School Start Support in Austria: €150 for 100 Graz Families and What the State Pays

School Start Support in Austria: €150 for 100 Graz Families and What the State Pays School start support in Austria: 100 Graz families received €150 each, plus Schulstartgeld €121.40 and free textbooks. What school equipment really costs. Topics: News, Economy, Politics.

The first day of school is a celebration for children and a noticeable expense for parents. In Austria, families need notebooks, pens, a backpack and clothes before the school year starts, and the bill often reaches several hundred euros. That is why school start support in Austria comes in two forms: one-off charity campaigns and permanent state payments. This school year, Graz launched the “Von Mensch zu Mensch” (person to person) campaign: 100 families with schoolchildren received €150 each. In this article we break down what it really costs to equip a child for school, how the Graz campaign worked, and which federal payments — Familienbeihilfe (child allowance), Schulstartgeld (school start payment) and Schulbuchaktion (free textbooks) — every family receives.

What it costs to equip a child for school

Equipping a schoolchild in Austria goes far beyond a backpack and notebooks. The Arbeiterkammer (Chamber of Labour) of Styria compares prices for a typical starter set every year. As MeinBezirk reports citing AK Steiermark, 22 essential items — a fountain pen, coloured and felt-tip pens, erasers, notebooks and more — cost up to €249.26 depending on the store.

Even with every discount and special offer used, parents spend on average around €130 per child on basic supplies alone. That does not include a school backpack (Schultasche), a pencil case (Federpennal), sports clothes or shoes. With those, the real budget per schoolchild often exceeds €300–400.

For families with several school-age children or a low income, this is a heavy burden. That is why regional initiatives like the Graz campaign strike such a chord.

The “Von Mensch zu Mensch” campaign: 100 families received €150 each

The initiative comes from the Graz construction group Oberlandler together with the publisher MeinBezirk. As MeinBezirk writes, 100 children from families with schoolchildren received one-off support of €150 for the school start.

The mechanics were simple. School directors, teachers, parent associations, charitable organisations, student councils and parents themselves could nominate families: applications went by email to [email protected] with a short justification and contact details. The window closed on 18 September, after which Oberlandler and MeinBezirk jointly selected the 100 recipients. The campaign was backed by Styrian education director Elisabeth Meixner.

We want to make the school start a little easier for those people who are struggling in economically difficult times.

— Siegfried Nagl, “Stadtbauer” of the Oberlandler initiative

What the state pays: Familienbeihilfe and Schulstartgeld

Charity campaigns are one-off, but state support works every year. The base payment is Familienbeihilfe (monthly child allowance): from €138.40 to €200.40 per month depending on the child’s age (2025/26 rates), regardless of family income, up to age 24. Our guide to child benefits in Austria covers the amounts and conditions in detail.

In September, Schulstartgeld is added automatically — a one-off school start payment of €121.40 for every child aged 6 to 15. No application is needed: the money arrives together with Familienbeihilfe for everyone receiving it. Families with three or more children additionally get Mehrkindzuschlag, a €20 monthly supplement per child from the third onward. The conditions are described on the official portal oesterreich.gv.at, and we collected the payment dates in a separate article on child benefit payment dates.

Schulbuchaktion: textbooks issued for free

The second big saving is the Schulbuchaktion (free textbook programme). The state issues schoolbooks free of charge; above a set income threshold parents pay only a symbolic fee of about €6 per book. The book list for the year is ordered through the school — never buy textbooks at full price yourself. The rules for parents are described on the Schulbuchaktion portal.

The programme applies to all schoolchildren regardless of citizenship or residence status — immigrant children use it automatically. We explain how the school system works as a whole in our guide to compulsory schooling in Austria.

How to save on school shopping

Even without aid campaigns, the budget can be reduced noticeably. Working tactics:

• Buy from the school list — schools issue a list of required supplies, extras are unnecessary.
• August sales — stationery and backpacks are cheapest in the weeks before the school start; AK price comparisons help you pick the store.
• Second-hand and swaps — AK Steiermark collects well-kept school supplies for families, and backpacks and sports gear are often passed on in parent group chats.
• Schulbuchaktion through the school — never buy textbooks at full price.

Big purchases like a backpack are best made once for several years: a quality Schultasche lasts through all of primary school. The full shopping and deadline checklist is in our article on the school year start in Austria.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who could receive the €150 in Graz?

Families with schoolchildren from Graz and the surrounding area in difficult financial situations. Candidates were nominated by directors, teachers, parent associations, charities and parents themselves; applications were accepted until 18 September 2026.

Do I need to apply for Schulstartgeld?

No. The payment arrives automatically in September for all families receiving Familienbeihilfe for a child aged 6 to 15. The amount is €121.40 per child.

How much does it cost to equip a child for school in Austria?

A basic set of 22 items costs from roughly €130 (with discounts) up to €249.26 without them. With a backpack, pencil case, sports clothes and clothing, the real budget is €300–500 per child.

Are free textbooks available to foreign children?

Yes. The Schulbuchaktion applies to all schoolchildren in Austria regardless of citizenship — textbooks are ordered through the school free of charge or for a symbolic fee.

What families should do before the next school year

The €150 story in Graz is a good reason to check whether your family receives all the payments it is entitled to. A short plan:

1. Check Familienbeihilfe. If you have not applied yet, submit an application — the instructions are in our article on how to apply for child benefits.
2. Expect the September Schulstartgeld — €121.40 arrives automatically with the allowance.
3. Order textbooks through the Schulbuchaktion before the year starts; never buy them at full price.
4. Plan a budget of €300–500 per child and watch for August sales and regional aid programmes.

State support covers a significant share of the costs — the key is to claim it in time. Subscribe to the how2austria newsletter so you never miss changes in family benefits and news that matter for your family in Austria.