Fees and financial support

The Victorian Academy of Teaching and Leadership provides leadership and professional learning programs for teachers, school leaders and staff across Victoria.

This page explains course fees, refunds and the types of financial support available for eligible participants.

At a glance:

• Government school staff may be eligible for subsidies.
• Non-government school staff generally pay full fees.
• Government school support may include accommodation, travel, CRT cover, or Aboriginal pathways funding.

Professional learning fees

• Many of our leadership and professional learning programs are significantly subsidised for Victorian government school participants.
• Victorian government schools pay a non-refundable co-contribution through the Schools Targeted Funding Portal prior to participation.
• While Government schools are significantly subsidised, Catholic and Independent schools may attend our leadership and professional learning programs at the full cost.  
• Fees must be paid within 7 days of registering to confirm enrolment.  
• If you are from a non-government school and would like to attend an Academy professional learning program that is restricted to only government school participants, please submit an expression of interest to us. 

Refunds

• We encourage you to carefully consider the commitment required to attend our programs before enrolling.  
• There is a high demand for Academy programs and late withdrawals could mean people miss out.
• ​If you need to withdraw from a program, you must give us notice in writing before the orientation or program starts for a refund of the course fees.
• A full or partial refund is available if you provide written confirmation via email no later than 14 days prior to the start of the program.

Refund deadlines:

• Full refund - written confirmation received at least 21 days from the program start
• Partial (50%) refund - written confirmation received between 14 and 20 days from the program start
• No refund - withdrawal from program (written, verbal or non-attendance) less than 14 days from the program start

Subsidies

Teaching Excellence Program

Subsidies will be provided to the schools of Teaching Excellence Program (TEP) participants to enable full engagement with the professional learning.

This includes:

• the provision of funding for Casual Relief Teaching (CRT) to enable the release of a teacher to participate in the TEP, by providing a teacher replacement for the duration of the professional learning
• rural travel subsidy for applicable Victorian teachers
• teacher accommodation subsidy for appliable teachers

The subsidy will be delivered via the Student Resource Package (SRP) which means there is no additional action for schools to take.

Accommodation subsidy

An accommodation subsidy is available for Victorian government schools that are more than 100 kilometres from the workshop venue.

This subsidy contributes to the cost of accommodation, breakfast, travel (public transport) and parking. Fuel is not an approved expense.

Accommodation subsidy requirements

• It is your responsibility to book and pay for accommodation and travel and then claim the subsidy after attending the course.
• A school can claim up to $150 for each day the participant(s) attends professional learning.
• ​​To claim the subsidy, the school must:
  • provide all related tax invoices and receipts
  • claim within 6 months of attending the course.
• The subsidy is paid to the school, not the individual participant.
• Although this subsidy is available to Victorian government schools that are more than 100 kilometres from the workshop venue, other schools can apply for the subsidy if the participant has to travel and/or needs accommodation the night before the first day of a residential component.
• If a participant shares accommodation with a participant from another school, they can only claim for a share of the subsidy.

Apply for accommodation subsidy

Small school CRT subsidy

A small school CRT subsidy is available for Victorian government school participants that come from schools that have less than 100 students and covers the costs of employing a Casual Relief Teacher (CRT).

• It is the school’s responsibility to book and pay for the CRT and then claim the subsidy after the participant attends the course.
• Small schools can claim both the accommodation subsidy and the small school subsidy.

Apply for small school subsidy

Academy Aboriginal teacher pathways subsidy

The Academy Aboriginal teacher pathways subsidy is available to all Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander employees, educators and leaders in Victorian government schools.

The Aboriginal pathways subsidy is worth up to $5,000 and can be applied to fees for any Academy professional learning, as well as being used to offset the cost of accommodation, travel and CRT cover.  

The Academy is committed to developing Aboriginal staff in corporate and school roles pursuant to the Department of Education Aboriginal Employment Plan.

• It is the school or participant's responsibility to book and pay for accommodation and travel and then claim the subsidy after attending the course.
• A school can claim up to $150 for each day the participant(s) attends professional learning
• ​​To claim the subsidy, the school must:
  • provide all related tax invoices and receipts
  • claim within 6 months of attending the course.
• The subsidy is paid to the school, not the individual participant.

We welcome expressions of interest from Aboriginal staff directly, or from their managers or school leadership. For more information contact Emma Nikolin at emma.nikolin@education.vic.gov.au or 03 7022 5788.

How to claim accommodation and small school subsidies

Schools can submit their claim for the accommodation, small school and Aboriginal pathways subsidies via the Schools Targeted Funding Portal (requires education credentials). 

• You must have paid the course fees before you can submit a claim for the subsidies.
• Initiative Agreements are raised monthly:
  • We recommend you check the portal for notification of the approved agreement, then submit your claim.
  • We will review your submission and pay the subsidy within 3 months.

If you have any questions, contact us on 03 8199 2900 or academy.reimbursements@education.vic.gov.au

Frequently asked questions

Payments and refunds

Non-government school participants

Rural and regional support

Aboriginal pathways

Claiming subsidies

Other costs