After a few first-day jitters and tired eyes, the students are ready to return to learning.
But with back to school price hikes contributing to the ongoing cost of living crisis, some families are having to make tough choices.
It's something primary school parent Linda has to deal with.
"Things we don't need, we don't get. And things that are essential we obviously go and get. So it's more of a need, not a want, at the moment. So if we need it, we get it. If we don't, we don't."
That need is forcing parents to pay up, as Finder Senior Money expert Sarah Megginson explains.
"We're expecting parents to spend a total of $2.6 billion on school supplies which is such a staggering amount of money. For the average primary school spend, it's around $570 and in high school it’s a little higher at $770."
The priciest items are uniforms, often costing more than $200 for primary school students. Textbooks can cost around $268 for high schoolers. And school shoes on average are upwards of $100 per child.
Added to that data from Finder data are the hidden costs, like transport and school camps.
