School costs

Recoverable Assistance Payments may be available for some school costs.

Schools may request payment for costs such as:

• school uniforms
• school stationery
• Other school costs including:
  • school donations
  • computing equipment
  • school camps and trips

If a client getting Orphans Benefit or Unsupported Childs Benefit applies for school costs, check if they've applied for the School and Year Start-up Payment. If they have not applied and the application window is still open, help them make an application.

See:

• School and Year Start-up Payments qualifications

If the client did get the School and Year Start-up Payment for the child, establish if the need for school costs have been met. If not, you can consider the advance if they meet the qualifications.

Note generally, receipts are not needed to show how the School and Year Start-up Payment was used.

Recoverable Assistance Payments are not available for school donations that are part of the core learning programme (curriculum), This is because donations are voluntary (parents/caregivers have a choice to pay) so they do not meet the immediate and essential needs criteria.

If a client applies for assistance to pay school donations, we should make sure the client understands this cost is voluntary (they have a choice to pay) and let them know the school cannot stop their child being included in all aspects of the curriculum.

Costs that are not part of donations (that is, are not voluntary) can still be considered for assistance where the client has an immediate and essential need.

These can include (but not limited to) costs for some core goods and services:

• stationery, eg exercise books and pads, pens, pencils, computing equipment etc
• school workbooks, eg Maths, English, Physics
• school/kura uniform (purchased from the uniform shop or second-hand)
• some competitions eg Otago Maths
• attendance dues - only for state-integrated schools or kura
• after-hours/lunchtime/weekend cultural or sports activities
• attending non-curriculum performances eg visiting drama or music groups
• course materials that parents have agreed to purchase eg, a take-home component like a letterbox, item of clothing

For more information see:

Access to devices is a key part of digital learning and is becoming common in schools. Digital technology skills, knowledge and capabilities are necessary for our increasingly digital society and economy.

Schools or Kura may ask students to bring their own (BYOD) computing equipment eg an iPad, laptop or tablet. If the school makes this a requirement, in the first instance they should be supporting those families and students who may not be able to afford them eg having a school set available for students to use.

A Recoverable Assistance Payment for devices can be considered where a parent or caregiver has identified an immediate and essential need for the child to have their own device. This could include (but not limited to):

• a child has specific learning needs and having their own device supports their learning both at school and at home
• they need specialist software installed eg, voice technology
• the child is taking a specialist subject eg, graphics and needs a device with certain specifications
• a child is expected to do extra work after school hours, and this is easiest done on a device

State-integrated schools have the same core learning Programme (curriculum) as state schools but have their own special character (eg philosophical or religious belief).

Attendance dues cover the property related costs of the school and are compulsory for students attending state-integrated school/kura.

Recoverable Assistance Payments can be considered if the client qualifies for this.

A client may be able to make a payment arrangement with their school for the cost of school and educational expenses that are not part of the core learning programme (curriculum) such as:

• attendance dues
• school camps
• school trips or
• health camps

Where a payment arrangement cannot be made, and special circumstances exist, and the client would suffer serious hardship, then discretion can be used to consider a Recoverable Assistance Payment under 'Other Emergency Payment' for these costs.

A client's child is part of the school orchestra which meets together after school each week for an hour to practice. There is a nationwide competition coming up, so the school has organised a 2-day music camp in preparation for it. The child is required to attend so they can take part in the competition.

This music camp is outside of the core learning programme (because it's an extra-curricular activity) so the client is required to pay.

However, they have been unable to put aside sufficient money to meet the cost.

The client has discussed payment options with the school but has been unable to come to a satisfactory arrangement.

A Recoverable Assistance Payment under Other emergency payments may be considered to meet the cost of the school camp when special circumstances exist, and the client's child would suffer serious hardship without this assistance.

Except where exceptional circumstances exist, payment for each dependent child cannot be more than:

• 6 weeks of the appropriate rate of Supported Living Payment that the client would be entitled to get or
• $200

whichever is the least amount.