up and cannot be used)
- on its own or combined with other Back to School NSW Vouchers for the same purchase, even where the vouchers are issued for different students
- on eligible expenses
- at registered businesses
- on or before the expiry date.
Vouchers cannot be:
- used to pay for anything other than an eligible expense
- transferred to another person
- redeemed as a gift, tip or donation to a registered business
- exchanged for cash, a gift voucher or a credit note from the registered business
- donated to charity
- pooled together with vouchers from other programs such as Active Kids, or Creative Kids vouchers.
Start the school year right with everything you need.
How do you apply for the Back to School NSW Vouchers?
- Check the eligibility requirements.
- Select the ‘Apply online’ button.
- Log in, or create your MyServiceNSW Account.
- Follow the prompts to apply for the voucher.
If successful, you’ll:
- find the voucher under the ‘Vouchers’ section of the Service NSW app within an hour
- receive an email from Service NSW with the vouchers available to download and print.
You can also apply at a Service NSW Centre with your proof of identity documents, if:
- you do not have a MyServiceNSW Account
- you’re unable to apply online
- you want to use a NSW Photo Card as a proof of identity document.
You may receive a digital voucher, paper voucher or SMS code.
What you need before you apply:
- a MyServiceNSW Account – you can create one when you start your application
- a Medicare card that includes the name of the student
- an additional proof of identity document such as your NSW driver licence or Australian passport
- the name of the school or educational facility where the student is enrolled to attend in 2023.
Note: Your Medicare card and your proof of identity document must show the same name that appears on your MyServiceNSW Account.
