Assessing study load concessions for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) 010-02080060

A student will normally only be eligible for one of the Services Australia administered payments for students if they are studying at least 75% of the accredited full time study load.

However, in some cases they may be paid as a full time student even though they are studying less than the required minimum of 75 per cent. These students are said to be subject to a study load concession. There are 3 types of study load concessions:

• Disability study load concession
• Two-thirds study load concession, and
• Pensioner study load concession

The disability study load concession is available for students undertaking at least 25% of the normal full-time study load, who receive one of the following:

• ABSTUDY Tertiary award
• ABSTUDY Masters and Doctorate award
• ABSTUDY Schooling A award, and
• ABSTUDY Schooling B Award

These Awards can include recipients of both ABSTUDY Living Allowance and ABSTUDY PES.

Student must also have a physical, psychiatric or intellectual disability that prevents them undertaking a full time (that is, at least 75%) study load.

The medical evidence supplied by the student will determine how long the study load concession can be applied. Where evidence:

• advises the condition is permanent with no chance of improvement, the study load concession can be applied for the entire course duration
• indicates a disability may improve during the course period, the information supplied on the medical evidence will determine the length of time the concession should be applied

A student may be eligible for the pensioner study load concession if they are:

• studying more than 25% of the accredited full-time study load, and
• receiving one of the following payments:
• Carer Payment (CP)
• Disability Support Pension (DSP)
• JobSeeker Payment (JSP) or Youth Allowance (YA) with a Partial Capacity to work
• Parenting Payment Single (PPS)
• JSP or YA Principal carer (single)
• Department of Veterans' Affairs (DVA) Invalidity Service Pension
• DVA Carer Service Pension
• Special Benefit (SpB) - and is a sole parent
• Defence Widow Pension, where the customer has a dependent child under 16 years old
• War Widow Pension, where the customer has a dependent child under 16 years old

Note: customers receiving Partner Service Pension where the partner is in receipt of a DVA Invalidity Service Pension are required to be studying at least 75% of a full-time study load in order to qualify for ABSTUDY PES.

A student who is not undertaking a full-time study load, may be eligible for a two-thirds study load concession if:

• they meet all the other eligibility criteria for the:
• ABSTUDY Tertiary Award
• ABSTUDY Masters and Doctorate Award
• ABSTUDY Schooling A Award, or
• ABSTUDY Schooling B Award
• they are undertaking at least two-thirds (66%) of the normal full-time study load, and
• the reason it is not possible to study 75% of the normal study load is because of:
• the institution's normal requirements for the course
• specific direction in writing from the deputy Principal, an academic registrar or an equivalent officer, or
• a recommendation in writing from the academic registrar or equivalent officer, for academic or vocational reasons. Study load requirements cannot be reduced for academic or vocational reasons for more than half of the academic year. Note: the institution does not have to specify the reasons on which the recommendation is based

Full time students and Australian Apprentices in receipt of ABSTUDY and 21 years of age and under may be entitled to Youth Disability Supplement (YDS). The customer must have been assessed by an Employment Services Assessment (ESAt) as having a partial capacity to work of less than 30 hours per week.