Government Announces Rollout of $200 Back-To-School Support For 2026 School Year

The Coalition Government has today announced the rollout of the Back-to-School Support for the 2026 academic year, reaffirming its commitment to ensuring that every child in Fiji has access to the essentials needed to begin the school year with confidence.

Minister for Finance, Hon. Esrom Immanuel, highlighted that the initiative—first introduced three years ago—remains one of Government’s flagship programs aimed at easing financial pressure on families as their children prepare for school. The assistance provides $200 per eligible child to support the purchase of school uniforms, shoes, bags, stationery, lunch boxes and other necessities. Since its introduction, the program has supported thousands of families.

For the 2026 rollout, eligible parents and guardians with a combined annual household income of $50,000 or less will receive $200 per child from ECE to Year 13. Government has allocated $40 million in the 2025–2026 National Budget for this initiative. The application period will begin on Tuesday, 11 November 2025, and close on Friday, 12 December 2025.

Forms can be obtained from schools or downloaded from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Finance websites. Completed forms must be submitted to schools for verification, with school heads responsible for uploading all details onto the FEMIS system. Each student must have a separate application form.

Families already receiving full transportation assistance or students with blue cards do not need to complete the full application as their income is pre-verified, although they must still submit a partially completed form.

Families earning below $50,000 who are not receiving transportation assistance, as well as students receiving partial assistance or holding yellow cards, will be required to complete the entire form, including an income verification section endorsed by an authorised officer. Applicants must also sign the statutory declaration section included within the form, eliminating the need for a separate declaration.

Current ECE to Year 12 students (entering Year 13 in 2026) will apply through their existing schools, while children entering ECE for the first time in 2026 must complete their enrolment before applying. Students currently in Year 13 (2025) are not eligible for this assistance.

School Heads have been reminded that they will be accountable for the accuracy of all information submitted, following the discovery of fraudulent cases in previous years. Investigations have uncovered instances where false applications were submitted and FEMIS data altered, depriving deserving students of their rightful support.

Parents and guardians are strongly urged to ensure that all information, especially mobile phone numbers, is accurate and registered for M-PAiSA or MyCash, as changes will not be accepted after submission.

Payments will commence on Friday, 16 January 2026, giving families adequate time to prepare for the school year, which begins on 26 January 2026. Payments for students progressing from Year 12 to Year 13 will be released once exam results are issued and enrolment for 2026 is confirmed.

Funds will be disbursed through Vodafone M-PAiSA and Digicel MyCash, while Post Fiji will facilitate payment via TMO for maritime families without mobile coverage. Government will cover all service fees, ensuring parents receive the full $200.