STUDENT INCOME. Want to refer your student to an online source? where they can use the

Transcription

1 STUDENT INCOME SUPPORT GUIDE {FOR YOU THE CAREER ADVISOR TO ASSIST STUDENTS UNDERSTAND INCOME SUPPORT PAYMENTS AND ELIGIBILITY} Want to refer your student to an online source? Send them to where they can use the Student Income Support Eligibility Information Tool that helps them understand what student income support payments they may be eligible for.

2 STUDENT INCOME SUPPORT GUIDE info WHAT IS THIS GUIDE ABOUT? This guide aims to provide you with detailed information on student payments administered by the Department of Human Services (Human Services previously known as Centrelink) and to help you inform students who are, or who may be considering, undertaking tertiary study or an Australian Apprenticeship. HOW DO I USE THIS GUIDE? Refer to the table on page 2 to get an overview of Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY payments and the main factors that impact on eligibility for each payment. This is to be used as a guide only and does not guarantee a student s eligibility for a student payment. Who can I contact for more information?»» Visit Call the Human Services Youth and Students Line on (for Youth Allowance and Austudy) or (for ABSTUDY)»» TTY users telephone and request the phone number you wish to contact»» Speak and listen users (speech-to-speech relay) telephone and request the phone number you wish to contact»» Internet relay users visit the National Relay Service Website at and enter the phone number you wish to contact.

3 TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW 2 YOUTH ALLOWANCE 4 AUSTUDY 5 ABSTUDY 6 SCHOLARSHIPS 7 OTHER ASSISTANCE 9 MORE INFORMATION 10 STUDY RULES 10 APPROVED COURSES 11 DETERMINING INDEPENDENCE 12 MEANS TESTING 13 EARNINGS AND THE STUDENT INCOME BANK 14 FAQS 15 CASE STUDIES 18

4 OVERVIEW Q WHAT STUDENT PAYMENTS ARE AVAILABLE? Full-time students and Australian Apprentices may be eligible for Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY depending on their individual situation. Please use the table below for more information on what a student may be eligible for. Continued on next page 2

5 * For information on changes to the Student Start-up Scholarship and Student Start-up Loan, please visit: 3

6 YOUTH ALLOWANCE Full time students & Australian Apprentices years Fortnightly means-tested payment Youth Allowance provides support for full-time students and Australian Apprentices aged years who are in need of financial assistance to undertake secondary or tertiary education or training. It is a means-tested, fortnightly payment administered by Human Services. To lodge a Youth Allowance claim, the student must be an Australian resident and in Australia on the day on which they lodge their claim. To be paid Youth Allowance, they also need to have been in Australia as an Australian resident for at least two years (with some exceptions). The amount of Youth Allowance the student receives depends on whether they are single, have a partner and/or child(ren), how much they (and their partner) earns, or if they are living at or away from their parent s home. Assistance for students and Australian Apprentices aged 25 years or over is generally provided through Austudy. Youth Allowance for Students Under 18 years of Age If a student is under 18 years of age, they can only qualify for Youth Allowance under certain circumstances. For example, students under 18 years of age who have not completed year 12 (or equivalent), can only qualify for Youth Allowance if they:»» are in full-time study or training in a postsecondary course, or»» have a disability which prevents them from studying a post-secondary course full-time and they are studying a post-secondary course parttime, or»» agree to enter an Employment Pathway Plan, or»» are a full-time Australian Apprentice, or»» are the principal carer of a dependent child(ren), or»» are independent for other reasons, or dependent and living away from home. If a student is under 18 years of age, they can only qualify for Youth Allowance under certain circumstances If the student is temporarily unable to study or train because of an illness, or for certain other reasons, they may be granted a short-term exemption from these requirements for up to 13 weeks. Students are encouraged to contact Human Services to discuss the special rules that apply to students under 18 and to find out how these rules relate to their own individual situation. 4

7 AUSTUDY Full time students & Australian Apprentices 25 years of age and over Fortnightly means-tested payment Austudy provides financial help to people who are 25 years of age or older who are undertaking either approved full-time study or a fulltime Australian Apprenticeship. It is a means-tested, fortnightly payment administered by Human Services. Qualifying for Austudy To qualify for Austudy, a person must meet the following criteria:»» bbe of Austudy payment age, AND»» satisfy the residency requirements, AND»» bbe undertaking qualifying study OR a fulltime Australian Apprenticeship. A person may not be eligible for Austudy if they have already completed:»» a Doctorate or a qualification of the same standing from an Australian institution, R»» a qualification of the same standing from an overseas institution. The amount of Austudy a student may receive depends on whether they are single, have a partner and/or child(ren) and how much they (and their partner) earn. Income support for eligible full-time students under the age of 25 years is available through Youth Allowance. Q If a 24 year old student is receiving Youth Allowance, do they automatically start receiving Austudy from the time they turn 25? A: The minimum age for Austudy is 25 years. However, full-time students and Australian Apprentices who are in receipt of Youth Allowance immediately before turning 25 and who intend to continue studying the same course or intend to complete the same apprenticeship or traineeship will continue to receive Youth Allowance while completing their course or apprenticeship. 5

8 ABSTUDY Full time students & Australian Apprentices Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Fortnightly means-tested payment ABSTUDY provides a means-tested living allowance and a range of supplementary benefits to assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and apprentices. To be eligible for ABSTUDY a student must be:»» an Australian citizen»» an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait IIslander»» enrolled in an approved course or undertaking an Australian Apprenticeship»» not receiving any other government assistance to study or complete an apprenticeship, and»» living in Australia. Depending on the student s individual circumstances and course of study, apprenticeship or traineeship, they may be eligible for ABSTUDY assistance to help with the costs of education, accommodation, living expenses and fares (if they need to study away from home). info There are many types of ABSTUDY payments, depending on the circumstances of the student. In order to provide the best advice to your students, more detailed information on each ABSTUDY payment can be found on the Department of Human Services website: Students are also encouraged to consult with the Department of Human Services ABSTUDY Call Centre on for advice on their individual circumstances. 6

9 SCHOLARSHIPS Student Start-up Scholarship* Relocation Scholarship* Assists with up-front study costs (e.g. text books or specialised equipment) For students receiving Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY or Austudy Two lump sum payments each year Assists with living away from home costs For dependent higher education students receiving Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY One lump sum payment each year From 1 January 2016, higher education students undertaking approved scholarship courses who had received a Student Start-up Scholarship and remained continuously in receipt of Youth Allowance (student), Austudy or ABSTUDY Living Allowance since that time will continue to receive the Student Start-up Scholarship as a grant until coming off student payments. Students who did not receive a Student Start-up Scholarship prior to 1 January 2016 will not be eligible for a Student Start-up Scholarship. Likewise if a student has had a break in receiving student payments since last receiving the Student Start-up Scholarship they will not be eligible for a Student Start-up Scholarship. These students may instead be eligible for a Student Start-up Loan. Eligible students will automatically receive the Student Start-up Scholarship generally soon after the beginning of each traditional semester (in each half year period) is paid to eligible students twice a year in equal instalments. The first payment normally coincides with the start of the traditional academic year. The Relocation Scholarship provides assistance to eligible dependent Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY Living Allowance recipients enrolled full-time in an approved higher education course and need to move from or to a regional area to study. Under limited circumstances, some independent higher education students who are disadvantaged by certain personal circumstances, who need to live away from home to study and are receiving Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY may be eligible for a Relocation Scholarship. It is a lump sum payment paid each year to help with the costs of living away from home. The payment normally coincides with the start of the traditional academic year. Important information about Scholarships continued on next page PPP * For more information on the changes announced by the Australian Government to the Student Start-up and Relocation Scholarships please visit:: 7 7

10 SCHOLARSHIPS Important Information A student does not need to make a separate claim for a scholarship payment. When a claim for Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY is submitted, eligibility for a scholarship will be assessed at the same time. The information a student provides to Human Services during the application process will help to determine a student s eligibility for a scholarship payment. Scholarship payments are not payable if: Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses at TAFE or a private VET provider do not attract a scholarship. If a TAFE or private VET provider is registered as a higher education provider that delivers an accredited higher education course (e.g. an associate degree or bachelor degree), that course may be an approved course for scholarship payments.»» a student does not continue full-time study for at least 35 days after qualifying for the scholarship, or»»»a student also receives, or qualifies for, any type of Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship or Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship, or»»»a student is in receipt of a Relocation Scholarship or Student Start-up Scholarship paid by the Department of Veterans Affairs. Q If I go to TAFE, can I get a Student Start-Up or Relocation Scholarship? A: No. It is important to note that even though a course is approved for the payment of Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY, it does not mean that it will automatically attract a scholarship payment. Students must be undertaking an approved scholarship course. Approved scholarship courses include accredited higher education or university preparatory courses (e.g. an enabling or foundation course) undertaken at a university or another approved higher education provider (which could be a TAFE). This was also the case under the previous Commonwealth Scholarships program, which was introduced in 2004 and was administered by universities and only available to university students.2004 and was administered by universities and only available to university students. 8 8

11 OTHER ASSISTANCE Student Start-up Loan Fares Allowance Assists with up-front study costs (e.g. text books or specialised equipment) For students receiving Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY or Austudy Assists with travel costs For tertiary students receiving Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY Two lump sum payments each year From 1 January 2016, the Student Start-up Loan replaces the Student Start-up Scholarship and is available to new recipients of Youth Allowance (student), Austudy or ABSTUDY Living Allowance undertaking higher education. This voluntary loan will be paid a maximum of twice per year, generally at the beginning of each semester, to help with the costs of study. Each loan will be worth $1,025 (to be indexed from 1 January 2017). Students will be required to repay the loan once their income exceeds the minimum repayment threshold currently $54,126 for The Australian Taxation Office will manage payment arrangements in the same way as Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP) debts. Students will not have to repay their Student Start-up Loan until after their HELP debt is completely repaid. Students who received a Student Start-up Scholarship or Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship, and have continuously received Youth Allowance (student), Austudy or ABSTUDY Living Allowance since that time, will continue to receive the scholarship as a grant until they come off student payments. PPP Fares Allowance helps cover the cost of travelling between a student s permanent home and their place of study. It is available for dependent Youth Allowance recipients required to live away from to study and independent Youth Allowance and Austudy recipients who have a partner or dependent child living at their permanent home and who are required to live away from home to study. Fares allowance covers the cost of travel for an eligible student from their permanent home to their educational institution at the beginning of the academic year and return at the completion of the study year. One return journey is available for some students. To claim Fares Allowance students receiving ABSTUDY payments need to eligibl for ABSTUDY Away From Home entitlements. Students may be eligible for ABSTUDY Fares Allowance under 1 or more of the following types of travel:»» Start and end of studies»» School vacation travel»» Orientation and special purpose visit travel»» Compassionate travel Further information on eligibility and claiming Fares Allowance is available on the Department of Human Services website, or by calling the Department of Human Services, Students and Trainees area, on

12 More information STUDY RULES Full-time study For secondary students, full-time study includes:»» attending full-time at a secondary school, or»» enrolled in and studying at least 75 per cent of the normal full-time study load at an institution other than a secondary school or by correspondence/ distance education. Students undertaking competency based training/open learning courses will have varied weekly hours and the institution is best placed to determine the study load the student is undertaking during a period. For tertiary students, full-time study is defined as at least three quarters of the standard full-time load. But, the full-time load differs depending on whether the course is a Commonwealth supported course (a course for which HECS-HELP is available) or a fee-paying course. For a Commonwealth supported course, a student is considered full-time when:»» they maintain at least an aggregate Equivalent Full Time Study Load (EFTSL) of 75 per cent of a normal amount of full-time study for their course over a year (e.g for a full year), OR»» If enrolled on a trimester or semester basis, they maintain an aggregate EFTSL of at least 75 per cent of a normal amount of full-time study for their course over the trimester or semester (e.g for a semester). For a fee-paying course (or non- Commonwealth supported courses), a student is considered full time if:»» they are doing at least three quarters of the fulltime load and the institution classifies their course as full-time, or»» they are undertaking an amount of study equivalent to at least three quarters of the average amount required to complete the course in the minimum time, or»» if neither of the first or second conditions apply, they undertake at least 15 hours face-to-face study in a week (this may be a combination of lectures and formal consultations with course supervisors). Part-time study If a student is studying part-time, under certain circumstances, they may still be eligible for student payments administered by Human Services. For example, tertiary students who are not undertaking full-time study may still qualify for the Pensioner Education Supplement, Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY if they meet the requirements for concessional study-load students (see more information below). Human Services also administers several other payments to support students while undertaking activities that may increase their chances of finding a job, such as part-time study. If a student is studying part-time, they may also need to look for work or undertake other activities to be eligible for a student payment. More information on these other payments can be found on the Human Services website. Study rules continued on next page 10

13 More information Concessional study loads (Austudy and Youth Allowance) Secondary and tertiary students who are studying at least two thirds of the normal fulltime load may still be eligible for Youth Allowance or Austudy as a full-time student if their study load has been reduced because of:»» the institution s normal requirements, for example, timetable clashes, subject prerequisites have not been satisfied because Concessional study load for students with a disability (Austudy only) Concessional rules can apply for some students who have a physical, psychiatric or intellectual disability. For instance, under certain circumstances, some students may still be able to receive Austudy if they are undertaking at least 25 per cent of the normal full-time study load for the course. Students are encouraged to contact Human Services to discuss their individual situation further. of failure or other reasons, subject stopped or over-enrolled, or reduced study load needed to complete the course, or»» a specific direction in writing from the academic registrar or equivalent officer, or»» a recommendation in writing from the academic registrar or equivalent officer for academic or vocational reasons, regardless of whether or not a reason is given with the recommendation. APPROVED COURSES An approved course of education or study is one approved by the Minister for who has the authority to approve courses and institutions for student payment assistance. The Minister has issued a legislative instrument (Ministerial Determination) called the Student Assistance (Education Institutions and Courses) Determination that outlines courses approved in relation to receiving student payments. Most accredited higher education and Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, other than specific Masters by Coursework programs that are listed separately in the Determination, are approved courses for student payments. Other Masters courses and Doctorate level courses are not approved courses for Youth Allowance and Austudy. Assistance under ABSTUDY based on the Australian Postgraduate Awards model is provided for students to undertake higher degrees at the Masters and Doctorate levels. To view a copy of the legislative instrument and the list of courses set out in the Determination visit 20Assistance%20%28Education%20Institutions% 20and%20Courses%29%20Determination 11

14 More information DETERMINING INDEPENDENCE Students under the age of 22 will have their independence assessed by Human Services if they apply for a student payment. A student is considered independent if they meet any one of the following criteria;»» aged 22 or more and a full-time student or Australian Apprentice»» are or have been legally married, in a registered relationship, or living in a de facto relationship with another person as a member of a couple»» have, or have had, a dependent child»» have supported themselves through employment (see below)»» have parents who cannot exercise their responsibilities»» are unable to live at home, due to extreme family breakdown, violence in the home, or serious threats to their health or well-being»» are a refugee without parents who are living in Australia»» are an orphan and have not been legally adopted»» are in state care, or only stopped being in state care because of their age»» independence through workforce participation (employment). A student may also be considered independent if they demonstrate that they have worked full-time in paid employment for at least 18 months within a period of two years. Full-time employment means working for an average of at least 30 hours per week throughout the 18 months. Where a young person has not consistently had 30 hours of work per week, their hours of work can be averaged over periods of 13 weeks provided they can reasonably be considered to be engaged in fulltime employment through the 18 month period. Independence criteria for students in regional and remote Australia If the tertiary student s family home is in a regional area classified as inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote according to the Classification and they are a full-time student and they need to live away from their family home to study and their parents income is less than $150,000 per annum, independence can be demonstrated if they have supported themselves through paid employment by:»» earning at least 75 per cent of the Wage Level A of the National Training Wage Schedule included in a modern award (currently $23,479) within an 18 month period since last leaving secondary school (a period of 18 months must have elapsed since last leaving school before being eligible as an independent student), or»» working in part-time paid employment of at least 15 hours per week for at least 2 years since last leaving secondary school. What it means to be dependent Students under the age of 22 who do not meet the independence criteria will be deemed dependent. Being dependent means that the student s parents income may impact on their eligibility and rate of student payment. Before the student s eligibility for, or rate of, payment can be determined, Human Services will assess their parents income. 12

15 More information MEANS TESTING Personal Income and Assets When a student completes an application for a student payment, Human Services will assess their personal income and assets (and their partner s if applicable) to work out eligibility for payment, or to determine the rate of payment they may receive. Human Services will ask for verification of income, including money received from employment or investments. Income may be verified by providing tax returns, payslips or a letter from an employer. Human Services will also complete a personal assets test to work out the rate of a student payment. Assets include things such as property, cars or financial investments owned either partly or wholly. An application for student payments may be rejected, or the start date for payments may be delayed, if a student has assets that exceed certain thresholds. Parental Income for dependent students The parental income test is used to work out whether a student s parents can financially support them while they study. The Parental Income Test considers combined parental taxable income, child support, fringe benefits, superannuation contributions, net passive business losses and the number and circumstances of any other dependent children in the student s family who are 16 years of age or older in full-time study. Eligibility for a student payment, or how much a student receives, is also impacted by the number and circumstances of any other children in the family. Where parental income is above the threshold (currently $51,027), the amount of Youth Allowance payable to a dependent young person is gradually reduced by 20 per cent ($1 for each $5 of parental income above the threshold). The parental income cut-off is higher for students who need to live away from home to study. The more siblings receiving Youth Allowance in a family, or year olds in full-time secondary education, the higher the parental income threshold is before Youth Allowance cuts out completely. From 1 July 2016, all dependant children will be included in the family pool calculations. The parental income test arrangements are the same for all dependent students no matter whether they are from metropolitan or regional areas. View Lucy and Matthew s Case Study (page 18) Eligibility for a student payment, or how much a student receives, is also impacted by the number and circumstances of any other children in the family. 13

16 More information Waiting periods A student may qualify for Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY but need to serve a waiting period before payment can commence. A waiting period may apply if the student:»» Has liquid assets (for example, money in the bank or cash) worth more than $5,500 (single recipients), or $11,000 (recipients with a partner or child)»» had a lump sum compensation payment (for example, insurance payouts for damages)»» was not born in Australia and has not lived in Australia for a total of 2 years»» or their partner received a payment for leave entitlements or a redundancy payment»» or their partner ceased seasonal, contract or intermittent work in the 6 months before claiming and earned money above a certain level from that work»» voluntarily left employment without a valid reason or were dismissed from employment due to misconduct (this only applies to job seekers), or»» has not started their course. Full-time tertiary students claiming Youth Allowance or Austudy, may have their liquid assets reduced by certain allowable deductions directly related to their course of study. Human Services will use the information provided in a claim form to work out any deductions that apply. EARNINGS AND THE STUDENT INCOME BANK Students The Student Income Bank is available to people on Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY who are full time students. While studying, a student can work and earn up to certain thresholds before a student payment is reduced. A student can accumulate any unused part of their fortnightly income free area of $433 over the duration of their study up to a maximum of $10,800. The Student Income Bank can then be used to offset income earned at a later date. It allows students the flexibility to earn money later without necessarily affecting their payment of Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY. Apprentices The Income Bank is also available to people on Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY who are full-time Australian Apprentices. Apprentices can accumulate any unused part of their fortnightly income free area of $433 over the duration of the apprenticeship or traineeship up to a maximum of $1,000. The Income Bank can then be used to offset income earned at a later date. 14

17 FAQS Students often approach careers advisors with specific questions about student payments. Below is a list of commonly asked questions and relevant answers that may assist you in advising your students. Q. Are there other payments that Human Services make that I might be eligible for if I can t get a student payment? A. Human Services administers several other payments to support people while undertaking activities that may increase their chances of finding a job, such as part time study. If a student is studying part-time, they may also need to look for work or undertake other activities to be eligible for an income support payment. More information on these other payments can be found on the Human Services website. Q. What if I have worked irregular hours, can I still be classified as being independent? A. All students (metropolitan and regional) are able to establish independence for Youth Allowance through working if they have had full-time employment in one or more jobs averaging 30 hours or more per week for at least 18 months during a two-year period. Where a young person has not consistently had 30 hours work per week, their hours of work can be averaged over periods of up to 13 weeks provided that they can reasonably be considered to be engaged in full-time employment throughout the 18 month period. Q. Can independent students qualify for Relocation Scholarship? A. The Relocation Scholarship is designed to Q. How do I find out if my home is classed as inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote? A. To find out whether a student s family home is located in an area classified as a Major City, Inner Regional, Outer Regional, Remote or Very Remote, visit: publishing.nsf/content/ra-intro and enter a postcode or full address for a more accurate result. assist dependent students with the cost of establishing new accommodation in order to undertake study away from home. The scholarship may also be paid to independent students who are disadvantaged by personal circumstances and are generally unable to live in the parental home. 15

18 FAQS Q. Why am I not independent if I am 18 years old? A. While young people over the age of 18 may be considered by the community to be independent and able to undertake various activities associated with adulthood, they may still be dependent on their parents for financial assistance. Under Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY, it is recognised that some young people will establish financial independence from their parents and are self-supporting. These young people are considered independent and the amount of Youth Allowance payable to them is generally not affected by parental income testing. Q. Is there any assistance available to help me pay rent while I study? A. Rent Assistance is an additional form of support available to young people receiving student payments to help them with the costs of accommodation. The amount of Rent Assistance payable is based on the amount of rent paid by the young person above a specified rent threshold, and whether the person is sharing the accommodation with others. This ensures that people paying similar amounts of rent receive assistance at similar levels based on the ongoing costs of their accommodation. Rent Assistance is not paid:»» to people paying rent to a government Q. If I go to TAFE, can I get a Student Start-up or Relocation Scholarship or a Student Start-up Loan? A. No. It is important to note that even though a course is approved for the payment of Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY, it does not mean that it will automatically attract a scholarship payment or Student Start-up Loan. Students must be undertaking an approved scholarship course. Approved scholarship courses include accredited higher education or university preparatory courses (e.g. an enabling or foundation course) undertaken at a university or another approved higher education provider (which could be a TAFE.) This was also the case under the previous Commonwealth Scholarships program, which was introduced in 2004 and was administered by universities and only available to university students. housing authority, although in some situations sub-tenants may qualify for Rent Assistance»» for residents of Australian Government funded nursing homes and hostels»» to single Disability Support Pensioners aged under 21, without dependants, living with parents. Q. How do I make an application for a student payment? A. Contact Human Services over the phone, collect an application form in person at one of the Human Services offices or use the Human Services online services to complete an application: subjects/ get-it-done-online. 16

19 FAQS Q. How do I find out the rates of student payments? Q. What isn t considered income or an asset? A. If you think you may be eligible for a student payment, Human Services has online estimators that lets you estimate or compare payments. Visit publicusercombinedstart.do to access the rate estimators. Q. What if I am already getting Youth Allowance but I m about to turn 25 years old do I automatically start getting Austudy from the day I turn 25? A. Full-time students and Australian Apprentices who were in receipt of Youth Allowance immediately before turning 25 and who intend to continue studying the same course or intend to complete the same apprenticeship or traineeship, continue to receive Youth Allowance while completing their course or apprenticeship. A. Income does NOT include:»» Family Tax Benefit»» some other scholarships»» health insurance benefits, or»» pay and allowances received by Defence Force reservists (Army, Navy and Air Force) other than pay and allowances in respect of full-time continuous service. Q. What isn t considered an asset: A.»» the principal family home (and up to 2 hectares of privately used surrounding land on the same title document as the home) and any permanent fixtures such as wall-towall carpet and wall heaters»» special aids for people with disabilities»» some income stream products»» cemetery plots»» pre-paid funeral expenses»» certain funeral bonds»» accommodation bonds. 17

20 Case studies David: Dependant, at university, living away from home, low income family. David is 18 years old and has been living with his parents after finishing high school in Parkes, NSW. He has accepted a place in the Bachelor of Agricultural Science course at Charles Sturt University in Wagga Wagga. He has moved away from home to live on campus in university accommodation while completing his studies. Because of his parents low income, which is under the parental income test threshold, as a dependant David is eligible for the maximum rate of Youth Allowance and may also receive Rent Assistance (depending on the type and cost of his accommodation). Because he is from a regional area and needed to move away from home to study he is entitled to a Relocation Scholarship and can apply for a Student Start-Up Loan payment each half-year to help him with the costs of textbooks and study equipment. David is also aware that he can supplement his income through part-time work while studying, earning up to $433 a fortnight before his payments are reduced. He is very happy about this because it means that he can pool his resources together to buy his own laptop. Eligible for: Youth Allowance, Rent Assistance, Relocation Scholarship and Student Start-up Loan*. *For information on changes to the Student Start-up and Relocation Scholarships, please visit: Jessica: Independent, 20 years old, at university, living away from home Jessica, aged 20, has been working full-time in hospitality in her home town of Port Douglas since she finished secondary school two years ago. She has decided to broaden her career prospects by studying law full-time, which requires her to move to Cairns to take up a place at James Cook University. Because she has been working full-time (an average of at least 30 hours per week) for at least 18 months out of the previous two years, Jessica qualifies as independent under Youth Allowance. Jessica hopes her hospitality experience will help her find part-time work in Cairns to supplement her Youth Allowance payment. She will be able to earn up to $433 a fortnight before her benefit is reduced. While she is studying, Jessica can also apply to a Student Start-up Loan payment each half-year of her degree program. She may also be eligible for other benefits associated with Youth Allowance, such as Rent Assistance. Even though Jessica is living away from home, she is not eligible for the Relocation Scholarship as she has been deemed independent through employment under Youth Allowance. Eligible for: Youth Allowance, Rent Assistance, Student Start-up Loan* *For information on changes to the Student Start-up and Relocation Scholarships, please visit: 18

21 Case studies Julia: Independent, from outer regional Australia, living away from home to study Julia lives with her parents in Goondiwindi, Queensland. She took a gap year immediately after finishing secondary school and is now studying Economics at Queensland University. She needed to move away from home to pursue her chosen tertiary course. As Julia is from a regional area she is able to qualify for independent Youth Allowance under concessional workforce participation arrangements for independence as her parents income is less than $ per annum. As she is eligible for Youth Allowance as an independent, she can also apply for the Student Start-up Loan to help her with the cost of books and study equipment and may also be eligible for the other benefits associated with Youth Allowance, such as Rent Assistance (depending on the type and cost of her accommodation). Eligible for: Youth Allowance, Student Start-up Loan*, Rent Assistance. *For information on changes to the Student Start-up and Relocation Scholarships, please visit: Lucy and Matthew: Dependent, changes in sibling circumstances Lucy is 18 years old, lives with her parents in Canberra and will soon commence a Bachelor of Commerce at the Australian National University. Lucy s older brother Matthew is in his final year of a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Sydney and lives in Sydney. Their parent s combined income is $95,000. If Lucy was an only child and living at home, she would not be eligible for Youth Allowance because of her parent s income. However, as Matthew is also dependent on his parents for financial support and is currently living away from home to study, they are both eligible for different rates of Youth Allowance. They are also eligible for the Student Start-up Loan while they are studying. Even though Matthew is living away from home, he is not eligible for the Relocation Scholarship as he relocated between major cities (metropolitan areas)*. However, he may be eligible for Rent Assistance (depending on the type and cost of his accommodation). Matthew will soon be reaching the age of independence (22 years old). Once this happens, Lucy will be the only dependent child in her family and, because she lives at home and her parent s income is too high, she will no longer be eligible for student payments from the time Matthew turns 22. As an independent student, once he turns 22, Matthew will be eligible for the maximum rate of Youth Allowance (subject to personal earnings), the Student Start-up Loan and, depending on the type and cost of his accommodation, Rent Assistance. Eligible for Youth Allowance, Student Start-up Loan* and Rent Assistance. *For information on changes to the Student Start-up and Relocation Scholarships, please visit: 19

22 Case studies Simon: Independent, living away from home, undertaking an Australian Apprenticeship Simon is 22 years old and renting a house with two other friends in Adelaide while completing an Australian Apprenticeship. As Simon is independent, he is eligible for Youth Allowance, however the rate of Youth Allowance he is eligible for depends on how much he is earning each fortnight as an apprentice. He may also be eligible for Rent Assistance to help him pay his share of the rent. If Simon receives Youth Allowance, he is also able to use the Income Bank to accumulate any unused part of his fortnightly income under $433 over the duration of his apprenticeship, up to a maximum of $1,000. The Income Bank can then be used to offset times when he earns more income at a later date. Eligible for: Youth Allowance and Rent Assistance Kathleen: Independant, changes in receiving the Student Start-up Scholarship Kathleen is a 23 year old student, who lives with her parents in Canberra. Kathleen commenced a three year Bachelor of Arts in March 2015 and lodged a claim for YA which was granted. As Kathleen was enrolled in an approved scholarship course and studying full-time, she receiveed a Student Start-up Scholarship for semesters 1 and 2 of As Kathleen received a Student Start-up Scholarship prior to 1 January 2016 and has remained continuously on YA since that time, she will continue to receive the Student Start-up Scholarship for the remainder of her course (provided she continues to remain eligible for student payments). Eligible for: Youth Allowance and Student Start-up Scholarship* *For information on changes to the Student Start-up Scholarship please visit: 20

23 MORE INFO Who can I contact for more information? Visit Call The Human Services Youth and Students Line on (for Youth Allowance and Austudy) or (for ABSTUDY) TTY users telephone and request the phone number you wish to contact Speak and listen users (speech-to-speech relay) telephone and request the phone number you wish to contact Internet relay users visit the National Relay Service Website at and enter the phone number you wish to contact. info WANT TO REFER YOUR STUDENT TO AN ONLINE SOURCE? Send them to where they can use the Student Income Support Eligibility Information Tool that helps them understand what student Income support payments they may be eligible for. 21