Processing Fares Allowance and Away from Base entitlements in advance or reimbursements 010-02100050

To be eligible for FAA reimbursement:

• The student and/or non-student traveller must be eligible for Fares Allowance
• A Fares Allowance Claim has been lodged by the relevant ABSTUDY closing dates
• Travel and additional costs have been paid for and confirmation of payment for travel arrangements can be provided

Note: FAA reimbursement may still occur where:

• student and/or non-student traveller meets eligibility criteria for FAA, but
• travel has not been undertaken due to unforeseen and exceptional circumstances, and
• travel costs have been incurred

Travel carriers, such as charter or transfer companies, cannot claim FAA reimbursement. Customers and third parties must not organise travel arrangements with carriers or accommodation providers on the provision that ABSTUDY will reimburse these costs directly to the company.

The cost of a journey may be reimbursed after the journey has been undertaken. The following must be determined:

• the appropriate mode of transport for the journey
• the appropriate travel destination for ABSTUDY Fares Allowance (FAA), and
• if additional costs associated with travel, such as transport terminal transfers and overnight accommodation can be reimbursed

Other costs that may not be reimbursed include:

• costs involved with taking an indirect route to the permanent home or study location
• additional meals
• expenses from a mini bar
• additional room cleaning or damage charges
• security deposits

FAA reimbursement can only be paid if proof of payment for travel arrangements has been provided. Paid tax invoices, receipts and/or travel tickets must be lodged as proof of payment. Travel quotes, remittance advice and/or purchase orders are not considered proof of payment for FAA reimbursement.

In addition to covering the student's travel costs to attend an approved activity, AFB assistance is also intended to cover the reasonable costs of accommodation and meals while away from the normal place of residence.

Costs associated with accommodation and meals can be approved for payment either as part of a residential expenses package or travel allowance.

AFB allowances can be payable to either an education provider conducting an approved activity, or to a student participating in an approved activity. Allowances can be paid either in advance or as a reimbursement.

Away from Base entitlements paid in advance must be acquitted within 1 month of the approved activity taking place. No future activities will be funded until the previous activity has been acquitted.

Reimbursement of travel costs, and any other approved additional costs associated with a journey, can be paid directly to either the applicant, student or third party who has paid for the travel arrangements. However, payments cannot be made to a dependent student until their sixteenth birthday.

When an assessment is finalised in the TMA, separate letters will auto-generate for each payee recorded. The letter only shows the outcome of the components relevant to the respective payees. For example, within a reimbursement claim, customer claims fares and a third party claims for accommodation and meals. The customer will only see the fares component outcome, whereas the third party will see both the accommodation and meals components.

If an auto-generated letter is not appropriate or not sufficient, do not send the letter.