Fewer and fewer students participate in educational trips due to the costs being too high: with the new bonus and ISEE threshold of 20 thousand euros the audience is expanding, but be careful the application must be made directly to the school, families must inform themselves and take action
School trips are increasingly becoming a luxury for many Italian families. According to the Skuola.net School Trips Observatory, over 4 out of 10 students do not take part in outings. 29% of students report that their school has given up on organizing the trip due to the prices being too high or the minimum number of participants not being reached. Yet, there is concrete help, the school trip bonus, which will expand and change profoundly in 2026, but which not everyone knows about. And above all: it must be requested directly from your school.
School trip bonus 2026: what it is and who is entitled to it
The Ministry of Education and Merit has confirmed and strengthened the school trip bonus also for the 2025/2026 school year. This is a financial contribution of up to 150 euros per student, intended for pupils in state secondary schools and high schools. The objective is to reduce the economic burden on family budgets and guarantee all students the opportunity to participate in educational trips. It is an individual contribution. This means that each child is entitled to their own bonus: a family with two high school students can obtain up to 300 euros in total.
New ISEE limits: wider audience in 2026 for the trip bonus
The most significant change concerns the economic requirements. The ISEE threshold for access this year has been raised from 15 thousand to 20 thousand euros. The increase in fact allows many more families to access the contribution. However, a fundamental step remains: to apply you must have the ISEE certificate valid for 2026, obtained through the Single Substitute Declaration (DSU). Without this document, the request cannot be accepted.
How to request the trip bonus: be careful, the school decides
How to get the bonus? Here lies the real critical point. Unlike in the past, the trip bonus is no longer requested via a national platform. Management has been completely decentralized. Today, individual schools decide everything: application methods, deadlines, assignment criteria. Each institute, through the Institute Council, publishes its own announcement and also establishes priorities in case of limited funds. This means that there is no one-size-fits-all procedure. And above all, it is the families who must take action and inform themselves. In order not to lose the contribution, it is essential to constantly monitor the school circulars or contact the school secretary directly. But be careful: deadlines can vary greatly from institution to institution.
How the grant for educational trips is paid and what happens if the funds run out
From a practical point of view, the bonus can come in two ways. If the trip has not yet been paid for, the school applies a direct discount on the fee: the family receives an already reduced amount. However, if the payment has already been made, the contribution will be returned via bank transfer. Resources, however, are not unlimited. The Ministry transferred the funds directly to the schools, which can also use any savings from previous years. Once sold out, there is no guarantee that all applications will be accepted. For this reason, many institutes establish priority criteria: for example lower ISEE or priority for those who have never benefited from the bonus.
