Changing or correcting course of study and/or educational provider for ABSTUDY students 102-07020150
This document outlines how a change of course of study will affect an ABSTUDY student's payment and how to process the necessary changes.
On this page:
Changing course of study or educational institution for ABSTUDY students
Changing course details for ABSTUDY secondary school students
Assessing maximum reasonable time/limits of assistance
Changing course of study or educational institution for ABSTUDY students
Table 1
Step |
Action |
1 |
Student changing courses + Read more ... If the student:
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2 |
ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) + Read more ... This process applies to students receiving JobSeeker Payment (JSP) or Youth Allowance (YA) and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) that:
If the student:
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3 |
Approved educational institution + Read more ... Is the new course an approved course at an approved educational institution or an Indigenous special course?
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4 |
Full-time study load + Read more ... Will the student still be undertaking a full-time study load?
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5 |
Concessional study load and Part-time Award + Read more ... Will the student now be undertaking a concessional study load, or qualify for the ABSTUDY Part-time Award?
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Changing course details for ABSTUDY secondary school students
Table 2
Step |
Action |
1 |
Secondary school student circumstances + Read more ... If the student receives Schooling B Award and they:
If the student receives Schooling A Award, and the student is changing to a school that means they will:
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2 |
Schooling B transfer to Schooling A + Read more ... Student receives Schooling B and a change of school requires a transfer to Schooling A. The parent/guardian needs to provide:
A new claim will not be needed for the change in study circumstances. The applicant can notify verbally. Assess their entitlement for ABSTUDY Schooling A.
All other staff:
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3 |
Processing Schooling B transfer to Schooling A + Read more ... Update the changes to transfer the student from Schooling B to Schooling A Award, see Cessation of the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate. Once ABSTUDY has been cancelled, re-index a Schooling A claim and assess the student for Schooling A entitlements. See Processing an ABSTUDY claim. Note: if the activity created a debt shell, processing staff should complete the debt raising process end to end. See Raising ABSTUDY debts. Procedure ends here. |
4 |
Change of school and living away from home + Read more ... The student may be eligible for Away from Home entitlements under the Schooling B Award. They will need to be assessed as to whether they meet the requirements for the additional entitlements. Students already assessed for Schooling A Award are not required to lodge a new ABSTUDY claim. Information for the reassessment can be obtained:
Additional supporting information may be required including:
Has the student provided all required information?
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5 |
ABSTUDY Schooling B Award and assessment of Away from Home rate + Read more ... The student's ABSTUDY Schooling A should remain current until their eligibility for Away from Home entitlements are determined. See Away from Home rate for ABSTUDY. Once it is determined that the student:
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6 |
Change of school and still living at home or does not meet Away from Home provisions + Read more ... Students who choose to live away from home to study but do not meet the requirements for granting of Away from Home entitlements under ABSTUDY can still remain eligible for 'at home' entitlements, for example, Schooling A Award. The applicant for the Schooling A Award must still remain as the person they 'normal reside with', for example, parent. Has the parent/guardian changed for the Schooling A Award?
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7 |
Update ABSTUDY Schooling A + Read more ... If the School Fees Allowance has been issued to a school at which the student did not start studies, this will need to be returned to the agency. See ABSTUDY School Fees Allowance (SFA) at home rate (Group 1). ABSTUDY Schooling A student has started a new school year at a different school to the one currently recorded on the EDC screen. Key the new school details:
ABSTUDY Schooling A student has changed schools after the first day in Term 1 in the relevant year. On the EDC screen:
When processing after 1 October for the current year, code the EDC and Supplementary Education Payments (EPSP) screens with the current and future year education details at the same time (for example, code study details for year 8 2024 and year 9 2025). Send the manual attendance check to the new school when the SAS extraction date has passed for One Time Access Codes (OTAC). The Manual Attendance request and SAS extraction dates for each term can be found in the Resources page of Processing ABSTUDY School Term Allowance payments. Note: if School Fees Allowance has already been paid for the year and the student started at the previous school, no more School Fees Allowance can be issued to cover any fees at the new school. See ABSTUDY School Fees Allowance (SFA) at home rate (Group 1). Procedure ends here. |
8 |
Parent or guardian has changed for Schooling A Award + Read more ... When the parent/guardian changes for Schooling A Award, the new parent/guardian must lodge a new claim to be assessed for eligibility. The ABSTUDY record must be cancelled from the date they left the previous parent's/guardian's care:
The STA link to the previous parent/guardian's record may need to be end dated. The Schooling A Award will then be assessed under the new parent/guardian once they submit a new claim. Note: if the activity created a debt shell, processing staff should complete the debt raising process end to end. See Raising ABSTUDY debts. Procedure ends here. |
9 |
Cancelling Schooling A Award Student who receives ABSTUDY Schooling A Award advises of a change of school and will be living away from home and meet the requirements for Schooling B Award. The Schooling A record (ABT) will need to be cancelled before processing the ABSTUDY Schooling B claim. If the change occurs during the academic year + Read more ...
Note: if the activity created a debt shell, processing staff should complete the debt raising process end to end. See Raising ABSTUDY debts. Procedure ends here. If the change occurs during the break between academic years + Read more ...
Note: if the activity created a debt shell, processing staff should complete the debt raising process end to end. See Raising ABSTUDY debts. Procedure ends here. |
10 |
Student starts studies at a different school + Read more ... If the student is currently a boarding student, only trained staff can make this assessment. If the Service Officer is not trained:
For all other circumstances, a student receiving ABSTUDY Schooling B has started the new school year at a different school to the one currently recorded on the EDC screen:
If the student:
When processing after 1 October for the current year, code all screens with the current and future year education details at the same time (for example, code study details for year 8 2022 and year 9 2023). Finalise the activity on the AR screen and record details on a DOC. If the student is at a new boarding school or hostel, the Boarding claim outcome to Third Party Organisation must be emailed. See Schooling B - Boarder, Step 21 in Processing an ABSTUDY claim. Note: if the activity created a debt shell, processing staff should complete the debt raising process end to end. See Raising ABSTUDY debts. Procedure ends here. |
11 |
Student advises changing to a different school in the future Coding is needed where a secondary boarding student intends to change studies at one school and starts at different school in the future. All entitled payments have been issued to the current school and the institution change is between terms in the same calendar year + Read more ... In Customer First:
Note: if the activity created a debt shell, processing staff should complete the debt raising process end to end. See Raising ABSTUDY debts. Procedure ends here. All entitled payments have been issued to the current school and the institution change is over the Christmas break + Read more ... In Customer First:
Note: if the activity created a debt shell, processing staff should complete the debt raising process end to end. See Raising ABSTUDY debts. Procedure ends here. All entitled payments have not been issued to the current school + Read more ...
Procedure ends here. |
Assessing maximum reasonable time/limits of assistance
Table 3
Step |
Action |
1 |
Maximum reasonable time/limits of assistance + Read more ... To calculate reasonable time, see Determining allowable time/reasonable time for a course of study. To calculate the limit of assistance for a particular level of study, see Determining progress and duration of assistance for ABSTUDY. Has the student reached their maximum reasonable time or limits of assistance for the course of study they are changing to?
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2 |
Student has reached their maximum reasonable time limit or limits of assistance + Read more ... If the student has reached or exceeded their maximum reasonable time or limits of assistance for their current level of study, they will no longer be eligible for Services Australia administered payments for students:
This includes: Procedure ends here. |
3 |
Student has not reached their maximum reasonable time limit or limit of assistance + Read more ... There is no entitlement to Living Allowance over the long vacation period:
Note: do not include the vacation break period when determining the 28 day period. Was the student receiving ABSTUDY Living Allowance, has stopped their previous course, and is intending or started another course within 28 days?
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4 |
ABSTUDY student starting a new course within 28 days + Read more ... Students who discontinue and then subsequently start full-time or concessional study-load study in either the same course or a different course, remain entitled to Living Allowance if the period between is no greater than 28 days. Secondary at home/tertiary/masters and doctorate students + Read more ... Scenario 1: Student completed the course earlier than the anticipated course end date and the new course start date is before the Institution End Date for the current course, go to Step 6 Scenario 2: New course starts within 28 days of ceasing the previous course, complete the following:
Procedure ends here. Secondary boarding students + Read more ... Different coding is needed where a secondary boarding student discontinued studies at one school and restarts at the same school or a different school within 28 days. Scenario 1: Confirmation of the Last Day of Attendance (LDA) at previous school and First Day of Attendance (FDA) at new school is provided. In Customer First:
Note: depending on when the change occurs within the term, determine if any arrears payment is owed to the previous payee. Outcomes could result in an overpayment for the previous payee and/or arrears for the previous school /new school /student. Scenario 2: Confirmation of the LDA at the previous school has only been provided (and FDA at new school is not provided) updates will result in ABSTUDY being CAN SCS. Attempt to contact the new education institution to verbally confirm FDA:
Scenario 3: The LDA is already keyed and FDA is provided for a new school or restarts at old school within 28 days. In Customer First:
If student is granted to board at a boarding school or hostel, the desktop fax for granted boarders must be sent. Record details on a DOC. Note: if the activity created a debt shell, processing staff should complete the debt raising process end to end. See Raising ABSTUDY debts. Procedure ends here. |
5 |
Adding the new course for a student receiving ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY PES + Read more ... ABSTUDY students who stopped studies and then re-claimed ABSTUDY with a gap of more than 28 days may need to re-claim ABSTUDY depending on the length of the gap. See the Resources page in Claiming ABSTUDY to determine if a new claim is needed. To record new study details, see Coding ABSTUDY education details. Tell the student if Proof of enrolment is needed. If a secondary school student:
If a student is granted to board at a boarding school or hostel, the desktop fax for granted boarders must be sent. Record the reason for the decision and action on a Note/DOC and finalise the activity on the Assessment Results (AR) screen in Customer First. Was the student receiving the ABSTUDY Living Away from Home Allowance to attend the previous education institution?
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6 |
Student completes course earlier than anticipated + Read more ... To allow the continuation of Living Allowance and the correct payment of Incidentals when study dates overlap, code the new course details with Participation Status on the EDC as FTI, see Coding ABSTUDY education details. Then complete the following:
EDCH now displays two entries for the same course
Procedure ends here. |