Processing end of course and intention to study reviews for Austudy and Youth Allowance (YA) 110-07040020

The course end date review is undertaken on all YA and Austudy students.

A You need to act now letter is sent to students 4 weeks before their student end date. This letter tells them to:

• advise if there has been a change to their student end date
• provide new course details if they intend to continue studying
• book a Student to Job seeker appointment if they are over 22 and want to remain on YA as a job seeker
• complete a streamlined JobSeeker Payment claim if they are over 22 and need further support, or
• do nothing if:
• their study details are correct and
• they do not require further support. The online task created by the review will drop off after their student end date

The review lets the customer continue receiving payments without lodging a new claim.

Customers should provide this information via the Manage study details option online service.

Where no new study details are provided and the customer does not require further support, the system will attempt to update the student status on the NES screen to NST – Not a Student on the day after the recorded Student End Date. If this update is successful, payment for customers:

• over 22 years of age will automatically cancel
• under 22 requires another update to cancel payment. This may occur automatically

Customers who have been unable to provide their course details as part of their end of course review but have advised they intend studying in the next study period will have an intention to study recorded.

These customers will be issued a Course details required letter 21 days before the end date of their current intention to study period.

The Course details required letter asks the customer to provide details of the course they are intending to study so that their continuing entitlement can be assessed. They are also advised to notify if they no longer intend to study.

Customers should provide this information via the Manage study details option online service.

Most education providers have an academic calendar with the standard date many students start or end their courses or study periods. These dates can be accessed on the National Course Approvals sub-site. Education providers often publish their academic calendars on their websites. It is important to note that many students will be enrolled in a course that starts or finishes on a different date to the standard date on the education provider’s academic calendar.

A student start date advised by a YA or Austudy customer can be accepted, providing that date is not greater than 14 days before the standard course start date published on the National Course Approvals sub-site, or an education provider's website.

When making study updates, consider if the customer can be treated as a continuing/intending student. This may influence what date they are eligible to receive a student payment. The rules for continuing/intending students vary between different student payments.

Students can:

• view and manage their study details online if they are registered online and authenticated - this service is also available on the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app
• call Services Australia and speak to a Service Officer
• visit a service centre to use the self service facilities or to provide their new course information verbally

Customers who use the IVR service and intend to continue studying and know their course details, will be referred to a Service Officer in a Smart Centre to complete the required updates.

The Manage study details service collects and if possible, records updates to the customers study details. If the update requires manual action Workload Manager (WLM) will allocate a Change of Circumstance (CoC) work item to a suitably skilled Service Officer.

If a YA (student) under 22 years of age stops full-time study and wants to continue to receive payment as a job seeker, they must notify the agency and complete a participation interview within 14 days.

Failure to notify cessation of study within 14 days will result in cancellation of YA from the Student End Date + 1 day.

If a student fails to notify they have stopped study within 14 days, payment of YA (job seeker) can only start from the date a new claim is submitted. A debt may be generated for students who fail to notify cessation of studies.

Students 22 years of age or over at their study end date who are receiving either Austudy or YA (student), and notify of cessation of study within 28 days of their study end date may be eligible to access a streamlined claim for JobSeeker Payment (JSP). See Student to job seeker transfers.