STAR 6 school subsidy

STAR 6 is an initiative by the Victorian Department of Education that provides Year 6 Students with science enrichment learning opportunities for a single school excursion per calendar year through subsidised:

• travel costs to Scienceworks
• entry to the Melbourne Planetarium OR the Lightning Theatre at Scienceworks

Travel subsidy for rural and regional schools

All rural and regional schools outside the metropolitan area will be reimbursed for 80% of the cost of transporting Year 6 students to and from Scienceworks for one school excursion per year. Travel claims are subject to terms and conditions which can be found below.

Travel subsidy for metropolitan schools

All metropolitan schools will receive $4 per student subsidy towards the cost of transport to and from Scienceworks for Year 6 students for the excursion once per year.

Travel claims are subject to terms and conditions which can be found below.

Planetarium or Lightning Theatre subsidy

All Year 6 students will receive a $2 discount to either one Planetarium show or one Lightning Theatre show per year as part of a school excursion. Information about the shows can be found on our Scienceworks education programs page. 

Our booking officers can assist you to tailor an excursion program that will suit your curriculum needs and group size. To secure your education booking, contact our bookings office on 13 11 02. The bookings office operates from 9 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. 

Terms and conditions

To access the reimbursements:

• Book and attend an approved staff-led education program for Year 6 students at Scienceworks as part of your visit;

• Schools wishing to visit Scienceworks and claim STAR 6 travel and program support must book their program with Scienceworks within a specified period of time: 

  • Bookings for visits can be made from 1 December 2023.
  • Terms 1 and 2 2024 visits, MUST be made before 31 March 2024.
  • Terms 3 and 4, 2024 visits, MUST be made before 31 July 2024.
  • Bookings made outside of these booking periods will not be eligible for STAR 6 reimbursement.
    
• At time of booking, notify staff that you intend to make a STAR 6 claim, so that the STAR 6 Claim Forms can be sent to you;
• Regional schools claiming a travel reimbursement must submit two transportation quotes for travel subsidy no later than two weeks after booking the excursion; failing to provide the quotes will deem the school ineligible to receive the subsidy.
• Pay all excursion expenses before making a STAR 6 Claim;
• All claimants must complete the required paperwork and submit it to Scienceworks, within two weeks of booking your excursion. This includes a completed STAR 6 Claim Form and a School Tax Invoice for the amount being claimed. 

What costs cannot be claimed?

• Travel costs for students in other year levels
• Costs associated with side trips and school camps
• Costs associated with any overnight accommodation
• Costs associated with the use of private vehicles or hire cars
• Airfares
• Driver accommodation
• Travel costs for a program that does not include a staff-led program
• Travel costs where the quotes, claim forms and tax invoices are not submitted in the required time frame
• Any travel costs where the booking has not been made in the required time frame.