Fees & Scholarships

The cost of Catholic schooling in WA is, in relative terms, not high. Fees and charges are set annually by each Catholic school. The school board takes responsibility in setting fees within the parameters set by Catholic Education Western Australia which are announced prior to the commencement of each academic year.

Tuition fees can range from

Primary - AU$ 500 to AU$ 3,500

Secondary - AU$ 2,000 to AU$ 10,000

To meet these fees, Catholic schools offer financial support to families in a number of ways including discounts, the Health Care Card initiative and student scholarships and bursaries. Family discounts also apply in Catholic schools.

Assistance with Fees - Health Care Card Tuition Fee Discount Scheme

The Catholic Bishops of Western Australia are determined that no family be denied the opportunity of education in a Catholic school because of financial difficulties.

The Health Care Card Tuition Fee Discount Scheme was implemented in 2005 and offers discount on tuition fees to holders of a means-tested family Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card. The scheme offers significant, automatic tuition fee discounts to both Catholic and non-Catholic families.

Families that qualify for the scheme will pay AU$ 230 for kindergarten and primary school tuition fees and AU$ 1,400 for secondary school tuition fees for 2014. Specific charges such as subject and building levies and excursion costs will still apply, however these can also be discussed with the Principal.

The Fees in Detail

School fees can consist of the following components:

  • Tuition fees

  • Amenities fees

  • Building levy

  • ICT levy

  • Excursion charges.

Other charges are added to tuition fees in many schools, whereas some schools elect to 'bundle' all fees and charges into one 'up front' cost to parents. Each school publishes a fees brochure as a guide to parents.

To assist with building programmes, schools charge a building levy. Levies are not tax deductible. Typically building levies are within the following ranges:

  • Primary schools - The building levy represents 20% of tuition fee (Family discounts apply in Catholic schools and most schools charge a fee for lodging an application for enrolment.)

  • Secondary schools - The building levy is determined by the school board (Family discounts apply in Catholic schools and most schools charge a fee for lodging an application for enrolment.)

Scholarships 

A number of Catholic schools offer scholarships or bursaries. These include academic, performing arts, sporting and Aboriginal scholarships. Enquiries may be made with individual schools to determine whether scholarships are offered and to ascertain the criteria. 

Families may apply for assistance through a Lynn Scholarship which seeks to assist a student who might be deprived of an upper Secondary education in a Catholic school because of the economic or social circumstances of the family.

Each year scholarships are awarded with a value of up to AU$ 1,000 to assist the student in Years 11 and 12. These scholarships are usually advertised in school newsletters and enquiries may be made at Catholic Education Western Australia on 08 6380 5200.