Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme

Does your family qualify for the Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme?

If your child can’t go to their local government school, you could get help for the extra costs associated with them boarding away from home.

The Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme is a group of payments for parents and careers whose children can’t go to their local government school because they:

• Are geographically isolated
• Have no reasonable access to their local government school, or
• Meet a continuity condition.

Your child also needs to meet living, age and study requirements.

In 2021 the payments available are:

Boarding allowance (up to $11,011 per year)

• Basic boarding allowance – $8,557 per year
• Supplement boarding allowance – up to $2,425 per year (based on parents’ income)

Distance education allowance ($4,278 per year)

These payments are made by the Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme.

You are geographically isolated if:

• Your family home is 56 km or more from the nearest suitable government school, OR
• Your family home is 16 km or more from the nearest suitable government school and at least 4.5 km away from the nearest transport to school, OR
• Your family home is 16 km or more from the nearest suitable government school and your child has no transport to get there, OR
• Your child can’t get to the nearest suitable government school for at least 20 school days a year due to circumstances beyond your control.

For more information and to check your eligibility please visit the Australian Government Human Services website.

Please note the information that has been provided was correct at the time of printing and is subject to change.