Changes to Boarding Fees for Non-Government School Students
From next year, non-government school students will no longer pay more for a place at a regional boarding facility. This change will have a positive effect on education in regional WA.
Education Minister Sue Ellery has announced from 2020 non-government schools will no longer pay more for their students to board at residential student colleges in regional Western Australia.
Previously, for students attending regional non-government schools to have access to residential colleges, Education Ministers entered into a number of financial agreements that required non-government schools to purchase beds at the colleges and/or pay annual maintenance levies. These costs were usually passed on to parents.
Earlier this year, the Minister asked the Department of Education to conduct a review of the financial arrangements by which students attending non-government schools access the Department's regional student residential colleges.
The review found regional parents value the opportunity to place their children in regional boarding facilities and the additional costs to non-government school students to board is influential in parents deciding to send their children to Perth.