That ICPA (Aust) continues to advocate to the Minister for Social Services and other relevant government departments for an increase to the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Basic Boarding Allowance for geographically isolated students, to help alleviate financial pressures incurred as a result of increased fees by boarding facilities.
The cost of boarding in Western Australia continues, on average, to increase by 5% per annum, with some schools increasing by as much as 16.92%. In 2022 the WA State Boarding Away from Home Allowance (BAHA) was reduced to the 2010 amount of $1350 per child. ICPA WA has successfully lobbied to have the BAHA increased in line with the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which has resulted in a $30 increase per child for 2023. However, this still falls well below the 2017 BAHA of $2105 per child. Families are continually experiencing increasing financial pressure as the cost of boarding continues to rise.
As stated in media release 15th March 2023, Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm has acknowledged that “The Albanese Government wants to ensure that all Australian’s have access to high quality education and for many families, boarding school is not only the best option for a quality school education experience for their children, it may also be their only option.”
An increase in the AIC Basic Boarding Allowance would relieve some of the financial burden placed on families to pay for their children’s education.
