Relocation Scholarship (RS) payment and coding 010-07030010
This document outlines the process for payment and coding of the Relocation Scholarship (RS).
On this page:
Checking that RS payment is paid at the correct amount
Payment and coding of RS
Table 1
Step |
Action |
1 |
Payment of RS + Read more ... The RS will be paid automatically to qualifying students based on the information coded on the following screens:
RS for YA students granted the away from home rate pending proof of independence If it was determined when assessing eligibility that the customer cannot receive RS as they have only been granted the dependent away from home rate pending proof of independence, an override is required to prevent payment of RS. Go to Table 2, Step 4. RS for students lodging a claim via the ABSTUDY Claiming Tool (ACT) Eligibility for RS is determined by ensuring all independence questions are completed as a part of the new claim process within the ABSTUDY Claiming Tool (ACT). The ACT will only pre-populate the latest current independence details directly from the student record and may not reflect all of the student's independent circumstances, which is used to determine RS eligibility. Once an RS qualifying independence reason is selected, the ACT will gather the 'Family Home' address required to assess the correct rate of RS
|
2 |
Date of payment of RS + Read more ... For newly qualified students:
For continuing students (students whose start date is before the current period) who do not need to provide verification of study location their RS payment will be issued on their first normal payday after 21 February each year, to coincide with the start of the traditional higher education study year. RS payments to continuing students who have provided campus verification as requested prior to their RS qualification dates are triggered by a batch reassessment on the default study start date. If verification of study location was required and is provided after the default study start date, the RS payment depends on whether the student has been studying for 35 days. If they have, then the payment is issued the following day otherwise the day after they complete 35 days of study. All students who receive the Verification of Campus form (SY101) will have a review (RS1). This review is set to mature 29 days prior to 21 February each year. Upon maturity of this review and, where no verification had been received, the system will create a second review (RS2) to mature in 6 months. Students will need to provide verification before the end of the second review to remain eligible for RS for that calendar year. Records for students receiving:
|
3 |
Amounts of RS + Read more ... The higher rate is paid to students who have not previously received a RS or a RS precluding payment and they do not have a previous RS qualifying year(s). The higher rate can be paid to students who have had a previous RS qualifying year(s) but only if when they first met the conditions of a RS qualifying year(s) is less than 6 months prior to the current RS qualification date. The regional rate is paid to students who only have one or two previous years where:
The lower rate is paid to students who do not qualify for the regional rate because:
These students are eligible for the higher rate in the first year if they have not had a previous RS qualifying year payment. Students who are entitled to the 'regional rate' of RS will only be paid this rate in the second and third year of study. These students will be paid the 'lower rate' in the fourth and subsequent years of study. See Rates and thresholds for the current amounts that are indexed each year. See the Resources page for calculation tables to determine the RS payment entitlement for a student. |
4 |
Verification of study location + Read more ... Students whose RS family home is in an Australian major city location when commencing the course of study, only qualify for RS if their study location is classified as being in a non-major Australian city location. In these circumstances, students must provide verification that they are not studying in an Australian major city location using the Verification of Campus form (SY101). For students studying overseas, verification can be obtained from the documents provided by the student for their portability assessment. The necessary coding is the same as that for verification provided on the SY101. Part A of the form must be completed by the student; Part B must be completed, signed and stamped by an authorised employee of the provider where the student is studying. The completed form must be returned to Centrelink. Students whose RS family home is not in a major city are not required to provide verification to receive RS. Has the SY101 been returned by the customer?
|
5 |
SY101 been returned by the customer + Read more ... Check the education provider on the form matches the details on the EDC screen. If the form information:
The coding will trigger issuing of RS on the relevant day based on:
|
6 |
SY101 not returned by the customer + Read more ... Update the VER field on the RLD screen to CVR (campus verification required). This should trigger the auto release of SY101. Note: if this process is applied and the SY101 is not automatically issued to the customer:
|
7 |
Regional Location Details (RLD) screen + Read more ... The RLD screen is used to obtain the regional classification of the student's RS family home and study location to determine the student's:
See Relocation Scholarship (RS) eligibility. The fields on the RLD screen (Steps 6 to 9) must be updated for Youth Allowance (student) and ABSTUDY Living Allowance students undertaking an approved scholarship course. |
8 |
RLD screen - Event Date + Read more ...
Note: Coding of an event date in the future is generally not recommended. This is because a change of circumstance, for example a change of address, may occur and be automatically updated through online services with an event date prior to any future date coding. As a result, the system would not correctly assess the latest change of circumstances. Some online services will automatically code the date the service was used, or a 1 January date. This is acceptable for QOL or QMA purposes. If granting the away from home rate in the future or a course of study commences in the future, the event date is the date of assessment not the future date. The system will refer to the latest RLD entry at the time the away from home rate or course commences to determine RS entitlement. |
9 |
RLD screen - Address + Read more ... Address Reason If the address is being recorded to determine eligibility for RS:
When processing a new claim for a student who has not provided a family home address but otherwise may be eligible for RS, the Address Reason field is auto-populated with CMP (Regional Campus Detail). To code RSD or RSI, both the family home address and details of at least one campus must be present. The Service Officer needs to request family home details from the student before coding RSD or RSI. The Address Reason field also has SSI as a selectable option, however this is not used for RS assessment purposes. This option applies to Assessing Independence for full time or concessional study load students from regional and remote areas under the self-supporting through employment criterion. Year Code the calendar year for which Relocation Scholarship is being assessed. Address Date Enter the applicable date for the Address Reason. If the Address Reason is:
Address Address details are dependent on Address Reason field:
Overseas RS family home: Where it is determined that the RS family home is located overseas the full overseas address is not required to be obtained or entered. 'Overseas' can be entered into the Country field on the RLD screen. If the RS family home was overseas at the time of course commencement additional coding is required in the Campus field to ensure the system assesses the student as being qualified for RS. Further information is provided below in Overseas RS Family Home Campus Coding Requirements. Online Services/Express Plus Apps: Services that collect the RS family home information (Update Family Home Address, Update Study Details, Digital Study Load Declaration and Advise Parental Income) will attempt to automatically load information declared by the student or parent.
Online claims: If an RS family home address is not displayed in the claim summary information, this suggests that the student has answered No to claim question 'Is your family home located in Australia?', 'Overseas' or 'OS' can be entered into the Address Country Code field in Process Direct via 'Regional Location Details (RLD)'. Information provided in a claim or online and subsequently automatically data loaded may be inaccurate or incorrect. To help determine the RS family home location details required for an RS assessment, a check of the student's record and/or parent(s) details is also recommended. Check:
|
10 |
RLD screen - regional classification, provider and campus + Read more ... Regional classification This is populated by the system based on the details entered in the Address fields and the Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS):
Where the campus location is overseas, it is treated as a regional Australian campus. The regional rate will apply if the student's family home is not in a major city area within Australia. Provider This field will be pre-populated with provider details from the EDC screen. For Campus Codes, see National Course Approvals – Codes Search – Educational Institution Summary. Campus 1 This field is mandatory for a student whose RS family home address is in an Australian major city location and who wishes to receive RS on the grounds that they are either:
Campus 2 If the student is attending more than one campus or location, the Campus 2 field must also be completed. The entry in this field must be a valid campus for the Provider, a university-recognised regional placement/practical, or for approved overseas study. The entry can be either:
The regional classification of the campus location will be determined from what is entered. |
11 |
Overseas RS family home campus coding requirements + Read more ... Where the RS family home was located overseas at the time of course commencement there is a requirement to enter 'regional placement' in the Campus 1 field. This will assess the student as being qualified for RS. This will also ensure the student is not paid the regional rate in relevant subsequent years. Overseas campus coding Campus coding of 'overseas' will result in campus being treated as a regional area and can result in student being qualified to receive RS (this is a different qualification assessment to assessing the RS family home location at the time of course commencement). If the student qualifies as a result of studying overseas it is important to code another RLD screen entry with a future date of event (end date of Customer Advised Travel Details (RSCD) screen 'OFS' coding + 1 day) with the campus details they will study at when they return to Australia. Code the subsequent line in a separate activity. This ensures the 'overseas' coding will not remain indefinitely and the student is not overpaid. |
12 |
Campus Location coding requirements on RLD screen + Read more ... Ver (Verified field) The campus verification field must be completed for students whose RS family home is classified as being in an Australian major city location and:
If the:
If the SY101 shows the study location is in Australia and in a major city location the customer is not eligible for RS and the Ver field should be coded with CNR (campus verification is not required). Procedure ends here. The Ver field will default to CNR (campus verification not required) if:
Ver field will automatically default to CNP if no verification of campus is received 6 months after 21 February each year. RS will not be paid for students whose RS family home address is in Australia and in a major city location and studying at a regional campus, until CLV is coded in the Ver field. Action field Enter an 'I' to insert a new page. If the customer's address does not generate a Regional Classification, it may be necessary to enter details in the Latitude and Longitude fields. If existing information is available on the RLD screen, they are copied over to the new screen each time an Insert is done. Changed fields only are to be overwritten. |
13 |
Continuing students who return home during vacations + Read more ... Where the student does not maintain their term residence over the vacation period:
Where the student does maintain their term residence over the vacation period, no change to the away from home rate is required. Reinstating away from home rate Care must be taken when reinstating the away from home rate after a vacation period to ensure that the student does not incorrectly receive the higher rate or regional rate of RS when they are only qualified for the lower rate. Because of the break in the away from home rate on the Independent/Homeless/Away from Home Details (NIH) screen, the system may read the reinstatement of the away from home rate as a new grant of away from home and may attempt to pay the higher rate or regional rate of RS when only the lower rate is payable. See the Checking that RS payment is paid at the correct amount table information about manual coding to override incorrect RS rates, and Resources for examples of ensuring the correct rate of RS when reinstating the away from home rate. |
Checking that RS payment is paid at the correct amount
Table 2
Step |
Action |
1 |
Amount of RS issued by the system + Read more ... Has the system issued the correct amount? Yes, go to Step 3 No,
|
2 |
Manual override of incorrect RS payment + Read more ... If the system issues the incorrect amount, manually change the amount on the One Off Payment (OOP) screen. To amend the rate of RS (March 2023 figures used in this example): Process Direct:
Customer First:
|
3 |
Within a new claim (NCL) activity where a warning occurs + Read more ... If the following warning occurs 'E054D - Customer must be CUR on ABY, YAL or AUS - Student must be receipt of ABY, YAL or AUS to be granted a Relocation Scholarship', an override must be performed within the NCL activity.
|
4 |
RS to a non-qualified student + Read more ... If the system has or will incorrectly issue the RS to a non-qualified student:
Has this action resulted in an overpayment?
|
5 |
Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (CAS) + Read more ... Has the student received a CAS in the 12 months immediately before the date they qualify for an RS?, or Was the student qualified for a CAS during that period but did not receive it only because their CAS was suspended? For example, due to the student failing to meet CAS performance requirements in a preceding period. CAS takes precedence over RS. This means that if a person receives a CAS and an RS in relation to the same period, the RS is a debt.
|
6 |
Overpayment of RS + Read more ... An overpayment must be raised if a student receives an RS and subsequently ceases to be qualified for the RS. Usually, the whole amount of the RS is raised as an overpayment. However, if the student receives a higher rate of RS but was only eligible for the regional or lower rate of RS (or if they received the regional rate and were only eligible for the lower rate), the overpayment is the difference between the 2 amounts. See Scenario 3 in the Manual adjustments to system issued RS payments table on the Resources page. When an RS debt is raised A debt may be raised for the whole amount of RS paid for a time when:
This is not a full list of RS debt reasons. |
7 |
System raises debt + Read more ... Overpayments may also be raised by the system based on coding on the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen in Process Direct or the Education Course Details (EDC) screen in Customer First, and (where applicable) the default study start date. The student end date is compared with the student start date to determine whether the student is studying in an approved scholarship course on day 35 from qualification date in the period. All students with a student start date in the same scholarship period (for example, same semester, same year etc.) will have their overpayment calculated automatically by the system. For continuing students a default study start date will be automatically provided to ensure scholarship payments are generated during each scholarship period. When updating a study end date, the system may determine a particular student is eligible for a scholarship payment based on this default study start date. This is not an accurate reflection on the actual start date for the student in any ongoing semester/study period. If an overpayment has been identified, Service Officers must raise a debt by updating the Higher Education Scholarship (HES) screen accordingly. If it is identified that a debt should not have been raised, the record should be documented clearly for the teams managing these debts to be aware of the circumstances and investigate accordingly. If the system has incorrectly raised an RS debt to a qualified student, to ensure the duplicate payment is not issued for the same scholarship period at a later date:
These students must have re-commenced studies in the new year/semester and be studying in an approved scholarship course on day 35 from scholarship qualification date to remain eligible for the RS payment. If they are not studying on day 35 and the system does not automatically raise the RS as an overpayment, manually raise the RS payment as an overpayment. The system's reliance on a default study start date for continuing students may result in an incorrect payment (overpayment or underpayment) when a new course end date is coded. This may happen if the student's actual provider start date for the relevant scholarship period is different from the default study start date. |
8 |
Start date check required + Read more ... RS overpayment: If an RS overpayment is created by the system based on a default study start date, Service Officers must check the student's actual start date and determine whether study is undertaken in an approved scholarship course on day 35 after this date before raising the debt. Coding course end date: When coding a course end date, Service Officers must also check the actual start date for the student even if there are 35 days between the default study start date and the end date. If the student's actual start date was later than the default study start date, there may not be 35 days before the end date, and a manual overpayment will need to be raised. |
9 |
RS payment not displaying + Read more ... RS may not appear on the Assessment Results (AR) screen within an activity. Check the Future Activity List (FAL) screen to see if the RS payment will be made in the near future. If so, the FAL activity will mature when it is due and pay RS if the student meets all the qualification criteria at that time. Otherwise, a new FAL activity will be created for the student's next Entitlement Period End Day (EPED) to determine eligibility. If no FAL activity, check that coding outlined in Step 1 of the Payment and coding of RS table was correctly performed. If the coding was correct, the record may need to be reassessed to generate payment. Go to the Benefit Action (BA) screen:
If the reassessment activity does not trigger payment of RS and coding on all the other screens as outlined in Step 1 of the Payment and coding of RS table are correct:
|