Office of the Hon Christopher Pyne MP

Minister for Education and Training | Leader of the House | Federal Member for Sturt

The facts on funding students with a disability

1. A needs based Commonwealth disability loading commenced in 2014 to

supplement the funding provided by state and territory governments, exactly

as was formulated under the previous Labor government according to the
Australian Education Act 2013.
2. The majority of funding for students with disabilities in our school system

comes from state and territory governments. In 2015 68 per cent comes from
the states and 32 per cent comes from the Commonwealth.
3. All students identified by state and territory definitions of disability are entitled

to the loading.
4. A needs based model by definition means that where there is need it is met

by the loading. No student qualifying for the loading under the model misses
out of funding.
5. As per the funding agreements established by the previous government this

funding is given to the state and territory governments and the nongovernment sectors to distribute.
6. As of next year, for the first time ever, national definitions of disability will be

used to distribute commonwealth funding to the states and territories and the
non-government sectors. Funding will be informed by the levels of adjustment
needed by a student so it will be better targeted and fairer.
7. The process of creating these national definitions commenced under the

previous government and was in collaboration and agreement with the states
and territories. This process is working to the same timeline as would
have been the case if Labor were in office.
8. It will continue to be needs based, meaning where students are identified

under the definitions, need will be met.

9. The Commonwealth is spending $5 billion on students with a disability over

four years including $1.2 billion in 2015.