Coding Away from Home rate for ABSTUDY tertiary students 010-02060030

ABSTUDY claimants can apply for Away from Home rate in the initial claim by:

• online claim (tertiary students and Australian Apprentices only)
• Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) (tertiary students and Australian Apprentices only), or
• completing the Claim for ABSTUDY (SY019)

Customers can also apply for the Away from Home rate while in receipt of ABSTUDY allowances by providing details of the home and/or study circumstances in a statement (verbal or written).

If a customer ceases to qualify for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate, see Cessation of the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate.

Orientation and Special Purpose Visit travel is available if:

• the student is intending to study in an approved tertiary course of at least one year's duration at the study location, and
• has completed secondary studies in the previous year

In order to claim this type of travel, a full ABSTUDY assessment is required for the period the student is intending to study.

Dependent students living away from home studying an approved scholarship course may also be qualified to receive Relocation Scholarship. See Relocation Scholarship (RS) eligibility.

Note: assess ABSTUDY students in State Care (not receiving Foster Care Allowance) the same way as ABSTUDY dependent students who are living away from home for the purposes of Relocation Scholarship.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, some students were required to leave their term accommodation. Many students transitioned to online study, as face-to-face teaching was unavailable.

Students who were receiving the Away from Home (AFH) rate and temporarily transitioned to online learning because of COVID-19, remained eligible for the AFH rate. To continue to be eligible for the AFH rate, tertiary students must have returned to face-to-face study as soon as it became available.

Where a student had to move out of education provider accommodation (such as on campus) and were temporarily staying at their home address, they remained eligible for the AFH rate providing they:

• remained enrolled in their course of study, and
• intended to return to their campus accommodation as soon as the education provider allowed them to return

In this case, the change in accommodation should be assessed as temporary. See Returning to the permanent home when in receipt of the Away from Home rate of ABSTUDY.