The CSEF is provided by the Victorian Government to assist eligible families to cover the costs of school trips, camps and sporting activities.

If you hold a valid means-tested concession card or are a temporary foster parent, you may be eligible for CSEF.  The allowance is paid directly to the school to use only towards expenses relating to camps, excursions or sporting activities for the benefit of your child.

For concession card holders, CSEF eligibility will be subject to the parent/legal guardian’s concession card being successfully validated with Centrelink on 29 January 2024 and/or 15 April 2024.

The annual CSEF amount per student is:

• $250 for secondary school students.

If you applied for the CSEF at Emmaus College in 2023, you do not need to complete an application form in 2024 unless there has been a change in your family circumstances. Your child’s school will apply for the CSEF on your behalf.

You will only need to submit an application form in 2024 if any of the following changes have occurred:

• new student enrolments: your child has started or changed schools in 2024 or you did not apply at the same school in a previous year
• changed family circumstances: such as a change of custody, change of name, concession card number, or new siblings commencing at the school in 2024

If a form was not lodged in 2023, parents or legal guardians are required to complete a CSEF application form and lodge it with their child’s school for processing.

Application forms should be completed and lodged with schools as soon as possible in Term One, as payments are made from March onwards. However, schools will be able to accept and process applications up until the end of Term Two each year.

CSEF payments are for the current application year and cannot be claimed retrospectively for prior years.

Please note the following:

If there is shared custody

The payment system only allows one application per student. Parents in shared custody situations (who both hold a concession card) must make the decision beforehand who applies for the CSEF at the school on behalf of their children.

The CSEF is for the benefit of the parent who is in receipt of the CSEF.

Schools should not be put into the position of arbitrating this decision.

Schools can contact the Department’s CSEF helpdesk for advice on 1800 060 970.

If you have already paid for some activities

If you have already paid for some camp, sports or excursion costs up front, you have the option to:

• allocate the payment towards remaining activities in 2023
• carry over the amount to be used on eligible activities in 2024
• create a family credit for the money to be used on other expenses. It is up to the school whether they agree to this option. The school must demonstrate the CSEF payment was utilised towards approved activities.

CSEF funds cannot be directly refunded to families.

Please click on the link below to download the application form.  Alternatively, forms are available from either Reception or Student Services.