WA Student Assistance Payment 2026: What Grandparent Carers Need to Know

If you're a grandparent or relative raising a school-age child in Western Australia, the 2026 WA Student Assistance Payment offered help with education costs. The claim period ran from 20 July to 25 September 2026 and is now closed.

What the WA Student Assistance Payment Covers

The Western Australian Government offered a third round of the Student Assistance Payment as part of its 2026–27 cost-of-living relief package. The payment was:

• $150 for each child in primary school or kindergarten
• $250 for each child in secondary school

Parents and carers of eligible students could claim. A grandparent or relative could claim as the student's carer; enrolment alone did not establish who could claim. The payment was separate from Family Tax Benefit.

Who Can Claim

Eligible students from Kindergarten to Year 12 had to be enrolled at a WA public or non-government school, or registered for home education. Parents and carers could claim for eligible students; a grandparent did not need a parenting order if they were the child's carer.

For the 2026 round, claims could be made through ServiceWA, the Department of Education website, or paper forms. ServiceWA claims required a Digital ID, and the student's WA student number was used to verify eligibility.

Claims closed on 25 September 2026. For questions about a submitted claim, contact ServiceWA Customer Care on 13 33 92 or email [email protected] during business hours.

How the Payment Sits Alongside Other WA Support

The Student Assistance Payment was one piece of a broader cost-of-living package for kinship carers. Grandparents who qualify for the Grandcarers Support Scheme receive the $1,000 annual base payment, plus the $500 first-child top-up and $250 for each additional child from the 2026–27 budget boost. The Foster and Grand Carer Gold Card adds a one-off $377.14 energy payment per household.

The WA Grandcarers Support Scheme is explicitly exempt from federal income testing. For the Student Assistance Payment and Gold Card payment, ask Services Australia how each is treated under your Centrelink payment's income test.

The Secondary Assistance Scheme Is Different

Don't confuse the Student Assistance Payment with the existing Secondary Assistance Scheme (SAS), which has been running for years. SAS provides $535 per eligible secondary student — a $300 clothing allowance and a $235 education program allowance — but it requires the carer to hold a Centrelink Health Care Card, Pensioner Concession Card, or Veterans' Affairs Pensioner Concession Card on which the student is listed. SAS applications go through the student's school office before the end of Term 1.

The 2026 Student Assistance Payment was separate, with claims available through ServiceWA, the Department of Education website, and paper forms until 25 September 2026.

What to Do Now

The 2026 Student Assistance Payment claim period is closed. If you submitted a claim, contact ServiceWA Customer Care on 13 33 92 or email [email protected] during business hours with questions. You can still check SAS eligibility through the school office.

For the full picture of every WA payment, Centrelink benefit, and school enrolment step available when you're raising a relative's child, the WA Kinship Carer Support Guide walks through all of it in one place.

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