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Proof of enrolment (POE) in a course of study 010-07010170

This document outlines how to assess if a student needs to provide POE and acceptable documentation.

On this page:

When to request POE

Receipt of POE and coding

Payment suspended due to no POE

When to request POE

Table 1: portions of this process are performed by ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing staff only.

Step	Action
1	Determining when POE is required + Read more ... ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), and PES customers require proof of enrolment where they are enrolled in a: tertiary course at a TAFE or a private education provider secondary course at an education provider other than a secondary school. This includes university, TAFE or private education provider Startup Year Course Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC), Austudy and Youth Allowance (YA) (student) customers are not generally required to provide POE. However, POE can be requested if needed to confirm eligibility for payment. This could be if there is doubt about their enrolment status, as part of a student payment review or when the student is enrolled in a Startup Year Course. Before completing updates in the customer's record ensure the correct system is selected. For ABSTUDY, AIC and PES customers, code ISS in the Sys field, and in the Next field either: SVABY (ABSTUDY) SVAIC (AIC) SVPES (PES) Then press Enter. For YA and Austudy, code NSS in the Sys field and press Enter. If the: customer has now provided requested POE, see Table 2 > Step 1 customer's payment has been suspended for not providing POE, see Table 3 >Step 1 customer is: a secondary student or an AIC student, go to Step 2 any other student, go to Step 3
2	Student is in secondary school or an AIC student + Read more ... POE is not required for secondary school students at an approved secondary provider or AIC students. Note: some ABSTUDY secondary school students attending boarding schools/hostels are subject to a process called Payment on Advice. This is not the same as POE. It is a separate process used only to confirm a boarding student's commencement date. For further information, see First day of attendance for ABSTUDY secondary boarders. Go to the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen in Process Direct or the Education Course Details (EDC) screen in Customer First Code the Enrolment Verification field with VNR (Verification Not Required) or, for PES recipients code VER (Enrolment Verified) Only update other details on the EDC screen if required, see: Study updates and coding for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) students Coding ABSTUDY education details, or Coding new study details Record details on a Note/DOC Procedure ends here
3	Studying a tertiary course + Read more ... Is the student studying a tertiary course at university or a higher education provider? Yes, and the student is: studying at Open Universities Australia (OUA), go to Step 5 studying a Startup Year Course, see Startup Year Courses. Procedure ends here receiving YA or Austudy, studying a full-time course at any university (other than OUA), POE is not required unless there is doubt about the student's enrolment. If POE is to be requested, go to Step 8, otherwise procedure ends here receiving YA or Austudy, studying a part-time course at a full-time study load, go to Step 7 receiving ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY PES or PES, studying at any university other than OUA, POE is not required. Code the Enrolment Verification field on the EDC screen with VER (Enrolment Verified) see Coding ABSTUDY education details. Record details on a Note/DOC. Procedure ends here. studying at TAFE or a private education provider, go to Step 4 No, for: ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY PES or PES students studying secondary non schooling level course, including preparatory courses offered by a higher education provider, go to Step 6 all other payments and courses, go to Step 4
4	Student in a course at TAFE or a private education provider + Read more ... Is the student, in receipt of, or claiming: ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY PES or PES, go to Step 6 another payment, POE is not required unless there is doubt about the student’s enrolment. If POE is to be requested, go to Step 8, otherwise procedure ends here
5	Student is undertaking a course through OUA + Read more ... Where a student is undertaking study at OUA, they must nominate a single course of study. The course details are required to determine: if the student is making satisfactory progress in the course if the student's full-time study requirements are being met allowable time For information and coding for students studying at OUA, see Eligibility for student payments when enrolled in Open Universities Australia. Procedure ends here.
6	ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY PES or PES students + Read more ... If the student is in receipt of, or claiming ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY PES or PES, POE is required. Tell the student that payment can be approved however, they must provide POE within 14 days of the course start date. Where a new claim is not finalised until after the course start date, the customer has 14 days from the date the new claim is finalised Code the Enrolment Verification field on the EDC screen with VRR (Verification Required). This will cause the record to automatically suspend if POE has not been coded after 28 days from either: the study start date, or the date the new claim was finalised Once the EDC screen has been coded correctly, no manual intervention is required. The system will automatically suspend the payment Record details on a Note/DOC Procedure ends here.
7	YA or Austudy student studying part-time in an accelerated course + Read more ... Students enrolled in tertiary courses delivered as part-time, with: flexible study options (accelerated or otherwise) - as noted on the website or handbook, and who are deemed full-time, meet the student determination. No further evidence is required no flexible study options available on website or handbook, must provide evidence from the provider to confirm the provider considers the student to be meeting the requirements to be deemed full-time If the provider confirms the student is: full-time, the course meets the determination not full-time, regardless of study load/hours etc., the course does not meet the determination and the student is not eligible If POE is: required, go to Step 8 not required, procedure ends here
8	Request POE + Read more ... Where it has been determined that POE is required, see Requesting information (CLK). Procedure ends here until: POE is received, or Request for Information (RFI) falls due

Receipt of POE and coding

Table 2

Step	Action
1	Lodgement of POE + Read more ... POE can be: uploaded using Upload documents service lodged in person, or sent through the mail Either the original or a copy of the POE, including online versions, are acceptable. Depending on why a POE was requested a screenshot may be accepted. It must clearly show the customer's enrolment details, including the: institution name student's full name course details A date may also be required to confirm enrolment at a point in time. For example, TAP reviews. Where the customer has provided original documents, ensure these are scanned and the originals returned to the customer by Registered Post (if received by mail). When POE is received for: PES, ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY PES, go to Step 2 Austudy or YA, go to Step 3
2	POE received for PES, ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY PES + Read more ... In some cases, the POE will indicate that study details have changed, or the student is no longer undertaking qualifying study. For example, studying part-time or in an unapproved course. To determine if the customer remains entitled to payment and coding requirements, see: Changing or correcting course of study for Youth Allowance, Austudy and Pensioner Education Supplement students Changing or correcting course of study and/or educational provider for ABSTUDY students Changing study load from full-time to part-time or concessional study load for Youth Allowance (YA), Austudy or PES Decreasing study load for ABSTUDY or ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), or Study updates and coding for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) students Update the record. If the POE was requested for a claim or Change of Circumstance (CoC), make the updates within that activity: Correct the existing entry on the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen in Process Direct or the Education Course Details (EDC) screen in Customer First - change the code Enrolment Verification field from VRR (Verification Required) to VER (Verification Provided) Correct any other education details as required, see: Coding ABSTUDY education details, or Coding new study details Procedure ends here
3	POE received for Austudy or YA + Read more ... In some cases, the POE will indicate that study details have changed, or the student is no longer undertaking qualifying study, for example, studying part-time or in an unapproved course. To determine if the customer remains entitled to payment and coding requirements, see: Changing or correcting course of study for Youth Allowance, Austudy and Pensioner Education Supplement students Changing study load from full-time to part-time or concessional study load for Youth Allowance (YA), Austudy or PES Update the record. If the POE was requested for a claim or Change of Circumstance (CoC), make the updates within that activity Note: the Enrolment Verification field on the EDC screen does not need to be updated for Austudy or YA. Record details on a Note/DOC. Procedure ends here.

Payment suspended due to no POE

Table 3

Step	Action
1	Customer's payment suspended + Read more ... If customer has supplied POE within 13 weeks of suspension, go to Step 2 If customer has not supplied POE, go to Step 4
2	Check customer's study status + Read more ... If customer is still studying, go to Step 3 If customer advises they have now ceased studying, go to Step 6
3	Payment suspended, customer still studying and POE has been supplied + Read more ... Customers may contact due to payment suspension because POE was not provided within the required time frame. In some cases, the POE may have been lodged and be viewable via Documents in Process Direct, or Document Tools in Customer First, and has not yet been actioned. Note: for ABSTUDY see Restoration of ABSTUDY payments In these cases, check the Document List (DL) screen for a record of a reason payment has not yet been restored following receipt of the POE. For example, POE is unreadable or does not contain all required information. If there is: a reason that payment has not been restored, discuss it with the customer. If further information is required to establish eligibility, the payment may be restored if the information is lodged within 13 weeks of the date the customer was notified of the suspension. no reason why restoration has not occurred, and the POE is awaiting processing: if the POE or the customer has confirmed the course is different to the one coded on the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen in Process Direct or the Education Course Details (EDC) screen in Customer First, before proceeding, refer to: Changing or correcting course of study and/or educational provider for ABSTUDY students, or Changing or correcting course of study for Youth Allowance, Austudy and Pensioner Education Supplement students on the EDC screen, update the required fields, see: Coding new study details, or Coding ABSTUDY education details Restore payment, see: Restoration of Youth Allowance (YA) or Austudy for full-time students and Australian Apprentices Restoration of ABSTUDY payments, or Restoration of Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) and ABSTUDY PES advise the customer of their notification obligations for any change in circumstances and that if the information they have provided is incorrect, an overpayment may result (for example, customer is studying part-time but advised a full-time study load) if the details of the decision have not already been recorded, record details on a Note/DOC Procedure ends here.
4	Payment is suspended and POE not supplied + Read more ... If customer: is still studying, go to Step 5 ceased studying, end the current course of study, see: Payment of ABSTUDY when a student is deferring or discontinuing study before the end of the course Payment of Youth Allowance (YA) and Austudy when a student is deferring or discontinuing study before the end of the course Deferring or discontinuing study before end of course for Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) Procedure ends here.
5	Payment is suspended, customer still studying but POE has not been supplied + Read more ... Customers may contact due to payment suspension because POE was not provided within the required time frame. If POE is not on Documents in Process Direct or Document Tools in Customer First: Check the Document List (DL) screen for information about POE being provided. If there is none, advise the customer they must provide POE in order for payment to be restored Check the Education Providers ORG CRN to see if the POE has been lodged on the provider record Remind the customer they must do this within 13 weeks for their payment to be restored, see Restoration of payments (CLK) Record details on a Note/DOC. Procedure ends here.
6	Customer has supplied acceptable POE to confirm commencement and enrolment in the course, prior to the date they ceased + Read more ... If the suspension date is before the date the customer last studied, restore payment and update study details in the same activity. For restoration coding, see Restoration of payments (CLK). In the restoration activity, update study details, following: Payment of Youth Allowance (YA) and Austudy when a student is deferring or discontinuing study before the end of the course Payment of ABSTUDY when a student is deferring or discontinuing study before the end of the course, or Deferring or discontinuing study before end of course for Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) Procedure ends here.