THEto school trip it’s not just a moment of leisure or a break from classroom lessons. For many kids it represents the first real opportunity for autonomya history lesson experienced live and a fundamental moment to bond with classmates. Yet, for many families the cost of these trips has become a difficult burden to bear. In this regard, the Ministry of Education and Merit has also confirmed the so-called for 2026 School trip bonus. But the biggest news this year, however, it concerns the broadening of the audience.
School trip bonus: how the new ISEE threshold works
The bonus consists of an economic contribution to ensure that no student is left behind for financial reasons. From this year the Ministry of Education has decided to raise the income bar to include many more families which previously remained excluded. If until recently, in fact, the limit was set at 15,000 eurosall families can now request the contribution with an ISEE of up to 20,000 euros.
Aid of 150 euros for each student
The School trip bonuses can reach a maximum of 150 euros for each child enrolled in state secondary schools, high schools. It is important to underline that the subsidy is individual: if in a family there are two children who attend high school and participate in educational trips, parents can request the bonus for boththus obtaining a total aid of 300 euros. The goal is to combat the risk that children lose important pieces of their educational path or feel excluded from the class group because the family cannot afford the fee for the guided tour or educational trip.
From updating the ISEE to monitoring the school website: a simple guide to orient yourself. (Getty Images)
The management of the bonus passes directly to the schools
Unlike past years in which the application was sent through the single national platform, this year management has become much more streamlined but also more “local”. The Ministry has in fact transferred the funds directly to the budgets of individual schools. This means that today it is the school that decides everything: the dates by which to submit the application, the forms to be completed and the order of precedence.
Don’t wait, consult the institute’s website
For this reason, the golden advice for parents is not to wait for a national communication, but to constantly monitor the website of their children’s school. You need to look for the section dedicated to “Circulars” or the online Notice Board, the virtual space where the school publishes all its official documents. Each institute issues its own announcement and deadlines may vary from city to city.
How to request the contribution and obtain the discount
In order to access the bonus, it is essential to have an ISEE certificate valid for the year 2026. Once you have verified that you fall within the 20,000 euro threshold, you must follow the procedure indicated by the school secretary. There are two ways your family can receive help, depending on when your application is approved: direct discount or refund via bank transfer. In the first case, if the trip still needs to be paid forthe school will apply an immediate discount on the fee so that the payment slip that the family will receive will already be “lightened” by the 150 euros. IfInstead, the family already paid for the entire trip before the bonus was awardedthe school will return the excess money paid directly to the parents’ bank account.
School trip bonus: what to do if the funds run out
It is important to remember that the resources made available by the Ministry are allocated until exhausted. Precisely because the management is autonomous, each Institute Council establishes priority criteria. For example, you could decide to give priority to families with the lowest income or to those students who have never benefited from the bonus in previous years. In conclusion, the school trip bonus it is a great opportunity for inclusion, but it requires a bit of attention more by families in direct contact with the school secretary. Prepare the ISEE in time and check the circulars, it is the first step in guaranteeing your children a very important educational experience.
