Assessing eligibility for Away from Home entitlements for ABSTUDY customers 010-02060070

In assessing whether home conditions constitute a serious impediment to the customer's educational progress or ability to continue working in an Australian Apprenticeship, consideration is to be given to:

• whether the student's educational progress is being impeded, or whether the student is having social difficulties unrelated to study
• if the conditions originate from outside the home, whether these conditions are affecting the student's ability to study whilst living at the permanent home, the amount of homework necessary for the course and the accessibility of alternative places where the student may study (such as homework centres or libraries)
• the impact of home conditions on a student's results or performance at school
• for cases of overcrowding, the size of the dwelling and the number and age of occupants
• for an Australian Apprentice, whether the home conditions make it difficult for the customer to attend work or satisfactorily complete their TAFE studies (where applicable)

Note: customers may not understand exactly what information is required for assessment of 'home conditions' and may be reluctant to discuss these private matters. Therefore, where the information provided is insufficient to grant the Away from Home rate, it may be necessary to investigate the situation more closely before making a final assessment of the home conditions.

If the customer is deprived of basic necessities at home, they may be eligible for the Away from Home rate. Basic necessities include:

• food
• clothing
• power
• water
• shelter
• sleep

The Resources page has an example.

Is the student deprived of basic necessities?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 3

Examples of serious threats to the customer's health or well-being include:

• alcohol or drug abuse
• criminal or illegal activities
• family and domestic violence (actual or threatened) in the home
• serious and continuing breakdown in family relationships

The Resources page has examples.

Are there serious threats to the customer's health or well-being?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 4

Examples of home conditions that prevent or seriously disrupt the customer's ability to study or attend work include:

• excessive noise
• overcrowding
• lack of facilities in the home for study
• chronic illness

There may be circumstances where multiple children from the one household are claiming Away from Home due to overcrowding reasons. Where the approval of Away from Home under this criteria would reduce overcrowding in the home, and there is uncertainty in approving Away from Home for additional children, escalate the enquiry to the Level 2 Policy Helpdesk.

The Resources page has examples and a link to Level 2 Policy Helpdesk.

Are there home conditions that prevent or seriously disrupt the customer's ability to study or attend work?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 5

The home conditions which constitute a serious impediment to the customer's educational progress or ability to continue working in an Australian Apprenticeship, can also be widespread across a community to the extent that all community members are adversely affected by:

• a lack of basic necessities
• threats to health
• disruption to study or ability to attend work

In circumstances where it has been established that the above conditions adversely affect an entire community, the Away from Home rate can be approved for an application by any individual whose home is within that community. This means that applications from individuals within that community can be approved without each application providing individual documentation to verify 'home conditions' circumstances.

The Resources page has examples and a current list of approved communities.

The following are not included in home conditions which constitute a serious impediment to a customer's progress:

• influences to which the student or Australian Apprentice may be exposed outside the dwelling which is the permanent home, unless these are impacting on the student or Australian Apprentice's ability to study whilst living at the permanent home
• minor difficulties of a kind which may be commonly encountered in a family situation
• not having a room to themselves to study in private

The Resources page has examples.

Where a Social Worker has recommended the grant of the Away from Home rate, no further evidence is required. Go to Step 8

Has the student met any of the criteria in Steps 2-5?

• Yes, for circumstances affecting:
• individuals, go to Step 7
• entire communities, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 11

In most cases, it will also be necessary for the claim from the student or applicant to be verified in writing by:

• at least one independent authority with a firsthand knowledge of the circumstances or
• an authorised Services Australia officer who has firsthand knowledge of the home or community circumstances

Examples of independent authorities from whom written verification may be sought, as appropriate, are:

• a Commonwealth or State/Territory health, police or welfare authority
• a school or education institution authority from the local school, including a counsellor or Aboriginal Education Assistant
• an Aboriginal community official
• a medical practitioner or specialist
• an officer of a private welfare agency, clinic, shelter or refuge

As independent authorities can usually provide the most reliable and articulate description of customer circumstances, such independent verification should be sought as a priority where reasonable and practical. Appropriate privacy requirements are to be adhered to when seeking customer information.

This is particularly the case for customers residing in remote communities where home or community circumstances are well known to such authorities. For remote communities, the identification of an appropriate authority should be actively sought by the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing team. Lookup ABSTUDY Smart Centre National Processing team in Office Locator for contact details.

It is not essential that a parent or guardian provide a plan of the dwelling and provide details on the number and ages of occupants who normally live there. Whilst it can be useful in some cases, it should not be requested as a standard part of documentation for assessment where other sources of verification can be utilised.

In circumstances where evidence of home conditions for an individual indicates those circumstances apply across an entire community and impact all residents, that community ought to be considered for an assessment for a community wide approval of the Away from Home rate under the 'home conditions' criteria.

The Resources page lists the documents the customer must provide.

Tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above. If required, send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Is there enough evidence to support the Away from Home criteria being met?

• Yes, go to Step 10
• No, go to Step 11

In certain cases, entire communities can be given a blanket approval for eligibility for Away from Home rate under home conditions.

The Resources page has a list on blanket approved communities.

Is the student's community on the blanket approved list?

• Yes, go to Step 10
• No, go to Step 9

Escalation to Level 2 helpdesk is required for approval.

When escalating, provide as much detail as possible to assist with the investigation. This may include details about:

• lack of basic necessities
• threats to health
• disruption to study or ability to attend work

Have the student's circumstances been escalated to the ABSTUDY Helpdesk?

• Yes, and the Helpdesk have:
• not provided a response, tell the customer the decision is awaiting approval. Record a DOC. Procedure ends here
• approved the blanket approval, go to Step 10
• not approved the blanket approval. Go to Step 11
• No, escalate to Level 2 Helpdesk via Local Peer Support (LPS). Procedure ends here

Student or Australian Apprentice meets eligibility for Away from Home rate due to home conditions.

Complete the following on the NIH screen:

• Action: AFH
• Start/Reject Reason: AHC
• Start Date: later of the:
• ABSTUDY start date or
• date the student or Australian Apprentice became eligible for the Away from Home rate

If the student is undertaking an approved scholarship course, in the To update regional classification details, go to RLD: field, key 'Y'.

For more information on coding the RLD screen, see Relocation Scholarship (RS) payment and coding.

Record details on a DOC of the decision. The information must include the grounds the claim for Away from Home rate has been granted or rejected.

Procedure ends here.

The student or Australian Apprentice is not eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate due to home conditions.

Record details on a DOC outlining the reasons for rejection.

• Consider if they are eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate on other grounds. See Table 1, Step 4
• If appropriate, refer them for other assistance, e.g. Centrelink social worker or Indigenous Service Officer

Some courses/programs qualify as a special course approved for the Away from Home rate of ABSTUDY. The Resources page has a list of schools with special courses/programs. If the course is listed, go to Step 8.

Otherwise, to qualify as a special course, the course must be one of the following, for:

• a full-time secondary course where the student receives a formal specialising qualification on completion, go to Step 2
• formal specialising qualification for mature age students, go to Step 3
• a secondary course which is a prerequisite for entry to a specific post-secondary course, go to Step 4
• a secondary course containing agricultural subjects, go to Step 5
• specialist secondary studies at a government school in drama, music, art, ballet, sport or technology, go to Step 6
• an approved secondary course that will give them access to university go to Step 7

A special course can be a full-time secondary course on completion of which students receive a formal specialising qualification, such as the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

State or Territory education authorities should recognise:

• the course as a specialisation not generally available at secondary schools, and
• the completion certificate as a formal qualification

Can the student be approved under Formal specialising qualification for secondary students' criteria?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 12

A special course can be a secondary course undertaken at a post-secondary Indigenous controlled specialist institution which caters specifically for Indigenous students, where the student:

• is 18 years or older, and
• is studying a course resulting in a completion certificate which is recognised as a formal qualification by the State/Territory education authority

Note: these institutions may be members of the Federation of Independent Aboriginal Education Providers Limited.

Can the student be approved under Formal specialising qualification for mature age students' criteria?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 12

A special course can be a secondary course that is a prerequisite for entry to a specific post-secondary course.

A secondary course that is an essential criterion for entry to a specific post-secondary course can be considered a special course if all the following are met:

• the student is in one of the final two years of secondary school
• the student has clearly decided to enter the chosen tertiary course if accepted
• there is no similar tertiary course that could be regarded as an available alternative
• the school that the student has been attending has provided satisfactory evidence that the student has the potential to gain admission to the nominated course

Documentation is required to determine eligibility; a Service Officer can approve eligibility if they:

• are satisfied the course is an essential pre-requisite for entry into the nominated post-secondary course, and
• sight evidence from the school that the student has the potential to gain admission to the nominated course

Can the student be approved under pre-requisite to post-secondary course criteria?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 12

A special course can be a secondary course that contains two agricultural subjects or, under special conditions, one agricultural subject.

The student must study an appropriate agricultural course:

• on a full-time basis at either a specialist agricultural school or at a normal secondary school, or
• on a part-time basis at an education institution such as a technical college, in addition to attending a normal secondary school for most of the school week

To be considered a special course, the agricultural course must:

• have a substantial weekly time allocation, which is directly related to the theory and practice of farming, for example, equivalent to four periods of approximately 40 minutes each
• be recognised by the State/Territory education authority, and
• be a subject which, if studied part-time, is assessed by the school to determine part of the student's overall performance

A student in either of the final two years of secondary schooling who is studying only one agricultural subject, may be eligible for Living Allowance at the Away from Home rate if:

• the student has studied at least two agriculture subjects in each of the junior secondary years after the first year
• the subject agriculture or its equivalent, which the student is at present studying, is not available at a school within reasonable distance from their home, and
• the school which the student is attending offers at least one agricultural subject in each secondary year, except the first year in some States

Can the student be approved under Agricultural subjects' criteria?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 12

A special course can be any specialist secondary course in drama, music, art, ballet, sport or technology at a government school that has been approved by the State/Territory education authority.

Students should be selected by the appropriate education authority to enter government schools with specialist curricula. A student cannot be approved for the Away from Home rate to attend a non-government school offering a course specialising in drama, music, art, ballet, sport or technology.

This provision is aimed at students who have an exceptional ability, which could lead toward a career in the particular specialist area. Not all state and territory governments offer approved specialist courses in their secondary schools. While government schools may have special courses, they are not necessarily approved for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate as they have not been approved by the education authority and/or the student's entry to the course is not on the basis of exceptional ability.

Can the student be approved under Specialist courses in the arts, sport, technology criteria?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 12

Some secondary courses can provide an essential component for entry to university but not for a specific course. These courses require escalation to Level 2 ABSTUDY Policy Helpdesk as they may still be eligible for the Away from Home rate.

Students may not be approved for the Away from Home rate where an applicable special course is available within reasonable travelling time or distance.

Service Officers must check all local government schools to ensure that a similar specialist course is not available locally.

A student cannot bypass any school within reasonable travel time that has Indigenous or agricultural studies integrated within the curriculum, in order to attend another school offering agricultural studies.

Does the student meet travelling time or distance for the Away from Home rate?

• Yes, for:
• pre-requisite course approvals, go to Step 11
• other special course approvals, go to Step 9
• No, go to Step 12

If a special course is approved, the student must provide a statement from the school confirming the student's enrolment in the special course with the claim. This documentation is not required when the student is:

• enrolled in a school listed on the Resources page, and
• the comments for the school state that students are automatically enrolled in the special course

Tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above. If required, send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Is the course on the secondary schools' special course list for the appropriate year?

• Yes, go to Step 11
• No, go to Step 10

Have the student's circumstances been escalated to the ABSTUDY Helpdesk?

• Yes, and the Helpdesk have:
• not provided a response, tell the customer the decision is awaiting approval. Record a DOC. Procedure ends here
• approved the Special Course, go to Step 11
• not approved the Special Course. Go to Step 12
• No, escalate to Level 2 Helpdesk via Local Peer Support (LPS). Procedure ends here

Student or Australian Apprentice meets the eligibility for Away from Home rate due to a special secondary course.

Complete the following on the NIH screen:

• Action: AFH
• Start/Reject Reason: field:
• ASQ (Special Secondary - formal specialising Qualification)
• APS (Pre-requisite for post-secondary study)
• AAG (Agricultural subjects), or
• ASS (Drama, Music, Art, Ballet, Sport, Technology at a Government school)
• Start Date: later of the:
• ABSTUDY start date or
• date the student or Australian Apprentice became eligible for the Away from Home rate

Record details on a DOC of the decision. The information must include the grounds the claim for Away from Home rate has been granted.

Procedure ends here.

The student or Australian Apprentice is not eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate due to a special secondary course.

Record details on a DOC outlining the reasons for rejection.

• Consider if they are eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate on other grounds. See Table 1, Step 5
• If appropriate, refer them for other assistance, e.g. Centrelink social worker or Indigenous Service Officer

Living Allowance at the Away from Home rate can be granted to enable students to bypass a South Australian Special Rural School and Tribal Aboriginal/Anangu School in order to attend a larger secondary school.

Is the student's local school a South Australian Special Rural School and Tribal Aboriginal/Anangu School?

• Yes, student is approved for the Away from Home rate. Go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 2

Living Allowance at the Away from Home rate is payable where the State/Territory education authority advises a school only offers a limited local program or facilities because it:

• does not offer a full range of years or grades
• does not provide adequate facilities or programs to enable a student to gain a Year 12 certificate or tertiary entrance score

A secondary school which is not listed as a limited local program school by the State/Territory education authority will normally be regarded as an appropriate government school irrespective of any claims about the adequacy of that school by a customer or parent.

Is the student's local school and year level listed on the Limited school list located on the Resources page as a limited school?

• Yes, student is approved for the Away from Home rate. Go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 3

A State/Territory education authority can also determine that a particular school, not identified as a limited local program school, cannot offer an appropriate level of study to meet the needs of an individual student.

This situation is not common and usually only occurs in circumstances where an individual student shows academic ability that cannot be catered for at the local government school due to issues relevant to that school or geographic area. This could occur where a government school in a remote region caters predominantly for Indigenous students.

This determination is made by the State/Territory education authority on an individual basis and documentation to support the claim is necessary for approval of Away from Home rate.

Has the student provided documentation from the relevant State/Territory education authority to support the claim for approval of Away from Home rate?

• Yes, student is approved for the Away from Home rate, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 4

The Away from Home rate of Living Allowance will not be paid:

• to assist the student to bypass a government school offering the appropriate level of schooling school within reasonable travelling time or distance to attend another school of their choice because particular subjects which the student wants to study are unavailable at the nearby school
• where there is another government school within reasonable travelling time or distance
• if the State or Territory education authority objects to the bypassing of the particular school or type of school involved
• specifically to attend an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander school

Has the applicant requested a school to be assessed on an individual basis for limited local school program?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 7

If the student's local government school is not listed as having a limited program by the State/Territory education authority, the authority can assess each case on an individual basis.

ABSTUDY Service Officers can seek assessment by referring the case to Local Peer Support (LPS) for escalation to a Service Support Officer (SSO). See Tier 0 technical support - self-sufficiency.

The referral must include:

• the reason why the local government school cannot offer an appropriate level of schooling
• the course of study that the student will be undertaking at the other school
• the name and address of the student
• the details provided by the applicant of the previous two years of schooling and the reasons why the local school should be bypassed in order to attend the other school
• the name of the nearest government school within reasonable travelling time or distance of the student's home
• the name of the school the student will be attending

ABSTUDY Level 3 Policy Helpdesk will contact the State/Territory education authority, who will decide as to whether the local government schools within reasonable travelling time or distance can offer an appropriate level of schooling.

Has the education authority determined the local government school cannot provide an appropriate level of schooling?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, go to Step 7

Student or Australian Apprentice meets eligibility for Away from Home rate due to limited local school facilities.

Complete the following on the NIH screen:

• Action: AFH
• Start/Reject Reason: ALF
• Start Date: later of the:
• ABSTUDY start date or
• date the student or Australian Apprentice became eligible for the Away from Home rate

Record details on a DOC of the decision. The information must include the grounds the claim for Away from Home rate has been granted.

Was the Away from Home granted for a future claim and the limited school list was not available for the appropriate school year?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, procedure ends here

The student or Australian Apprentice is not eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate due to limited local school facilities.

Record details on a DOC outlining the reasons for rejection.

• Consider if they are eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate on other grounds. See Table 1, Step 6
• If appropriate, refer them for other assistance, e.g. Centrelink social worker or Indigenous Service Officer

If an alternative option is not viable and an assessment is required, for example, a student has lodged a claim to attend a selection interview at a boarding school, staff can refer to the current year's list to make an assessment. Staff must code a review to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing Team (ABS) for 1st February in the year for which assistance is being sought so that the students record is checked against the latest list to ensure ongoing eligibility is met, in Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:

• Service Reason: ABY
• Review Reason: REV (Manual Review)
• Due Date: 1 February in the year for which assistance is being sought
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Limited program schools list for study year not available at time of claim assessment. Ongoing eligibility to be confirmed. See OB 010-02060070.'
• Keywords: ACTABY and ABYSUP
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer To Region: ABS

The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action.

To qualify, the student must be one of the following, for:

• boarding at a special education institution, go to Step 2
• acceptance at the special education facility, go to Step 3
• avoiding lengthy daily travel to their nearest suitable government school, go to Step 4
• access to regular medical treatment, go to Step 5
• access to a different climate, go to Step 6

If the student does not meet any of the above criteria, go to Step 8.

A special education institution is one designed to meet the needs of students with a particular disability or disabilities and is recognised by State or Commonwealth authorities, even where the student has reasonable access to this institution from the student's permanent home.

When servicing customers with a mental illness, please consider the various impacts of the condition on their ability to comply, including their capacity to attend appointments.

The Resources page lists the documents the customer must provide.

If required, tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above and send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Does the student meet the above criteria and has provided supporting documentation?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 8

A student may be regarded as having a special need if they require access to special facilities that help manage or overcome a disability or health-related condition.

Special facilities can include but are not limited to:

• a special centre that caters for the student's condition and which they must attend in conjunction with their time at school; or
• special educational or physical facilities within a mainstream school (e.g. visiting specialist teachers, wheelchair access/ramps, specialist support program)

When servicing customers with a mental illness, please consider the various impacts of the condition on their ability to comply, including their capacity to attend appointments.

The Resources page lists the documents the customer must provide.

If required, tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above and send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Does the student meet the above criteria and provided supporting documentation?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 8

Thes student must provide a statement from an appropriate medical authority which:

• specifies the nature of the disability and
• affirms that the student could not be expected to live at home and travel daily to the nearest suitable government school, or designated school providing specialised programs or facilities

If required, tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above and send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Does the student meet the above criteria and provided the required documentation?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 8

If the disruption to the student's schooling because of their need to seek medical treatment amounts to the equivalent of at least 20 school days a year (not necessarily consecutive), the student is eligible for assistance at the Away from Home rate to board near the treatment centre.

However, the student's need to receive regular medical treatment should be supported by both of the following:

• statement from an appropriate medical authority at the treatment centre
• statement from the applicant giving full details of the travel required if the student were living at home

If required, tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above and send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Does the student meet the above criteria and provided the required documentation?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 8

A student may be regarded as having a special need in the following circumstances:

• if the student were to live at the permanent home during the school terms, the local climate or other circumstance would be likely to cause the student severe illness resulting in a total of at least four weeks absence during the school year; and
• it is essential for the student to attend school in another area; and
• in the area chosen for the student to attend school, the effects described above would be less likely to arise

The student must provide a statement from an appropriate medical authority specifying the student's condition and indicating all of the above.

If required, tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above and send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Does the student meet the above criteria and provided the required documentation?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 8

Student or Australian Apprentice meets eligibility for Away from Home rate due to a disability.

Complete the following on the NIH screen:

• Action: AFH
• Start/Reject Reason: ADI
• Start Date: later of the:
• ABSTUDY start date or
• date the student or Australian Apprentice became eligible for the Away from Home rate

Record details on a DOC of the decision. The information must include the grounds the claim for Away from Home rate has been granted.

Procedure ends here.

The student or Australian Apprentice is not eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate due to a disability.

Record details on a DOC outlining the reasons for rejection.

• Consider if they are eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate on other grounds. See Table 1, Step 7
• If appropriate, refer them for other assistance, e.g. Centrelink social worker or Indigenous Service Officer

Check the circumstances of the moves to ensure the Away from Home rate is payable.

This may include:

• Family has been constantly moving
• Family has moved temporarily for employment
• Family has been temporarily residing in the locality in which the eligible student(s) are boarding

The Resources page has examples.

Has the customer been approved for the Away from Home rate (due to itinerant family) in the previous year?

• Yes, the Away from Home rate may be approved if conditions are continuing in the current year and the other Living Allowance eligibility conditions are met
  Note: the customer must still provide a statement of the family's projected itinerancy for the forthcoming year and itinerancy over the previous twelve months with their claim. Go to Step 7
• No, for:
• Significant amount of time away from the family home, go to Step 2
• Temporarily/constant moving for employment go to Step 3

A student may meet eligibility for the Away from Home rate if the parent/guardian(s) occupation:

• require them to spend at least 40 weeknights during the calendar year travelling long distances, and as a result the children have no fixed residence, or
• involve frequent, lengthy travel and the student is denied access to appropriate schooling because the parent/guardian(s) are not normally resident to a fixed location during the school week, for example, sole parent is a truck driver

If the student has 2 parents or guardians, both need to be itinerant for the student to be eligible.

The student must provide evidence to confirm the parent/guardian(s) occupation. The Resources page lists the documents the customer must provide.

Tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above. If required, send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Has acceptable evidence been received to confirm their occupation and travel requirements?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 8

Has the customer had to move two or more times in their first term?

• Yes, for:
• two moves in the first term, go to Step 4
• three or more moves in the first term, go to Step 5
• four moves over two terms, got to Step 6
• No, go to Step 8

If the family undertakes two moves that require a change of school for the student, the family may be accepted as itinerant for that period and the first term payment may be made once the second move is verified.

Note: if at least one move occurs during any of the remaining terms, the family should be accepted as itinerant for the full year and further payments made accordingly. If no move occurs during any of the remaining terms, the student will be ineligible for Living Allowance assistance at the Away from Home rate after first term.

Has the 2nd move occurred and been verified?

• Yes, the student is eligible for Away from Home rate until the end of the term. Go to Step 7
• No, tell the applicant that eligibility for the Away from Home cannot be granted until the 2nd move has occurred and been verified. Go to Step 8

If at least 3 of the moves require a change of school for the student, the family is regarded as itinerant for the full year.

The first term payment is to be made immediately upon verification of at least the first 3 moves.

Has the 3rd move occurred and been verified?

• Yes, the student is eligible for Away from Home rate until the end of the calendar year. Go to Step 7
• No, and:
• two moves can be verified, the student is eligible for Away from Home rate until the end of the term. Go to Step 7
• only one move can be verified. Tell the applicant that eligibility for the Away from Home cannot be granted until the 2nd move has occurred and been verified. Go to Step 8

If the family undertakes 4 moves that require a change of school for the student in the year spread over at least 2 terms, the family may be accepted as itinerant for the full year.

Has the 4th move occurred and been verified?

• Yes, the student is eligible for Away from Home rate until the end of the calendar year. Go to Step 7
• No, tell the applicant that eligibility for the Away from Home cannot be granted until the 2nd move has occurred and been verified. Go to Step 8

Student or Australian Apprentice meets eligibility for Away from Home rate due to Itinerant family.

Complete the following on the NIH screen:

• Action: AFH
• Start/Reject Reason: ADI
• Start Date: later of the:
• ABSTUDY start date or
• date the student or Australian Apprentice became eligible for the Away from Home rate

Record details on a DOC of the decision. The information must include the grounds the claim for Away from Home rate has been granted.

Has the student only been granted Away from Home rate for one term?

• Yes, go to Step 9
• No, procedure ends here.

The student or Australian Apprentice is not eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate due to Itinerant family.

Record details on a DOC outlining the reasons for rejection.

• Consider if they are eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate on other grounds. See Table 1, Step 8
• If appropriate, refer them for other assistance, e.g. Centrelink social worker or Indigenous Service Officer

Staff must code a review for the end of the term that the Away from Home was granted so that the students record is checked for ongoing entitlement, in Customer First, create a manual review on the Review Registration (RVR) screen and complete the fields as follows:

• Service Reason: ABY
• Review Reason: REV (Manual Review)
• Due Date: Last day of the term entitlement period
• Source: INT
• Date of Receipt: today's date
• Notes: 'Itinerant family granted for Term X, ongoing eligibility to be confirmed. See OB 010-02060070.'
• Keywords: BOARDER
• Workgroup: leave blank
• Position: leave blank
• Transfer To Region: ABS

The review will mature on the Due Date coded in the RVR activity. Workload Management will allocate the review for manual action.

A student may be eligible for the Away from Home rate if:

• the student has been excluded by school authorities from all available government schools to which the student has reasonable daily access and
• distance education/correspondence studies are not appropriate.

Does the student meet the above criteria?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 4

The student must provide a letter from an appropriate officer of the State/Territory education authority to support the claim for Away from Home. It needs to confirm that:

• the student has been excluded from all available local schooling and
• there are no other schools within reasonable travelling time)

Tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above. If required, send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Has evidence been provided to confirm exclusion from all local government schools?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 4

Student or Australian Apprentice meets eligibility for Away from Home rate due to exclusion from local schooling.

Complete the following on the NIH screen:

• Action: AFH
• Start/Reject Reason: AEX
• Start Date: later of the:
• ABSTUDY start date or
• date the student or Australian Apprentice became eligible for the Away from Home rate

Record details on a DOC of the decision. The information must include the grounds the claim for Away from Home rate has been granted.

Procedure ends here.

The student or Australian Apprentice is not eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate due to exclusion from local schooling.

Record details on a DOC outlining the reasons for rejection.

• Consider if they are eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate on other grounds. See Table 1, Step 9
• If appropriate, refer them for other assistance, e.g. Centrelink social worker or Indigenous Service Officer

A student may be eligible for the Away from Home rate if the student has been subjected to racial discrimination of a serious and continuing nature at the local government schools.

Dependent schooling students studying by distance education or correspondence are not eligible for the Away from Home rate under the racial discrimination provision.

Is the student subject to racial discrimination of a serious and continuing nature at the local government school/s?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 5

Approval of the Away from Home rate due to racial discrimination will require substantiation that everything possible has been tried to reconcile the situation at the local level and has proved unsuccessful.

The Resources page has examples.

Tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above. If required, send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Has documentation been provided supporting everything possible has been tried to reconcile the situation at the local level and has proved unsuccessful?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 5

Is the student's permanent home within reasonable travelling time of an appropriate education provider other than the institution where the discrimination is taking place?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 4

Student or Australian Apprentice meets eligibility for Away from Home rate due to racial discrimination.

Complete the following on the NIH screen:

• Action: AFH
• Start/Reject Reason: ARD
• Start Date: later of the:
• ABSTUDY start date or
• date the student or Australian Apprentice became eligible for the Away from Home rate

Record details on a DOC of the decision. The information must include the grounds the claim for Away from Home rate has been granted.

Procedure ends here.

The student or Australian Apprentice is not eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate due to racial discrimination.

Record details on a DOC outlining the reasons for rejection.

• Consider if they are eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate on other grounds. See Table 1, Step 10
• If appropriate, refer them for other assistance, e.g. Centrelink social worker or Indigenous Service Officer

A secondary school dependent student may be eligible for the Away from Home rate of ABSTUDY due to continuity of study if all of the following apply:

• they have previously been approved for the Away from Home rate
• they no longer meet a condition for approval for this rate due to a change in circumstances
• they continue attending the same education institution
• it would be unreasonable to break continuity of study

Note: if a student's approved Boarding School Scholarship ceases, so does their prior eligibility for the Away from Home rate. They cannot continue to receive the Away from Home rate under the continuity of study provisions.

Does the student meet all of the above?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 4

It is considered unreasonable to break continuity of study:

• at any time during a school or academic year, or
• if the State/Territory authorities regard continuity of schooling between years 9 and 12 to be at least highly desirable

Does the students break in study meet the one above criteria?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 6

If a student's permanent home changes:

• so the conditions of travelling time between the permanent home and an approved education institution are no longer met, under continuity of study provisions:
• they may retain eligibility to some, or
• all of Away from Home entitlements
• to a location within reasonable travelling time or distance to the secondary school they attend:
• it would be expected they would return home to live in the family home, and
• continue at the school as a day scholar
• the Away from Home rate of Living Allowance would cease as the need to board in order to access the school is no longer necessary, and
• payment of School Fees Allowance may continue up to the limit of the entitlement for a student approved for Living Allowance at the away rate. See ABSTUDY School Fees Allowance (SFA) (Group 2)
• to a location that is within reasonable travelling time or distance of any government school:
• offering an appropriate level of education for the student
• but not within reasonable travelling time or distance of the school they attend
• all the Away from Home entitlements continue. This is to ensure they can reasonably continue at the same school

The Resources page has examples.

Does the student meet eligibility for continuity of study for the Away from Home rate of Living Allowance?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 6

Students who had not previously been approved for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate may be eligible where:

• they remain enrolled in the same course at the same institution
• it would be unreasonable to break continuity of study, and
• as a result of a change in their circumstances or in policy, they will soon (that is, in less than 12 months) be eligible for the Away from Home rate

The Resources page has an example.

Does the student meet the above criteria?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 6

Student or Australian Apprentice meets eligibility for Away from Home rate due to continuity of study.

Complete the following on the NIH screen:

Note: if there is a current entry, it must be end-dated before entering a new line.

• Action: AFH
• Start/Reject Reason: APA
• Start Date: later of the:
• ABSTUDY start date or
• date the student or Australian Apprentice became eligible for the Away from Home rate

Record details on a DOC of the decision. The information must include the grounds the claim for Away from Home rate has been granted.

Procedure ends here.

The student or Australian Apprentice is not eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate due to continuity of study.

Record details on a DOC outlining the reasons for rejection.

• Consider if they are eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate on other grounds. See Table 1, Step 11
• If appropriate, refer them for other assistance, e.g. Centrelink social worker or Indigenous Service Officer

The Away from Home rate of payment is available if a student:

• is offered an approved Boarding School Scholarship
• is offered an approved Third Party Indigenous Scholarship
• is offered a Transition School Scholarship at Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) or
• permanently resides in 1 of 5 designated Cape York Welfare Reform sites (Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale, Mossman Gorge, and Doomadgee) and are required to live away from the community to attend a school at another location

If a student is seeking approval for the Away from Home rate of payment under:

• the Cape York Welfare Reform sites mobility criteria, go to Step 2
• a Boarding School Scholarship, go to Step 3
• a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship, go to Step 4
• a Transition School Scholarship at Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS), go to Step 5

If a student has been previously approved for Away from Home payments under the Independent Boarding School (IBS) Scholarship criteria prior to 1 January 2019, go to Step 6.

If a school or provider organisation is seeking approval of a scholarship as a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship, advise them of the documents they must supply. The Resources page lists the documents they must supply. Procedure ends here.

If a student has lost qualification for a scholarship, they may no longer be eligible for the Away from Home rate. This may include where:

• a school withdraws a scholarship from a student (due to performance/behaviour)
• a scholarship ceases to be offered, or
• a scholarship is no longer approved as a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship

See Cessation of the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate.

Secondary school students may be approved for the ABSTUDY Away from Home provisions to enable the student to live away from the community and attend a school at another location. To be eligible for this provision, the student must permanently reside in 1 of 5 designated Cape York Welfare Reform sites.

Is the student's permanent home in 1 of the 5 designated Cape York Welfare Reform sites (Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale Mossman Gorge or Doomadgee)?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 9

A secondary school student may be approved for Away from Home entitlements on the basis of being offered a Boarding School scholarship.

To be eligible, they must meet all the following:

• the school is an approved secondary school offering an approved course of secondary studies
• the boarding arrangement is an integral part of the school
• the amount the school contributes towards the scholarship covers, the greater of either:
• the Boarding School Scholarship Approval Threshold amount, or
• 25% of the school's annual boarding school and tuition fees

Note: the minimum Boarding School Scholarship Approval Threshold amount increases each year in line with CPI. Similarly, a Scholarship Contribution Amount based on 25% of a school's annual boarding and tuition fees may increase if the school increases the fees. In order to approve a Boarding School Scholarship offered in second and subsequent years, the value of the Scholarship Contribution Amount must continue to meet the scholarship financial contribution requirements.

The Resources page has examples.

To calculate which financial contribution requirement is the greater amount:

• add the combined total of a school's board and tuition charges in the year of approval, and
• divide by 4 to identify 25% of the total charges

Has the student been granted an approved Boarding School scholarship?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 9

A secondary student may be approved for Away from Home entitlements on the basis of being offered a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship to attend a select school in the following circumstances:

• the school is an approved secondary school offering an approved course of secondary studies, and
• the scholarship is one of the scholarships or programmes supported by the Australian Government as approved by the relevant delegate of the Minister for Families and Social Services

The Resources page has a list of Approved Third party Indigenous scholarships and contracted providers.

Has the student been granted a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 9

A secondary student may be approved for Away from Home entitlements on the basis of being offered a Transition School Scholarship at Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS).

Students offered Transition School Scholarships will qualify for the Away from Home rate. Students who complete the Transition School Scholarship and as a result are offered a placement at a MITS partner school, will continue to qualify for the Away from Home rate of ABSTUDY.

Has the student been offered a Transition School Scholarship at MITS or offered a placement at a MITS partner school?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 9

Students approved for ABSTUDY Away from Home payments on the basis of accepting an IBS scholarship before 1 January 2019 retain approval for Away from Home payments. Students are grandfathered for as long as they continue at the same school and continue to meet the criteria under which the IBS scholarship was originally approved. The Resources page has the pre 1 January 2019 rules).

From 1 January 2019, the scholarship is not required to continue to meet the Indigenous Education Consultative Board criteria.

However, if a holder of a grandfathered IBS scholarship does have a break in study, in exceptional circumstances the student can retain the grandfathered status for up to 2 years from the date the student discontinued study.

A beneficial approach is to be taken to assessing whether exceptional circumstances led to the student discontinuing. The Resources page has examples of grandfathered scholarships.

Grandfathering arrangements do not apply if a student has been expelled.

Does the student continue to hold a grandfathered IBS scholarship, or can be approved to recommence as a grandfathered scholarship holder under exceptional circumstances?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 9

Students enrolled at Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) are in receipt of a Transition School Scholarship. No verification is required.

For all other cases, to determine approval of Away from Home payments, documentation may be required.

The Resources page lists the documents the customer must provide.

Tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above. If required, send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Has documentation been provided to support the claim for the Away from Home rate under scholarships and mobility provisions?

• Yes, go to Step 8
• No, go to Step 9

Student or Australian Apprentice meets eligibility for Away from Home rate due to scholarships and mobility provisions.

Complete the following on the NIH screen:

Note: if there is a current entry, it must be end-dated before entering a new line.

• Action: AFH
• Start/Reject Reason:
• AOT (Cape York Welfare Reform sites),
• ASO (Third Party Indigenous Scholarship or Transition School Scholarship),
• ASI (Grandfathered IBS scholarship holder),
• ASF (School contributed a dollar value to a scholarship), or
• ASP (School contributed a percentage value to a scholarship)
• Start Date: later of the:
• ABSTUDY start date or
• date the student or Australian Apprentice became eligible for the Away from Home rate

Record details on a DOC of the decision. The information must include the grounds the claim for Away from Home rate has been granted.

Does the scholarship contain a school or provider contribution towards a scholarship's value?

• Yes, go to Step 10
• No, procedure ends here

The student or Australian Apprentice is not eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate due to scholarships and mobility provisions.

Record details on a DOC outlining the reasons for rejection.

• Consider if they are eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate on other grounds
• If appropriate, refer them for other assistance, e.g. Centrelink social worker or Indigenous Service Officer

Procedure ends here.

Boarding School scholarships have a mandatory requirement for a school to make a financial contribution to the scholarship for approval of Away from Home payments.

Many Third Party Indigenous Scholarships, and Transition School Scholarships can also contain a school or provider contribution towards a scholarship's value; usually as a waiver or reduction in student fees or boarding or lodging costs.

The actual dollar amount of the school financial contribution for the scholarship must be determined and coded at the Scholarship Contribution Amount field on the School Fee and Boarding Detail (EYSB) screen. Code the school or provider contribution amount to the scholarship for each year of the scholarship.

Record details of the particular scholarship on a Display on Access (DOA) DOC using the ABSTUDY Scholarship Information Fast Note:

• select Auto text use Students, ABSTUDY and Apprentices > Update > ABSTUDY Scholarship Information
• select the Display on access tick box
• the Expiry Date field will default to a date 1 year in the future. If the period covered by the scholarship is known, record an expiry date. If not, leave the Expiry Date field blank
• there is an automatic review with a due date of 365 days to update scholarship details each year, where:
• the Expiry Date field is blank, or
• the expiry date is more than 1 year in the future

In circumstances where a scholarship contains a Scholarship Contribution Amount that waives or reduces their student fees or boarding and lodging costs, the Annual Fees/Tuition Amount and Annual Boarding School/Hostel Amount fields on the EYSB screen must be coded correctly.

See Assessing scholarship income for correct coding of board and tuition amounts for students in receipt of a scholarship.

A dependent student may be eligible for the Away from Home rate of ABSTUDY if their tertiary course of study requires compulsory residence away from home. This residence must be compulsory for all students studying that course, or that particular stage of the course, in order for approval to be given.

Courses which have compulsory residency requirements will usually advertise this fact in published material about the course.

Students or Australian Apprentices who need to live away from home due to a block release are not eligible for the Away from Home rate. However, students may qualify for Away from Base assistance for ABSTUDY.

Is compulsory for all students studying the students course?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 4

The customer must provide proof that compulsory residence at the tertiary institution is required for that particular course or stage of the course.

The Resources page lists the documents the customer must provide.

Tell the student or Australian Apprentice of the above. If required, send a request for the documentation, see Requesting information (CLK).

Has the student provided documentation to support the Away from Home claim?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, go to Step 4

Student or Australian Apprentice meets eligibility for Away from Home rate due to compulsory residence.

Complete the following on the NIH screen:

Note: if there is a current entry, it must be end-dated before entering a new line.

• Action: AFH
• Start/Reject Reason: AOT
• Start Date: later of the:
• ABSTUDY start date or
• date the student or Australian Apprentice became eligible for the Away from Home rate

If the student is undertaking an approved scholarship course, in the To update regional classification details, go to RLD: field, key 'Y'.

For more information on coding the RLD screen, see Relocation Scholarship (RS) payment and coding.

Record details on a DOC of the decision. The information must include the grounds the claim for Away from Home rate has been granted.

Procedure ends here.

The student or Australian Apprentice is not eligible for the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate due to compulsory residence.

Record details on a DOC outlining the reasons for rejection.

If appropriate, refer them for other assistance, e.g. Centrelink social worker or Indigenous Service Officer.