Student Learning Funds

What is a Student Learning Fund?

A Student Learning Fund is an allocated amount of funds set aside for each online student made available to support student learning. Fulltime K-9 students that are enrolled by September 30 of the calendar year will be offered access to $600 (for the school year). Students K-9 who enroll after September 30 of the calendar year will be offered access to $300.

Grade 10-12 online learners will be eligible for up to $100 per activated course (up to a maximum of $400). NOTE: Expenditures must be linked to course outcomes and activities. See your SD8 online teacher advisor for details.

What is the Student Learning Fund approval process?

British Columbia's Ministry of Education regulations do not permit the School District to reimburse parents directly, therefore, all public schools (including Homelinks) are required make all Student Learning Fund-related purchases on behalf of each family/learner.

If the purchase (or service) requested meets a requirement of the individual Student Learning Plan and it is not a capital cost (i.e., a desk, laptop or musical instrument) the school administrator will consider approving the purchase.

Once approved, the school district will pay the vendor (or service provider) directly. Parents will be notified when the resources are ready to be picked up from the appropriate Homelinks campus.

NOTE: Parents/guardians are responsible for submitting the appropriate forms as well as an invoice for the materials or activity that being requested in order to have it covered by a student learning fund.

How do I access my child's Student Learning Fund?

To access a Student Learning Fund, we require that a parent/guardian set up an appointment with their appropriate Homelinks liaison teacher to review that the requested activities and/or resources to ensure that they support the individual Student Learning Plan.

Your teacher will help you to complete the required forms:

What can Student Learning Funds be used for?

The SLF may be used for (but not limited to):

Consumable resources such as workbooks, science kits, and individualized curriculum.
Art supplies (i.e., paint, brushes, chalk, makers, knitting, etc.).
Lessons in specific skill development subject areas (e.g., swimming, music, etc.).
Blended learning activities that require a tuition fee.

Scholastic book orders that meet part of the Student Learning Plan.
Online or digital subscriptions.
Passes or memberships.
Rentals of musical instruments.
Student entrance fees for field trips.

Professional assessments by qualified personnel. *

* Only if a required component on an SLP or an Individualized Student Learning Plan (IEP).

The SLF may not be used for:

General school supplies (i.e., pencils, rulers, notebooks, paper, etc.).
Items widely considered toys (i.e., Lego, video games, board games, etc.).
Scholastic orders for items that are widely considered toys, gifts and/or collectibles.

Sports equipment and uniforms.
Classroom or home furniture.
Musical instrument purchases.
Electronic devices.
Family passes that include the admission of a parent and/or guardian.

Costs for transportation and/or food.
Tutoring (NOTE: An exception would be if the tutoring is required as part of a student IEP or if the teacher determines that the student requires additional specific support for learning. Authorization must be given by Elev8 DESK administration.).
Out of province field trips or services (NOTE: The exception would include any school-sponsored trip and/or activity).
Cost of informal educational assessments not completed by a certified professional.
Shipping, duty, and/or brokerage fees.

IMPORTANT: In general, Student Learning Funds are intended to be used for instructional purposes of the learner only.

Information for Third-Party Providers

Third-Party providers (aka Community Connections) may be utilized by families in order to support student learning. In order for Homelinks to submit invoices for payment for services in a prompt manner, all invoices must include these important details:

Personal name and/or business.
Complete mailing address.
Phone number.
Business Number or SIN.
Banking EFT (Electronic Funds Transfer) information (or a voided cheque if the vendor prefers payment in the form of a cheque).

Information of the Services Provided :

Clearly written details about the service provided.
Duration, date, and/or period of the service provided.
Name of the student receiving the service provided.

NOTE: Third-party service provider must also, if not already done so, complete and submit a Vendor Application Form before payment can be remitted.

It is also recommended that third-party service providers keep copies of all invoices should a duplicate be required. Elev8 Homelinks clerical staff will connect with the service provider to complete any additional paperwork. 

Internet Reimbursement Fund

Student Learning Funds: Under the new Ministry guidelines established July 2023, Student Learning Funds may be used to reimburse families for Internet costs. The maximum allocation of Student Learning Funds is $600 per year per student. The Student Learning Fund is provided to students for educational program delivery. Therefore, after all the necessary curricular purchases have been made, any remaining student learning funds may be spent on Internet costs. (NOTE: Internet costs can only be covered if the student is required to use the Internet for their learning in the Elev8 Homelinks program).

More Than One Student: For families with more than one student in the Online Learning Program (Homelinks) the Ministry has established that we can reimburse up to a maximum of $600 per family for Internet costs.

Payments for Internet: Payments for Internet costs will be processed in May. Please submit all required documents to Homelinks clerical (clerical.hcs@sd8.bc.ca) before May 1. If your Internet is bundled with other services, please separate out the amount that is Internet since we cannot reimburse for cable, phone plans or other parts of the bill. Any time the Student Learning Funds are used, a Pre-Authorization Form needs to be filled out and submitted to the student’s teacher for approval.

Steps for Reimbursement:

Fill out a Pre-Authorization Form for the Student Learning Fund and indicate on it that you want to use funds for Internet costs. Have your child’s teacher sign off on it.
Collect your Internet bills and separate the Internet portion from any other billing. Make copies to submit to Elev8 Homelinks.
Fill out the reverse side of the attached Internet Reimbursement Form indicating the month(s) and charge(s) for which you are submitting. You will only be able to submit for the months your child was at the school for the year and needed Internet during that month. (For the months of October-April).
Submit the following documentation to the clerical prior to May 1.
1. The Pre-Authorization Form for the Student Learning Fund.
2. The Internet Reimbursement Form.
3. Copies of all monthly Internet bills you have paid for which you are seeking reimbursement.
Reimbursement will be processed by SD8 in May. The maximum reimbursement will be the amount remaining in the Student Learning Fund. A family can be reimbursed up to a maximum of $600 for Internet.

Deadlines for SLF Spending

There are two important dates that families must be aware of with regards to Student Learning Fund spending:

All SLF spending must be allocated and approved by the last school day in April.
All outstanding invoices must be received by Homelinks clerical by the last school day in May.

Still Needing More Details?

Please contact us with any questions to navigating or understanding the SLF process.