2025 Federal Election: School Funding Explainer: how Australian schools are funded

School Funding Explainer: how Australian schools are funded

In Australia, school funding comes from both federal and state governments, with government schools primarily funded by states and non-government schools, including Catholic schools, receiving a mix of government and parent contributions. Funding is based on the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS), which determines the base amount needed per student, with extra support for disadvantaged students. Understanding this system is key for parents and staff, especially during the election campaign when funding policies are debated. 

Every student regardless of where they go to school gets the same base funding – $13,977 for a primary student and $17,565 for a secondary student.

Non-government schools are then means tested to determine how much the parents of students are expected to contribute – known as the ‘Capacity to Contribute’ – and government funding is then reduced accordingly. Six priorities then receive additional funding – known as ‘Loadings’ – to support students with disability, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, socio-educational disadvantage, low-English proficiency, as well as disadvantage due to school size and school location.