This guide follows how the Queensland Department of Education and Translink describe help with school costs: the Textbook and Resource Allowance, the Student Resource Scheme, uniform rules and school transport assistance. It quotes no retailer sales and no shop prices. Each page was read on 10 November 2026, and its own last-updated date is given where one was shown.
Who pays for what
At 10 November 2026, the department’s Student Resource Scheme page, shown as last updated 09 April 2026, says the Queensland Government funding for schools does not extend to individual student resources such as textbooks, personal-use equipment and items used by the student in the classroom. The School fees and charges page, shown as last updated 25 August 2026, says parents and carers are responsible for other resources such as uniforms, hats, outside school hours care and tuckshop.
The same fees page says a voluntary financial contribution is not a fee and parents are not obliged to contribute. It adds that students will not be prevented from participating in a learning activity that is part of the curriculum if their fees and charges have not been paid.
The Textbook and Resource Allowance
At 10 November 2026, the department’s allowance page, shown as last updated 12 February 2026, says the allowance provides assistance to parents of secondary school age students at state and approved non-state schools towards textbooks and learning resources. The department’s procedure, shown as version effective 09 September 2025, says the department pays the allowance to schools on behalf of parents of students in years 7-12 at approved state and non-state schools. At 10 November 2026, its overview excludes hospital schools, youth detention education and training centres, part-time distance education students at non-state schools and full fee-paying international and temporary resident students.
At 10 November 2026, on who receives it and how, the allowance page says it is paid automatically to state and non-state schools, and to parents of children registered for home education, based on enrolment data. At 10 November 2026, the page says state school parents receive the allowance as a reduction in participation fees for the school’s Student Resource Scheme. At 10 November 2026, the page says where a school has no scheme or a parent chooses not to participate, the school pays the allowance directly to parents. At 10 November 2026, the page says parents of children registered for home education are paid directly by the department.
The fees page lists support for parents to reduce fees and charges and says that for students in Years 7-12 the department provides a Textbook and Resource Allowance. At 10 November 2026, on limits, the allowance page says only 1 entitlement of TRA is payable per eligible student per annum. At 10 November 2026, it says part-time students receive a proportion of the full time rate. At 10 November 2026, the procedure says students who enrol and leave a school between data capture dates are NOT eligible for the TRA. At 10 November 2026, it also says parents of eligible students who attend school for part of the year are eligible for a pro-rata amount of the annual allowance. At 10 November 2026, for secondary and special schools, the allowance page lists a February initial payment of 80% of entitlement based on FTE state school enrolments (July census from previous year).
The page says allowance rates for the current year are shown on it. At 10 November 2026, the allowance page (last updated 12 February 2026) lists rates by year level: Years 7–10 at $160 per student per annum (2025 rate) and $164 per student per annum (2026 rate), and Years 11–12 at $348 per student per annum (2025 rate) and $357 per student per annum (2026 rate). It shows no 2027 rate, so check the page for current rates.
The Student Resource Scheme
At 10 November 2026, the department’s Student Resource Scheme page, shown as last updated 09 April 2026, says a school may operate a Student Resource Scheme and that the SRS provides savings through bulk purchasing and hiring arrangements. It says each school’s SRS is endorsed annually by the P&C, or parent representative(s) where the school has no current P&C. Items included in the SRS are published on the school’s website.
The page describes three kinds of resources. Student-owned consumable resources include stationery, exercise books and a student diary. Student-owned non-consumable resources are retained by the student and include a scientific calculator and headphones. Hired resources are hired for a specific period and include textbooks, musical instruments and laptops.
Participation is optional: the page says no obligation is placed on a parent or carer to participate. At 10 November 2026, for students in years 7-12 whose parents do not participate, it says the TRA will be paid by the school to the parent directly upon request. At 10 November 2026, it also says that if the cost of the SRS is equal to the TRA rate, no SRS fee is payable. At 10 November 2026, for parents in financial hardship, the page says to contact the school, and that payment options such as instalments and part or full fee waivers are available depending on circumstances. The fees page makes a similar point: the principal may be able to assist with a payment arrangement, instalment plan or fee waiver.
At 10 November 2026, the financial assistance page (last updated 09 April 2026) says the Back to school boost initiative will provide a $100 contribution to families of primary school students (Prep to Year 6). At 10 November 2026, the page also says that in state schools a $100 credit will be placed on the account of each primary school student at the start of the school year. The page does not name a school year, and this article has not confirmed that it applies to 2027; check the department’s Back to school boost page or your school for the year it applies to.
Uniforms and dress codes
At 10 November 2026, the department’s Student dress code procedure says a principal may develop a student dress code under section 360 of the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 (Qld). The procedure page shows an upcoming version: it says an updated version of the procedure will be effective on 27/01/2027. The current text (version 7.0, effective 24 January 2022) says dress codes must be developed in consultation with the school community. At 10 November 2026, version 7.0 says they must consider affordability, functionality and durability of uniform items. At 10 November 2026, version 7.0 says they must provide uniform options, including shorts and pants, in all uniform categories for all students, regardless of gender. At 10 November 2026, version 7.0 says they must be published on the school’s website. The requirements above are those of version 7.0 and may differ in the updated version effective 27/01/2027, which this article has not summarised.
On second-hand options, the fees page suggests asking the school’s uniform shop whether it has second-hand uniforms and uniform swap days. The dress code procedure lists cost reduction strategies for principals to consider, including bulk purchasing, clothing pools, items for loan, second-hand clothing services, uniform exchange services and non-logo bearing alternatives. The fees page notes that commercial activities such as a school tuckshop, uniform shop and outside school hours care services may set fees above cost recovery.
School Transport Assistance Scheme
At 10 November 2026, the department’s financial assistance page says transporting students to and from school is a parental responsibility. The department’s travel page, shown as last updated 21 January 2026, says there are 3 school transport assistance schemes for eligible students. At 10 November 2026, it says the School Transport Assistance Scheme (STAS) is managed by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (DTMR) through their regional Translink offices. At 10 November 2026, the financial assistance page says the scheme helps students travel if their access to education facilities is impeded by distance, disability, or financial disadvantage or if they are from areas designated as drought-declared.
At 10 November 2026, the Translink STAS page (which shows no last-updated date) says assistance is available on bus, ferry, train and tram services, as well as for private vehicle travel. At 10 November 2026, the same page (no last-updated date shown) says all types of STAS assistance require that a student has parents or guardians who reside in Queensland, attends an approved school and is 18 or younger.
For bus and ferry travel, at 10 November 2026, the Translink STAS page (no last-updated date shown) says distance based assistance is available to students who do not have a state school in their local area. At 10 November 2026, the page (no last-updated date shown) sets the state school distances as more than 3.2km from the nearest state primary school for primary students and more than 4.8km from the nearest state secondary school for secondary students. It adds that non-state school students must live more than the required distances from both the nearest state and non-state school of the type attended, and that all measurements are by the shortest trafficable route and are based on the nearest school which offers the required year level. At 10 November 2026, the page (no last-updated date shown) says safety-net travel assistance may be available to students who live close to the nearest school if they are listed as a dependent on, or are the holder of, a current concession card. At 10 November 2026, the accepted cards listed on the page (no last-updated date shown) include the Health Care Card and Pensioner Concession Card issued by Services Australia. At 10 November 2026, the page (no last-updated date shown) says once an application is approved, students will be issued with a travel pass by the bus or ferry service provider.
For rail, at 10 November 2026, the Translink STAS page (no last-updated date shown) says train and tram assistance is available to eligible primary and secondary students travelling on the Queensland Rail Citytrain or Gold Coast tram (G:link) network. At 10 November 2026, the page (no last-updated date shown) says students are eligible for a STAS go card if they meet the STAS general eligibility criteria and are listed as a dependant on, or are the holder of, a current concession card. It says students receive free travel between the closest station to home and the closest station to school on gazetted state school days from the first service of the day until 7pm, and that after 7pm on weekdays, at any time on weekends and on public holidays the card converts to a regular go card for concession fares.
For more on cards that can matter here, see our Queensland Concession Cards Explained guide. For getting around on public transport, read Kids and Public Transport in Brisbane: A Parents Guide, and for dates, see Queensland School Term Dates: How They Are Set and Where to Check.
Frequently asked questions
Who gets the Textbook and Resource Allowance in Queensland?
At 10 November 2026, the department’s TRA procedure says the department pays the allowance to schools on behalf of parents of students in years 7-12 at approved state and non-state schools, and the allowance page says parents of children registered for home education are paid directly by the department.
Do I have to join my school’s Student Resource Scheme?
At 10 November 2026, the department’s SRS page says participation is optional and no obligation is placed on a parent or carer to participate. For years 7-12, it says the TRA will be paid by the school to the parent directly upon request if they do not participate.
Can a school require a particular uniform?
At 10 November 2026, the department’s dress code procedure says a principal may develop a student dress code and that dress codes must consider affordability, functionality and durability of uniform items.
Who is eligible for the School Transport Assistance Scheme?
At 10 November 2026, Translink says all types of STAS assistance require that a student has parents or guardians who reside in Queensland, attends an approved school and is 18 or younger.
