Victorian selective entry fee, concessions and equity
The 2026 application fee was \$175, with free applications for families holding a health care or pensioner concession card, and for First Nations families. Check ACER's apply page for the current cycle.
Last checked against the official sources.
For the 2026 cycle the application fee was $175. Families with a valid health care card or pensioner concession card, and First Nations families, applied free, and a reduction was available for financial hardship. Always confirm on ACER's apply page.
The fee
ACER listed these amounts for the 2026 cycle:
- Application fee: $175.
- Remote sitting fee: $215, in addition to the application fee.
- If an application is withdrawn before the closing date, or eligibility cannot be verified, ACER retains a $52 administration fee. ACER gives no refund if an application is withdrawn after the closing date (24 April in 2026).
- A remote sitting also carries the approved invigilating organisation's own charges, paid directly to it.
A remote (interstate or overseas) sitting is available only in the circumstances the Department lists, for example living and studying interstate or overseas, or religious or cultural reasons, with evidence. It must be requested in the application portal at the time of application, by the closing date (24 April in 2026), and ACER accepted no late requests. Read ACER's apply page and the Department's page before you apply. Fees for the next cycle (Year 9 entry in 2028) are not published, so treat any figure as a guide.
Free and reduced fees
ACER states that applications are free for:
- families with a valid health care card or pensioner concession card;
- First Nations families.
It also says a fee reduction is available for families experiencing financial hardship. The apply page also says that if eligibility for a waiver or reduction cannot be confirmed, the full application fee is payable. ACER's public pages do not say how to ask for a reduction. Contact the ACER support team (sehs@acer.org or (03) 9007 2087) before you apply.
Equity consideration
Separate from the fee, equity consideration is part of how places are offered. ACER says families holding a Commonwealth Health Care Card or a Pension Card who qualify for income support benefits, or candidates identifying as First Nations, can be considered. Up to 10 percent of places are offered on exam performance and ability to meet the equity conditions. See how selection works.
If you want to apply for equity consideration, have the card and both Centrelink Customer Reference Numbers (CRNs), the cardholder's and your child's, ready. The Department says the form asks for both, and that Centrelink confirms the cardholder status electronically.
What else to budget for
For an in-person sitting, ACER does not list other mandatory costs for the exam. Optional spending, such as tutoring, is a family choice, and ACER says children do not need to practise or revise.
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Checked against ACER's apply page on 7 October 2026.
© Copyright State Government of Victoria. Summarised and adapted from vic.gov.au, Selective entry high schools (https://www.vic.gov.au/selective-entry-high-schools), accessed 7 October 2026, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Changes were made. The Victorian Government does not endorse ExamExplained.