Per capita grant
Per capita grants help cover school operating costs such as teaching materials, staff wages and new equipment.
The amount of the grant is based on the number of students who have enrolled in your community language school. You can apply for this grant after 12 months of operating your school. You can also apply for a Specific project grant at the same time.
Who can apply?
You may receive a per capita grant if your community language school:
- has been operating for more than 12 months
- is managed by an organisation which is a not-for-profit legal entity
- is located more than two kilometres away from any other community language school that teaches the same language
- normally has a minimum of 20 school-aged students enrolled. (Schools outside a metropolitan area with less than 20 students may be eligible for funding in some circumstances.)
- is open to school students from Kindergarten to Year 12, regardless of their language background
- has students who attend at least 70 per cent of lessons in Term 1
- holds classes outside school hours for at least 35 weeks of the year
- provides a minimum of two hours per week face-to-face language teaching based on a sound educational program.
What can the grant be used for?
You can use the grant for:
- teaching materials
- stationery, photocopying
- technology
- payments to teachers
- buying educational equipment
- expenses associated with the administration of the schools.
You cannot use the grant for capital purposes such as buildings, repairs, maintenance or renovations.
What are the conditions?
Your community language school must show:
- it is an organisation with 'incorporated association' status
- it has the correct insurances
- it has followed the correct steps for setting up a school
- your statement of income and expenditure is complete for the year if you have received funding through the program before
- your student enrolment and attendance records are in excellent order (program staff may check these at any time).
Online learning pilot program
The online learning pilot program in community languages schools aims to provide students in New South Wales who cannot access face-to-face community languages classes, such as students in regional and remote areas of New South Wales, with an opportunity to participate in learning their background/heritage language.
Eligibility Criteria
Organisations applying for funding through the pilot program must be eligible for a Per Capita grant in 2025, as outlined in the Program Guidelines. This includes the requirement to operate face to face classes, in addition to the online classes.
Organisations applying for funding in 2025 for online learning must:
- Provide a minimum of two hours of language instruction per week for at least 35 weeks of the year.
- Limit online class time to a maximum of 60 minutes on any one day with the remaining time to be delivered on a different day or delivered asynchronously/offline through tasks, projects, or homework.
- Limit class sizes to:
- Primary: Minimum 4, maximum 10 students.
- High school: Minimum 4, maximum 15 students.
- For the purpose of the grant application, each online class must be entered as one online location.
Further information
To find out more refer to the online learning pilot program guidelines.
Information sessions about the online learning pilot program will be held in early 2025. Contact Wafa Saboune, Curriculum Project Officer via email at wafa.saboune@det.nsw.edu.au or call (02) 7814 0220 for further details.
Successful schools must participate in an evaluation of the pilot program at the end of 2025.
When is the closing date?
You must apply online by 30 April each year.
Ready to apply?
Find out how to apply for a grant using the Community Languages Schools Program Portal.