Additional costs associated with travel for ABSTUDY 010-02100230

Note: Australian Apprentices are not entitled to FAA for the Australian Apprenticeship.

A student or non-student traveller may be eligible for assistance with some additional costs associated with their approved travel.

Ensure the student or non-student traveller is entitled to receive FAA for the journey.

Is the student or non-student traveller eligible for FAA for the journey?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, advise they are not entitled to FAA for the journey and any associated costs. Finalise the travel request in the Travel Management Application (TMA) with a Booking Status of 'Rejected'. See Coding pre-booked Fares Allowance (FAA) entitlements for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES)

Are there additional costs for the student or non-student traveller relating to transport terminal transfers?

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

Check the student or non-student traveller is required to use the service to transfer between an airport, bus or train terminal to the board or accommodation provider or their permanent home. This also applies for reverse travel.

One of the following requirements must be met:

• there is a fee levied for all student or non-student travellers or a reasonable fee if levied for ABSTUDY students only, where a boarding establishment or accommodation provider offers transport facilities
• public transport bus and/or rail fare, or
• taxi fare or similar ride-sharing, where:
• public transport is not available
• it is unsafe to use public transport considering the age of the student and/or the time of day the travel occurs
• the student is travelling to the place of study for the first time and is unfamiliar with the public transport routes
• there are other compelling and justifiable factors which make a taxi or ride-sharing suitable

Has the student or non-student traveller met one of the above requirements?

• Yes, payment for the cost of transfer fees as outlined above is approved. Advise them to provide a receipt for the transfer fees if claiming reimbursement
• No, the additional cost is not approved

Go to Step 4.

Are there additional costs for the student or non-student traveller relating to excess baggage?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, see Step 1 in Table 2

The cost of excess baggage can be approved where the baggage allowance:

• for a mode of public transport is given in linear measure (there is a size limit), one additional piece of baggage within the size limit
• is based on weight, excess baggage up to 18 kilograms

Note: if a student or non-student traveller has additional living and/or study items requiring transport, and it exceeds the baggage allowance of their normal mode of transport, they may be eligible for alternative modes of transport. See Determining the appropriate mode of transport for ABSTUDY Fares Allowance (FAA).

Does the excess baggage cost relate to the journey approved for FAA?

• Yes, payment for the cost of excess baggage as outlined above are approved. Advise them to provide a receipt for the cost of the excess baggage if claiming reimbursement
• No, the additional cost is not approved

Go to Step 1 in Table 2.

Is there an additional cost for the student or non-student traveller relating to overnight accommodation?

Note: students or non-student travellers may request the travel booking for a date later than when they are due to travel. For example, if the parent has been approved to visit the student under special purpose visit travel and wish to remain longer than approved. In circumstances such as these, the travel booking can be made later as the costs are the same. However, any additional costs of accommodation or meals for the extra period would not be approved.

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, go to Step 3

Costs associated with overnight accommodation may be met by the student or approved non-student traveller to stay one or more nights in the following circumstances:

• the student or approved traveller is required to stay at an in-transit location, that is not the permanent home or the place of study, and which is not the responsibility of the carrier
• as a result of transport schedules, the student or approved traveller are unable to avoid staying one or more nights at the destination, before returning to their usual place of residence
• for students undertaking Orientation travel and are required to stay a reasonable amount of time at/near the term address in order to participate in orientation activities
• other approved travellers undertaking a journey under the provisions of family member or community member travellers, supervisor travellers or travelling companion travellers and either:
• as a result of transport schedules, the approved traveller is unable to avoid staying one or more nights at the destination to which they accompanied the student/s before returning to their usual place of residence, or
• for family member or community member travellers, and for supervisor travellers, if they would also meet the criteria of a family member or community member traveller, the approved traveller is required to stay a reasonable amount of time at/near the student's term address in order to visit the student
• an education representative is the approved traveller, and is undertaking Orientation or SPV travel and either
• as a result of transport schedules, is unable to avoid staying one or more nights at the location of the orientation/special purpose visit, or
• stays a reasonable amount of time at the location of the orientation/special purpose visit in order to undertake the visit

See the References page for ABSTUDY policy details about Approved Travellers, Dependant Travellers, Family Member or Community Member Travellers, Supervisor Travellers, Travelling Companions, Education Institution Representative Travellers and Orientation or Special Purpose Visit Travel.

See the Resources page for examples of circumstances where overnight accommodation and meals would be approved.

Students or non-student travellers eligible for assistance are entitled to:

• the reasonable cost of meals and accommodation for the stopover, if accommodation is arranged by the education provider, Services Australia or the community, or
• travel allowance where the accommodation is arranged by the student or non-student traveller

Students and/or non-student travellers are able to be accommodated in:

• registered hotels/motels
• campus accommodation (both on and off-campus)
• caravan parks
• private residences (staying with friends/relatives, guesthouse etc.)
• any other type of suitable accommodation available

Private overnight accommodation providers may not have an Australian Business Number (ABN) or be a registered/licensed accommodation provider. Therefore may not be able to supply an official receipt. In such cases, the following will be accepted:

• a statement
• a statutory declaration
• a receipt without an ABN

It must include the:

• date of accommodation
• address of the private accommodation
• itemised cost of the accommodation, including room cleaning fees where the cost is not included in the room accommodation charge

Where meals have been provided, each meal must be itemised:

• date of meal
• meal type (breakfast, lunch, dinner)
• cost

See the Resources page for examples of private accommodation provider assessments.

Refer to Calculate the relevant daily rate of travel allowance and the Resources page for links to the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) travel allowance rates, calculations of the rates payable and a travel allowance calculator.

Note: where travel allowance has been approved for a high-cost location not listed by the ATO as a 'High cost country centre', payment may be made for a higher rate of travel allowance where:

• the standard travel allowance rate is acquitted, and
• excess expenses are proven by receipts, provided that the expense is representative of reasonable costs of the location, or
• a residential expense package is being approved in principle or reimbursed, and
• evidence of the higher accommodation costs at the high-cost location is provided and the expense is representative of reasonable costs of the location

Does the overnight accommodation cost relate to the journey approved for FAA?

• Yes, payment for the cost of the accommodation and meals as outlined above is approved. If the student or non-student traveller is seeking reimbursement, advise them to provide a receipt for the cost of the overnight accommodation and meals
• No, the additional cost is not approved

Go to Step 3.

Are there additional costs for the student or non-student traveller relating to quarantine or self-isolation costs?

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

Quarantine or self-isolation costs 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. A statutory declaration outlining travel costs is also acceptable if proof of payment documents have been misplaced.

Has the customer provided evidence of costs incurred due to quarantine or self-isolation?

• Yes, payments for the costs are approved, go to Step 5
• No, request evidence of costs incurred, see Requesting information. Procedure ends here

Does the student or non-student traveller have credit/debit card charges or other unavoidable service fees associated with booking travel?

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

Do the costs relate to the journey approved for FAA?

• Yes, payment for the costs are approved. Advise the student or non-student traveller to provide evidence of the additional costs if seeking reimbursement
• No, the additional cost is not approved

Go to Step 7.

Additional costs (not covered above), incurred by a student or non-student traveller during the journey, cannot be approved for FAA. The only exception is due to disrupted student travel. For information on additional costs payable due to disrupted travel, see ABSTUDY students experiencing disrupted travel.

Examples of additional costs incurred by a student or non-student traveller not approved may include:

• additional accommodation charged by a provider when a non-ABSTUDY approved person also stays in the accommodation
• consumption of non-approved food or drink at an accommodation provider (i.e. mini bar or additional meals)
• costs charged by a transport provider for transporting pets
• use of a hire limousine for transport terminal transfers
• damage to accommodation
• additional room cleaning charges
• laundry charges
• lost keys for accommodation
• damage to aircraft, or
• afterpay or zip pay fees

Additional costs

If the student or non-student traveller has:

• approved additional costs for the travel related to:
• transport terminal transfers
• excess baggage
• overnight accommodation and meals
• credit/debit card costs
• service fees
• quarantine or self-isolation costs
• go to Step 9
• additional costs not approved for the journey, go to Step 8

Additional costs are not approved, advise the student or non-student traveller:

• outcome of the decision
• to submit and lodge an ABSTUDY Fares Allowance Claim (SY032) form if a claim for the additional costs has not been made
• to provide receipts and a statement with details of the additional costs, and
• of the review and appeals system. See Review of ABSTUDY and Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme decisions

Record details of the decision in the Notes tab for the travel request in the Travel Management Application (TMA).

Procedure ends here.

Additional costs are approved, advise the student or non-student traveller:

• outcome of the decision
• additional costs can be authorised in advance of travel or reimbursed after the journey
• if claiming reimbursement after the journey, provide receipts and a statement with details of the additional costs

If the request has been received by:

• ABSTUDY Smart Centre telephony, record details of the discussion on a DOC. Procedure ends here
• the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Travel Team, see Coding pre-booked Fares Allowance (FAA) entitlements for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES)