Many parents across the Illawarra will also bear the cost of mandatory digital devices used in the classroom, like laptops and iPads, on top of the standard back-to-school essentials.

For mum Katie Barber, who has two children at an Albion Park primary school, the costs keep adding up.

"Uniforms have cost me $390 so far, without adding winter gear, then you have roughly $200 each kid on school supplies- without top ups," she said.

Her school supplies list, excluding uniforms, for her two children totalled $423, although she had $86 knocked off the bill in discounts.

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Ms Barber said she is also expected to pay for an iPad for one of her children, and despite already signing a financial agreement, the school is yet to inform parents of the price.

Across Australia, families already seeking financial support have been pushed to the brink, a Smiths Family survey revealed.

Of almost 2000 families supported by the charity, nearly nine out of 10 parents and carers said they were worried about the cost of back-to-school essentials.

More than half said their children were likely to miss out on the digital devices needed for their schoolwork because they would be unable to afford them.

"Through Covid 19 and inflation, [my] kids' grades went backwards and the school expectations of laptops for every child has now become the hardest [for] my child," one caregiver said.

'Bring your own device' models have become common place in schools across the Illawarra, meaning many parents are footing the bill for the devices their children bring to class.

In public schools, the decision to introduce a 'bring your own device' policy is up to each school, and is made in consultation with the local school community, a NSW Department of Education spokesperson said.

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All public schools in NSW have devices provided to them, they said, and students who are unable to provide their own can use school-owned devices.

In Wollongong Catholic schools, students share school devices for the early years of primary school, and then are supplied with an iPad, which is paid off in increments and owned by the family after a number of years, a Catholic Education Diocese of Wollongong spokesperson said.

Students in Catholic secondary schools follow a 'bring your own device' model.

"Specific support is always available for school families experiencing financial difficulty. This support can apply to a range of areas, including school fees and the provision of digital devices," the spokesperson said.

A NSW Department of Education spokesperson said there is also a range of cost of living measures to support NSW families totalling around $850 in savings per child, including the Premier's Back to School NSW program.

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