Approval of ABSTUDY Away from Base assistance 010-02070050

Away from Base assistance is intended to cover the student's travel costs to attend an approved activity and the reasonable costs of accommodation and meals while away from the normal place of residence.

Assistance available for a student undertaking an approved Away from Base activity includes:

• Fares Allowance (FAA)
• accommodation and meals, paid via either:
• a residential expenses package, or
• travel allowance
• non-income tested Living Allowance

To be eligible for a residential expenses package or travel allowance, the student must be required to be away from the permanent home or term address to attend an approved Away from Base activity.

Disallowed costs

The following costs cannot be met with Away from Base assistance and are the responsibility of the education provider or student who is undertaking the activity:

• fees associated with Away from Base activities. For example, entry fee to a show, festival or exhibition, including conference registration fees or similar costs
• the costs of attending conferences, seminars, forums, performances or similar activities, where these do not form an essential part of an approved Away from Base activity

Whilst residential expenses and travel allowance are available for the same purpose, they are paid in different circumstances.

Residential expenses

Residential expenses meet the actual cost of accommodation and main meals (i.e. breakfast, lunch and dinner) at a reasonable price for each student per day. There is no restriction on where meals are provided or that they must be part of the 'accommodation package'. Meals included in the submission at various service providers can be included if they are 'organised' by the education provider, for each student, and are reasonably priced.

Meal allowance

Where a residential expenses package cannot be arranged to include all main meals during an activity, meal allowance is payable on behalf of each student. This is paid in a lump sum (in conjunction with the residential expenses package) to the education provider for distribution to students. Additional meals or snacks outside of the residential package or meal allowance are at the expense of the approved traveller.

Participant chooses not to use residential expenses package

Students who choose not to use a residential expenses package are not entitled to access travel allowance for that activity. They are still eligible to access any meal allowance that is payable to all participants where meals are not included in the residential expenses package.

Travel allowance

Normally, an activity must include a residential expenses package for funding of accommodation and meal costs. Travel allowance can be approved when a residential package cannot be arranged by the education provider or service provider for an Away from Base activity in circumstances where it is:

• unreasonable, or
• impractical, or
• not cost effective

For example, when the activity is a placement, travel allowance can be approved for accommodation and meal costs if it is unreasonable to arrange a residential expenses package for an individual student.

In all instances, payment of a residential expenses package for accommodation and meals must be considered prior to payment of travel allowance for an activity.

Travel allowance can be paid to either the student directly, or to the education provider conducting the activity for distribution to a group of students. Additional meal or snack costs over the daily travel allowance are at the expense of the approved traveller.

Rate of travel allowance

Travel allowance is a calculated amount regardless of the actual cost incurred by the student.

The rate of travel allowance for the purposes of Away from Base assistance is linked to the location of the activity, and is adjusted each financial year. The Resources page contains links to these rates.

Travel allowance will be paid at full rate for a period of up to 21 consecutive days, after which 50% of the rate is payable. It is not payable (at either half or full rate) for more than 3 months in total in a calendar year. These provisions apply regardless of the length of a course.

Living Allowance assists students who lose their regular source of income while undertaking an approved Away from Base activity.

Eligibility for, and the rate of Living Allowance, is not subject to any means testing.

Rate of Living Allowance

Students who attend an approved Away from Base activity and receive a reduced rate of a student payment (ABSTUDY or Youth Allowance (YA)) due to means testing (student, parental or partner) and lose their normal source of income, will have their entitlement increased to the maximum rate payable under ABSTUDY.

Living Allowance is calculated according to the maximum rate available for the student's age, relationship, family and independence status.

Duration of Living Allowance

Living Allowance is only paid for the actual days of the activity for which the usual source of income is lost. Any period of lost income that does not coincide with the activity is not replaced with Living Allowance.

Away from Base assistance can only be paid for students who have been assessed as eligible to attend an approved ABSTUDY Away from Base activity.

Assistance for the activity can be paid in:

• advance, or
• as reimbursement

All claims for Away from Base assistance must be received by the Away from Base submission closing date.

Fares Allowance (FAA) can be authorised in advance or reimbursed after the journey has occurred.

Payment in advance

Payment in advance for approved Away from Base activities normally occurs for each activity individually. However, qualifying institutions can apply for bulk funding for all residential school activities in a year, payable in a lump sum at the beginning of each semester.

Advance payments must be acquitted based on the actual number of qualifying participants, the period and location(s) once the activity has been completed.

For acquittal requirements and processes, see Assessing and processing ABSTUDY Away from Base activities.

Reimbursement

A claim for reimbursement must include proof of payment and confirmation that the student fully participated in the approved activity.

For reimbursement requirements and processes, see Processing Fares Allowance and Away from Base entitlements in advance or reimbursements.

• Fares Allowance (FAA) - authorised in advance or paid as a reimbursement to the education provider, service provider or student who paid for the travel
• Residential expenses - paid to the education or service provider
• Meal allowance - paid to the education provider as a lump sum (in conjunction with the residential expenses package) when meals are not included in the residential package
• Travel allowance - paid to the student or education provider
• Non-income tested Living Allowance - paid to the student