Boosted rebates on offer for schools to visit Nation's Capital

The Albanese Government is making it more affordable for students to visit the nation’s capital following bumper visitor numbers in 2023.

Following the success of last year, additional rebates are being extended for 2024 which is good news for schools and for family budgets.

Almost 89,000 school children visited Parliament House and the Australian War Memorial last year, an increase of 39 per cent from the previous year.

The Parliament and Civics Education Rebate (PACER) program provides financial assistance for students to visit Canberra and experience our national democratic, historical and cultural institutions first-hand. 

Schools from outer regional, remote, very remote areas and disadvantaged schools are eligible for additional rebates in 2024. Additional rebates are being extended an extra year, following a successful pilot in 2023.

These additional rebates, for example, take the rebate amount for a student from a remote, disadvantaged school in New South Wales, 500-999 kilometres from Canberra, from $45 to $157.50.

For a student from a very remote, disadvantaged school in the Northern Territory, 3,000 kilometres or more from Canberra, the rebate will increase from $510 to $2,040.

The additional funding will apply to all schools that travel to Canberra in 2024, including those which have already completed visits. For more information, see www.pacer.org.au. 

Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

“It’s important to get out of the classroom and experience our historical and cultural institutions first-hand.

“To see and feel our history at the War Memorial and Old Parliament House, and see it being made in the new Parliament.

“That’s why the Albanese Government is offering rebates for schools to make it more affordable to come to the Capital.

“I want more Australian students, wherever they live, to do this and that’s what these rebates do.”

2023 participation in the PACER program by State/Territory: