Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF)
This page is a direct rule-based guide for AU_VIC_CSEF (rule version 2025-26, effective 28 January 2026). It explains the Victorian Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund — a payment of $400 a year per eligible student towards school camps, sports and excursions.
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Quick Answer
You may qualify if you live in Victoria, have a school-aged dependent child, and hold a means-tested concession card such as a Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card or DVA Gold Card.
It pays $400 a year per eligible student. The money goes towards camps, sports and excursions so cost is not a barrier to your child joining in. In the questionnaire it is reached when state = VIC, dependent_children = true and your concession_card_type is an eligible means-tested card.
Outcome summary: $400 per child each year, paid to the school and credited towards camp, sport and excursion costs, with the amount stacking for each eligible child you have.
What Is This Payment?
The Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund (CSEF) helps families on lower incomes meet the cost of the activities that round out a child's education — overnight camps, sporting programs and class excursions.
The rule database classes this as a Group A benefit with monetary_primary as its result role, because it produces a concrete dollar amount: $400 per eligible student per financial year. The payment is made to the school and applied against your child's activity costs.
It is limited to children enrolled at a registered Victorian school. It does not cover kindergarten or pre-school, TAFE or home schooling.
How Much Can You Get?
The amount block is fixed, $400 per student, with period: financial_year.
- $400 per eligible student, each year, towards camps, sports and excursions.
- Stacks per child — a family with two eligible students can receive $800 a year, three students $1,200, and so on.
- Paid to the school and credited against the student's activity costs rather than paid directly to you.
Eligibility Conditions
The eligibility block is an all set, so every condition must pass.
- You live in Victoria:
state = VIC, with the child enrolled at a registered Victorian school. - You have a dependent child:
dependent_children = true. The fund follows each school-aged student. - You hold an eligible means-tested concession card:
concession_card_typeis one ofpensioner_concession_card,health_care_card,low_income_health_care_cardordva_gold_card. Disability or carer cards that are not means-tested do not count.
The card must be valid on the relevant CSEF eligibility date for the year. The school checks card details against Centrelink, so the card holder's name and number need to match.
Because the activity is run through the school channel, you generally complete a CSEF application form at your child's school and the school lodges the claim and applies the funds.
How To Apply
The channel is the school. The evidence required is a valid means-tested concession card. The school verifies your card and claims the payment on your behalf.
- Collect a CSEF application form from your child's school office (or download it from the school).
- Provide your concession card details so the school can verify eligibility.
- The school lodges the claim and credits the $400 per student towards camps, sports and excursions.
Read the official Camps, Sports and Excursions Fund guidance
Rule-Based Scenarios
Scenario 1: one child at primary school
Priya in Geelong holds a Health Care Card and has one child in Year 3. She lodges a CSEF form at the school and $400 is credited towards her child's camp and excursion costs for the year.
Scenario 2: three eligible children
The O'Brien family hold a Pensioner Concession Card and have three children across primary and secondary school. With $400 per student, the school applies $1,200 across the year towards their camps and sports programs.
Scenario 3: a DVA Gold Card family
Sam, a veteran with a DVA Gold Card, has a teenager at a registered Victorian secondary school. The card is on the eligible list, so the family receives $400 towards their child's excursions.
Scenario 4: a kindergarten child
A family with a four-year-old in kindergarten cannot claim CSEF for that child, because the fund only covers students enrolled at a registered Victorian school, not pre-school or kinder.
Common Mistakes
- Missing the eligibility date: your concession card must be valid on the CSEF eligibility date for the year, so apply early in the school year.
- Assuming the money is paid to you: CSEF is paid to the school and applied against your child's camp, sport and excursion costs, not deposited into your bank account.
- Using a card that is not means-tested: only Pensioner Concession Cards, Health Care Cards, Low Income Health Care Cards and DVA Gold Cards qualify; disability or carer cards that are not means-tested do not.
- Forgetting to claim per child: the $400 applies to each eligible student, so make sure every child is listed on the form.
- Trying to claim for kinder or TAFE: the fund only covers students at a registered Victorian school, not kindergarten, TAFE or home schooling.
- Not lodging through the school: the school checks your card and claims the payment, so the application has to go through them, not directly to a government office.
Related Benefits
- Victorian Free Kinder — free three and four-year-old kindergarten.
- Get Active Kids Voucher — help with the cost of children's sport in Victoria.
- Victorian School Saving Bonus — support with school costs for families.
- Family Tax Benefit Part A — federal payment for raising children.
- Health Care Card — federal card unlocking concessions for low-income earners.
- Additional Child Care Subsidy — extra federal help with child care fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does CSEF pay?
It pays $400 a year for each eligible student towards school camps, sports and excursions. The amount stacks, so two eligible children means $800 a year and three means $1,200.
Is the money paid to me or to the school?
It is paid to the school and credited towards your child's camp, sport and excursion costs. It is not deposited into your bank account.
Which concession cards qualify?
A means-tested Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card, Low Income Health Care Card or DVA Gold Card. Cards that are not means-tested, such as some disability or carer cards, do not count.
Can I claim CSEF for a kindergarten child?
No. CSEF only covers students enrolled at a registered Victorian school. It does not cover kindergarten, TAFE or home schooling.
How do I apply?
Complete a CSEF application form at your child's school and provide your concession card details. The school verifies the card and lodges the claim for you.
When do I need to apply by?
Your card must be valid on the CSEF eligibility date for the year, so it is best to lodge your form early in the school year.
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