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Assessing satisfactory progress for tertiary students for Austudy 010-04050070

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This page contains the steps to follow to complete the assessment of satisfactory progress for Austudy tertiary students.

On this page:

Assessing satisfactory study progress for Austudy

Rejecting Austudy student claims Allowable Time Reached

Assessing satisfactory study progress for Austudy

Do not use this process for Youth Allowance (YA). These satisfactory progress rules are for Austudy only.

Table 1: this table describes the steps to follow when assessing satisfactory progress for an Austudy tertiary student. For Service Officers trained in students only.

Expand table

Step

Action

1

Previous study at the same level

Satisfactory progress is measured against the student's current course of study. This can be impacted by previous study at the same study level.

Has the student undertaken previous study in their current course or in another course of study at the same level?

  • Yes, go to Step 2
  • No, satisfactory progress assessment is not required. Record details on a DOC. Procedure ends here

2

Considerations when assessing previous study undertaken at the same level

Contact Local Peer Support (LPS) for help with complex allowable time and satisfactory progress assessments.

Do not use the TCSIACT screen to determine current or prior qualification to payment, including when assessing allowable time or appeals. The TCSIACT screen is only used to support customer enquiries relating to Student Payment Reviews.

Startup Year Course

Do not include Startup Year Courses in allowable time assessments where the course is a stand-alone course.

New claims

Students are asked to provide previous study details in the online claim. These details can be used to determine the remaining allowable time to complete the course. View the study details in the Claim Overview in Process Direct.

Where the student has not reached their allowable time, but indicates they will continue to study beyond their allowable time end date:

  • code an Allowable Time End Date on the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen
  • where appropriate, request a transcript after assessing and finalising the claim

Requesting transcripts

If considering requesting a transcript, attempt to call the customer to gather verbal information to make a reasonable assessment for allowable time/aggregation of study. See Requesting information (CLK).

Before requesting academic transcripts, consider whether the:

  • student cannot explain their previous study
  • previous study assessment is complex
  • online claim does not include enough study details
  • customer studied part-time in their current course and an assessment is required for the remaining allowable time for their current course. This is only required if the customer will not complete the course within the normal allowable time

Can the student’s allowable time be assessed now and transcripts requested after finalising the transaction?

3

Assessment of previous study undertaken at the same level

When assessing the amount of time spent studying at the same tertiary level as the current course, consider the following:

  • Students are considered to have undertaken 100% of the study load for a study period or year if they studied at least 75% (or 66% if concession was granted) of the normal amount of full-time study including where a customer overloads their study load. For example, if a customer undertook 125% of the normal full-time workload in a year, it is counted as 100% (1.0) of the workload
  • Part-time study is calculated based on the percentage of a year's full-time study
  • Where study load aggregation has been applied to satisfy full-time study requirements, all study periods included in the aggregation assessment are counted as full-time
  • Non-compulsory study periods are included
  • Completed courses are counted as the lesser of:
    • the normal length of the course (minimum time), or
    • the time it took to complete the course

Go to Step 4

4

Calculating and disregarding previous study

To calculate the customer's previous study at the same level:

  • divide the previous study into its academic periods (for example, semesters, years)
  • disregard study not to be used in the assessment
  • assess each period to determine the percentage of a full year it represents, include any study load concessions (25% or 66%) applied for previous study. Care needs to be taken when the student is granted a 25% study load concession for current study or was granted a concession for any previous study
  • add all the individual study periods together to get the total amount of full-time study the student has undertaken by using the study periods' percentages. For example, the student has studied part-time for 3 semesters (each semester is 25% of a full year study load) and one semester full-time (50% of the full year). In total they have studied 125% of a full year's study load which is equivalent to one and a quarter years of full-time study

See the Resources page for scenarios.

Go to Step 5.

5

Compare previous study with allowable time of current course

To determine the allowable time for the student's current course, see Determining allowable time/reasonable time for a course of study, then return to this process.

Go to Step 6.

6

Determine satisfactory progress

A determination of the student's progress can be made using any of the following dates:

  • the day the student enrols (or re-enrols) in their course
  • the first day of the next study period, or
  • the date the student's enrolment changes

Customers that have exceeded their allowable time on one of these assessment dates are only eligible for Austudy until the day before the assessment date. For example, where the satisfactory progress assessment shows the customer has exceeded their allowable time on the first day of the next study period, the customer can be paid Austudy up to the day before the study period start date.

Compare the amount of the customer's previous study at the same level (determined in Step 4) with the allowable time for their current course (determined in Step 5). If the student's total previous study at the same level is:

7

Not making satisfactory progress

The student has already exceeded their allowable time. Austudy cannot be paid for any further study at this level. Select appropriate option below:

New claims

Reject the claim ATR - Allowable Time Reached if the customer has exceeded their allowable time before any of the following dates:

  • date of claim
  • student start date, or
  • course start date

See Table 2.

Currently receiving Austudy

Code the Allowable Time End Date on the Education Details (EDC) screen using the date the customer has exceeded or will exceed their allowable time. This will:

  • Suspend (SUS) the payment Allowable Time Reached (SUS/ATR) from the Allowable Time End Date + 1
  • cancel Austudy after 13 weeks If the payment is not restored

Does the customer want to test their eligibility for another income support payment?

8

Customer wants to test eligibility for another income support payment

If the customer requires further financial assistance:

If the customer wants to test their eligibility for JobSeeker Payment (JSP) and Austudy is still SUS/ATR, additional coding is required. On the:

  • Newstart Education Status (NES) screen, key:
    • Event Date: date the payment was suspended ATR
    • Student Status: Not a student (NST)
    • Education Level Attained: the highest qualification attained
    • Year12/Equiv Verified: Not Verified (NVE), or leave the current verification status if previously coded
  • EDC screen, update the Student End Date to match the Allowable Time End Date
  • Benefit Action (BA) screen, cancel Austudy:
    • Date of effect: matching the date Austudy is SUS/ATR
    • Reason: ATR

For coding instructions, see Cancellation of Austudy or Youth Allowance (YA) students and Australian Apprentices.

Go to Step 10.

9

Making satisfactory progress

The student is making satisfactory progress as the total previous study is less than or equal to the allowable time.

If payment has been suspended Allowable Time Reached (ATR) and the satisfactory progress assessment shows that the customer remains entitled, restore the payment.

Will the student reach their Allowable Time End Date on or before reaching their current course or student end date?

10

Advise the customer of their allowable time

When updates to the customer's record are complete, advise the customer of their allowable time to complete their current course.

Note: if the activity has been selected for QMA, do not issue the Q999. Record details on a DOC to advise the letter will be required once the QMA activity is completed. Quality Management Officers (QMO) undertaking this update as part of a QMA must complete the Generic Letter update once the activity is finalised.

Send a Q999 letter to the customer and, if applicable, to their correspondence nominee.

Select system option below:

Process Direct:
  • Create a Q999 letter using the Manual Letters workflow
  • After keying Q999 in the Letter code field, select STU - Students from the Business line field
  • In the Letter description field select relevant AUS Allowable Time
  • Select Next
  • Delete the populated text in the free text paragraph boxes A to E
  • See the Resources page for approved text to be added to the Q999 letter
  • Copy all of the approved text, including the information in [brackets], and paste it into the Q999 letter
  • Replace the text {***ALLOWABLE END DATE***} with the Allowable Time End Date recorded on the EDC screen, in the format DD MONTH YEAR. For example, 30 November 2023
  • Replace the text {***ALLOWABLE END DATE*** + 1 Day} with the Allowable Time End Date +1 Day. for example, 1 December 2023
  • Select central printing

Go to Step 11.

Customer First:
  • Go to Workspace
  • Go to Guided Procedures
  • Select the Generic Letter guided procedure
  • Letter Type: select Q999
  • Business Line: select Students
  • Letter Description: select AUS allowable time
  • Delete the populated text
  • See the Resources page for approved text to be added to the Guided Procedure
  • Copy all of the approved text, including the information in [brackets], and paste it into the Guided Procedure
  • Replace the text {***ALLOWABLE END DATE***} with the Allowable Time End Date recorded on the EDC screen, in the format DD MONTH YEAR. For example, 30 November 2023
  • Replace the text {***ALLOWABLE END DATE*** + 1 Day} with the Allowable Time End Date +1 Day. for example, 1 December 2023
  • Create DOC: select Completed
  • Finalise Letter: select Yes
  • Print: select Central
  • Select Finish to complete the process

Go to Step 11.

11

Record decision

Use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > Update > Allowable Time Assessment.

The DOC must include:

  • the name, academic level and allowable time of the student's current course
  • a detailed summary of each study period for the student's previous study (including all other levels of study if this is available - although it will not be counted in this assessment it may be useful if the customer applies for another course under another payment)
  • details of any study that has been disregarded and the reasons for disregarding the study
  • the total amount of the previous study included in the assessment
  • the period of payability (if any) that remains

Procedure ends here.


Rejecting Austudy student claims Allowable Time Reached

Table 2: this table outlines the process to reject an Austudy claim when the student has reached their allowable time. For Service Officers trained in students only.

Expand table

Step

Action

1

Rejecting the claim ATR

Austudy cannot be paid for any further study at the same level when the student has exceeded their allowable time.

Reject the claim Allowable Time Reached (ATR)

Code the Allowable Time End Date on the Education Details History (EDC) screen for a student:

  • starting a new course as the day before the Course Start Date
  • continuing study as the day before the start of the next study period after the customer has exceeded their allowance time

Note: the error E949NS - Allowable Time can't be before Inst Course Start Date occurs if the Allowable Time End Date is before the Course Start Date.

Does the error E949NS - Allowable Time can't be before Inst Course Start Date display?

2

Allowable Time End Date specialised coding

Check if the customer:

  • has exceeded the allowable time at the date of claim submission
  • is a continuing student
  • is commencing a new course, and
  • has lodged their claim prior to the course start date

Do all of the above apply to the customer?

  • Yes, go to Step 3
  • No, on the EDC screen key:
    • Course Start Date: one day before the actual course start date
    • Allowable Time End Date: one day before the actual course start date
    • Select Save
    • Go to Step 4

3

Claim is not correctly rejecting ATR

On the EDC screen, key:

  • Course Start Date: one day before the Participation Status Event Date (PSED)
  • Allowable Time End Date: one day before the PSED
  • Select Save

Go to Step 4.

4

Finalising the claim

Once all details have been updated the system will automatically reject the claim:

  • On the Errors (SWE) screen, the Message Log displays any errors. All errors must be addressed before finalising the activity. For help, see Using Digital Assistant Roxy in Process Direct
  • Select Assess, check the outcome is correct on the ELD screen
  • Select Finish
  • Record details in the finalisation DOC
  • Select Finalise

If the claim has not auto generated a DOC (for an abridged claim or where the claim is both granted and cancelled in the same activity), create a DOC. See Online Document Recording (ODR).

5

Record the allowable time decision

Record the allowable time assessment decision on a Display on Access (DOA) DOC.

Use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > Update > Allowable Time Assessment.

The DOC must include:

  • the name, academic level and allowable time of the current course
  • a detailed summary of each study period for the student's previous study (including all other levels of study if this is available - although it will not be counted in this assessment it may be useful if the customer applies for another course under another payment)
  • details of any study that has been disregarded and the reasons for disregarding the study
  • the total amount of previous study included in the assessment

Procedure ends here