School Fees | Tamworth & Gunnedah
Inclusive School Fees
The Board of Carinya Christian School is committed to making Christian education as affordable as possible for families in Tamworth & Gunnedah, while ensuring the School can continue to provide a safe, well-resourced learning environment.
School Fees are necessary for the operation of the School, particularly the building and maintenance of the School’s facilities, as well as the ongoing provision of resources that support day-to-day teaching and learning.
School fees at Carinya are inclusive of tuition, compulsory school activities, annual camps, mandatory excursions, textbooks, electives, sports carnivals, NAPLAN, and computer licenses, helping families plan with clarity and confidence across the school year.
The only items not included are uniforms, representative/external sports, overseas trips, voluntary activities, external VET courses and school photos, as these costs vary depending on student participation and individual choice.
Fee Calculator
Use our online fees calculator to estimate your annual school fees. Include multiple children to view your family’s fee estimate.
EdStart
EdStart is an external provider that supports parents in making education costs sustainable, flexible, and easier to manage.
Kindergarten to Year 12
School Fee Schedule for 2026
| Carinya Tamworth Fees | Tuition Fee | IT Levy | Total Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior School, Kindergarten | 4560 | 330 | 4890 |
| Junior School, Years 1 to 4 | 4560 | 330 | 4890 |
| Middle School, Years 5 to 6 | 5770 | 330 | 6100 |
| Middle School, Years 7 to 8 | 6730 | 330 | 7060 |
| Senior School, Years 9 to 10 | 8080 | 330 | 8410 |
| Senior School, Year 11 | 8540 | 0 | 8540 |
| Senior School, Year 12 | 8540 | 0 | 8540 |
| Carinya Gunnedah Fees | Tuition Fee | IT Levy | Total Annual Fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Junior School, Kindergarten | 3490 | 330 | 3820 |
| Junior School, Years 1 to 6 | 3490 | 330 | 3820 |
| Middle School, Years 7 to 8 | 4100 | 330 | 4430 |
| Senior School, Years 9 to 10 | 4920 | 330 | 5250 |
| IT Levy Per Year | IT that is provided |
|---|---|
| K to 10 | The IT Levy covers the cost of school supplying ICT devices |
| Yr 11 (2025) | Parents purchase Chromebook Device using LWT portal |
| Yr 12 (2025) | Students continue to use Chromebook Device purchased via LWT portal |
| Sibling Discounts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd Child | 3rd Child | 4th Child | 5th Child |
| 30% Discount | 65% Discount | 92.5% Discount | 100% Discount |
To ensure that Christian education remains affordable for families, sibling discounts apply when two or more children are enrolled concurrently at the school. The oldest child at school is the ‘1st Child’. Sibling discounts are not applied to the IT Levy or Kindergarten Preparatory Program fees. To calculate sibling discounts, use the Online Fees Calculator.
Note: Kindergarten to Year 12 fees and other non-government funds raised by the school are used to support capital projects and developments across both schools.
Preparatory Program
School Fee Schedule for 2026
The Kindergarten Preparatory Program is a school-readiness program designed to support children in their transition to Kindergarten at Carinya. The program operates during school term weeks only, and the majority of students who attend the Preparatory Program continue into Kindergarten at Carinya.
As the program is not an Approved Child Care Service, parents are not eligible to access the Child Care Subsidy for this program.
At the time of enrolment, parents are required to nominate the Preparatory Program their child will attend, including the number of days per week. Program structures and attendance options differ between campuses and are outlined below.
Prep to Kindergarten Rebate
Families whose children are enrolled in the Preparatory Program and continue into Kindergarten the following year are eligible for a 50% rebate of the total Preparatory Program fees paid. This rebate:
Is applied to the family’s School Fees Account at the commencement of the Kindergarten year
Cannot exceed the total annual Kindergarten fee due
Will be removed if a student leaves Kindergarten before the end of Term 3
Will be prorated if a student leaves during Term 4
Carinya Tamworth
Children may be enrolled in the Preparatory Program on a 1, 2, 3 or 4-day basis.
Carinya Gunnedah
The Preparatory Program operates as a 3-day program, running on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. Parents may apply for an additional Friday placement (limited availability and subject to application), with an additional annual charge of $1,295.
Note: a proportion of Kindergarten to Year 12 fees collected (and other non-government funds raised by the school) is used to support the operation of our Preparatory Program.
| Carinya Tamworth Kindergarten Preparatory Program | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Days Attending | 1 Day | 2 Days | 3 Days | 4 Days |
| Annual Charge | 1295 | 2590 | 3885 | 5180 |
| Carinya Gunnedah Kindergarten Preparatory Program | ||
|---|---|---|
| Days Attending | 3 Days | |
| Annual Charge | 3885 | |
Payment of School Fees
It is preferred that parents pay their school fees using the TASS Parent Lounge, where they are able to establish a payment schedule to direct the frequency and timing of fee payments from their selected bank account or credit facility. For full details regarding the payment of school fees, please refer to the Fee Payment Policy.
Items included in the Total Annual Fee
Tuition, Activities, Annual Camps, Excursions, Electives, ports Carnivals, NAPLAN Fees, Building Maintenance, Accident Insurance, Student Stationery, Textbooks, Subject Materials, Google Account & Contribution to the construction of new facilities
Items NOT included in the Total Annual Fee
Uniform, Representative Sport, Overseas Trips, External VET courses & School Photos
Withdrawal of Enrolment: Notice Requirements
Parents are required to provide 9 school term weeks’ notice in writing via email to the Principal prior to the withdrawal of their children from the school. To minimise the risk of miscommunication or misunderstanding that may occur, verbal communication to the admin or teaching staff is not sufficient. When 9 school term weeks notice is not provided charges will apply. For full details regarding Notice Requirements, please refer to the Fee Payment Policy.
Prorating Tuition Fees
When students are not enrolled for the full school year, Annual Fees and the IT Levy are prorated based on a 37-week school year.
TASS Parent Lounge
Parents can view the status of their school fee account via the TASS Parent Lounge, make one-off school fee payments, and set up schedules for the payment of their fees.
Building Fund
Families are invited to make a tax-deductible donation to the Carinya Building Fund. These donations contribute toward the construction of new buildings and facilities.
Donations to the Building Fund help to minimise increases to the Annual Fee.
Enrolment Administration Fee
Before the commencement of students at the school, a $300 Enrolment Administration Fee (EAF) must be paid by new families. The EAF:
can only be paid to accept an offer of enrolment
must be paid to secure both wait-list and immediate start offers
is a once-off fee
is the same regardless of the number and age of children in a family
covers siblings to be enrolled in future years
is non-refundable apart from wait-list positions when a place cannot be offered