Assessing special courses for ABSTUDY Away from Home rate 010-02060080

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

Go to Step 8.

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.

Go to Step 8.

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 of 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, advise the applicant. Record a DOC. Procedure ends here

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 provider 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 her/his 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

Go to Step 8.

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.

Go to Step 8.

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 help desk as they may still be eligible for the Away from Home rate.

Go to Step 8.

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, advise the applicant. Record a DOC. Procedure ends here

If a special course is approved, a statement from the school confirming the student's enrolment in the special course must be provided 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

Courses/programs known to qualify as a special course approved for the Away from Home rate of ABSTUDY are on the list of schools with special courses/programs on the Resources page.

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 Helpdesk have:
• not provided a response, advise 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, advise the applicant. Record a DOC. Procedure ends here
• No, escalate to Level 2 Helpdesk via Local Peer Support (LPS). Procedure ends here

Customer is eligible for Away from Home entitlement due to undertaking a special course.

Complete the following fields on the Independent/Homeless/Away From Home Details (NIH) screen to record the approval of Away from Home rate based on special course. If there is a previous entry on the NIH screen you will be taken to the NIHS screen. If there is a current entry, this will need to be end-dated before a new line can be entered. Once end-dated, press Enter for a new NIH screen.

• In the Action: field type AFH
• In the Start/Reject Reason: field, type either:
• 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)
• In the Start Date: field, type the date away from which the Away from Home rate has been granted

Note: the End Date: End Reason: and Consent to Contact: fields are not required.

See Coding Away from Home rate for ABSTUDY for full process to code students qualified for Away from Home entitlements.