School Card South Australia: Grandparent and Kinship Carer Application Guide

What School Card Covers

School Card is the South Australian government's fee relief program for low-income families. It pays a standard allowance directly to the school to cover materials and services charges — the compulsory fees most SA public schools charge for books, stationery and classroom resources.

For a grandparent or kinship carer already stretching a pension to cover an extra child's food and clothing, School Card removes one of the largest recurring school costs.

Which Form You Need

For a student in a formal or informal care arrangement at a government school, use Form F (Formal and Informal Care Arrangements). Provide documents confirming that the child is in your full-time care, such as a statutory declaration or a Medicare card listing the child. These care-arrangement applications are not assessed against the School Card income limits. Students under the Guardianship of the Chief Executive at government schools are automatically eligible and do not need to apply. For other students, use the income-assessed application process.

How to Apply

For government school students in a formal or informal care arrangement, send Form F and supporting documents directly to the School Card Section by email or post. For other low-income applications, check the Department for Education's current application process. Most schools distribute School Card information at the start of the year, but contact the School Card Section if a child arrives later.

For non-government (independent or Catholic) schools, each school decides whether it will use the School Card income-eligibility assessment to provide fee relief. Form F is also used for formal and informal care arrangements at non-government schools; ask the school which current form and evidence it needs.

What If You Are Refused?

If your Form F application is knocked back, check the reason and ask whether further evidence of full-time care is needed. For government-school students in a care arrangement, this application is not assessed against the income limits. Contact the School Card Section if you need help with the decision.

Form F allows a carer to provide a statutory declaration confirming full-time care; a court order is not listed as the only acceptable evidence. Check the form's current evidence requirements and provide the documents that match your arrangement.

Getting Organised Before You Apply

Have these documents ready:

• Your Centrelink CRN
• The child's date of birth and full name
• A completed Informal Carer Statutory Declaration (the school or Department can provide a template)
• Secondary care evidence: a school enrolment letter, Medicare card showing the child, or a GP letter
• Income documents, if you are applying for another student under the income-assessed process

The SA kinship carer guide includes the full list of evidence Centrelink and the Department for Education accept, with a tracking checklist so nothing falls through the gaps between agencies.

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