Key Takeaways
- The NSWP supports over 3,000 school communities each year, funded at $61.4 million annually by the Australian Government (Department of Education, 2026).
- Participating schools receive $20,280 a year, or $24,336 in remote areas, to engage a chaplain or student wellbeing officer.
- Practitioners need a Certificate IV or higher with units in mental health, referrals, and pastoral care or youth work.
- Chaplains and wellbeing officers can't provide religious instruction or proselytise; one-on-one support requires parental consent.
- Current Australian Government funding is committed for the 2023 to 2027 school years.
If you’re considering school chaplaincy or you’re a school leader weighing up wellbeing support options, the National Student Wellbeing Program is the framework you’ll be working within. It’s the Australian Government program that funds pastoral care in schools, and in 2023 it changed in ways that much of the information online still hasn’t caught up with.
This explainer covers what the program is, what changed, how the funding flows, and what practitioners need to qualify.
What is the National Student Wellbeing Program?
The National Student Wellbeing Program (NSWP) is an Australian Government initiative that supports student and school community wellbeing in more than 3,000 school communities each year. It funds schools to engage either a chaplain or a student wellbeing officer, who provide pastoral care, wellbeing programmes, and support strategies (Department of Education, 2026).
The Australian Government contributes $61.4 million each year, and the program is administered by state and territory governments. Participation is voluntary for both schools and students.
Independent evaluations in 2018 and 2022 found the program provided valued support for the wellbeing of students and school communities (Department of Education, 2026).
What happened to the National School Chaplaincy Programme?
It was renamed and reshaped. The National School Chaplaincy Programme began in 2006 under the Howard government, providing grants for schools to engage chaplains. From 2014, all funded practitioners had to be endorsed by a recognised religious institution, with no non-religious option.
In 2023, the program became the National Student Wellbeing Program, and schools regained the choice between a religious chaplain and a non-religious student wellbeing officer. Both roles do the same core work: pastoral care and student wellbeing support.
For chaplains, the practical effect is this: the role is alive and funded, schools still choose chaplains in large numbers, and the religious endorsement pathway remains. What’s gone is any ambiguity about the role’s boundaries. Chaplains provide care, not religious instruction.
How does NSWP funding work?
| Element | Detail |
|---|---|
| Annual grant per school | $20,280, or $24,336 for remote and very remote schools |
| Total program funding | $61.4 million per year from the Australian Government |
| Current funding commitment | 2023 to 2027 school years |
| Who administers it | State and territory governments |
| How schools engage practitioners | Government schools generally engage through approved providers (prequalified providers in NSW, Accredited Employing Authorities in Queensland); some sectors and states allow direct employment |
| Can schools top up? | Yes. Schools can supplement with school or community funds, and some states run parallel programs |
Because the grant typically funds a part-time presence, school chaplaincy roles under the NSWP are usually two to three days a week. Many chaplains serve across two schools or hold the role alongside other work.
What are the NSWP qualification requirements?
Chaplains and student wellbeing officers must hold a minimum of a Certificate IV (or equivalent or higher) in Youth Work, Pastoral Care or Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care. The qualification must include units of competency in:
- mental health and making appropriate referrals, and
- providing pastoral care and/or working with youth (Department of Education, 2026).
Chaplains must additionally be endorsed by a recognised religious institution and be recognised by the school community as having the skills and experience for the role.
All practitioners must also:
- hold a Working With Children Check (or state-based or overseas equivalent)
- complete the eSafety Commissioner’s professional learning package on responding to and preventing cyberbullying
- comply with child safety laws including mandatory reporting, and follow the NSWP code of conduct
- not provide religious instruction or religious counselling, and not proselytise
- obtain parental consent for one-on-one support outside group settings.
The CHC42315 Certificate IV in Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care at Alphacrucis University College is designed to meet the NSWP’s qualification requirements, including the mandatory units. Our guide on how to become a school chaplain walks through the full pathway from qualification to placement in a school.
What does this mean for Christians considering chaplaincy?
Honestly? Good things. The rename clarified the role rather than diminishing it.
Chaplains under the NSWP are endorsed by a religious institution, and most schools that choose a chaplain do so knowingly. What the rules require is integrity: you’re there to care for every student, not to recruit them. For Christians, that’s not a constraint on the calling. Presence with people in hard moments is the calling.
Alphacrucis trains chaplains for exactly this reality. Alphacrucis’s (RTO 90525) training is nationally accredited by, and the Certificate IV teaches the boundaries alongside the care: governance, crisis support, referrals, and professionalism in a secular institution. Nadia Lino, a Certificate IV graduate, described it as the course that “taught me so much about professionalism, governance, crisis support, and boundaries around caring for people.”
That’s the kind of chaplain schools renew funding for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the National School Chaplaincy Programme still running?
It continues as the National Student Wellbeing Program, renamed in 2023. The core function is unchanged: Australian Government funding for pastoral care in schools. The main difference is schools can now choose either a religious chaplain or a non-religious student wellbeing officer.
How much funding do schools get under the NSWP?
Participating schools receive $20,280 per year, or $24,336 for schools in remote and very remote areas. The program is funded at $61.4 million annually by the Australian Government and administered by state and territory governments (Department of Education, 2026).
What qualifications does an NSWP chaplain need?
A Certificate IV or higher in Youth Work, Pastoral Care or Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care, including units in mental health and making appropriate referrals, plus pastoral care or working with youth. Chaplains also need an endorsement from a recognised religious institution and a Working With Children Check (or state-based or overseas equivalent).
Can NSWP chaplains teach religion or run religious programs?
No. NSWP chaplains and student wellbeing officers can’t provide religious instruction or religious counselling, and can’t proselytise. Their role is pastoral care and wellbeing support for all students. Religious education in schools happens through separate arrangements, not the NSWP.
How long is NSWP funding guaranteed?
The Australian Government has committed funding for the 2023 to 2027 school years under federation funding agreements with the states and territories.
Where to from here?
If school chaplaincy is where you’re heading, the qualification that meets the NSWP requirements is the CHC42315 Certificate IV in Chaplaincy and Pastoral Care. Our step-by-step guide on how to become a school chaplain covers the rest of the pathway, and the full chaplaincy picture is in how to become a chaplain in Australia.
Questions about which course fits? Call the Future Students team on 1300 228 355.
