Coding for approved Overseas Full Time Study (OFS) payments 061-18020100

Scenario

Description

1

Student taking a holiday before starting study overseas

Johnny who is receiving Youth Allowance (YA) will be starting study overseas on 1 May. Johnny also wants to have a holiday overseas before starting study and leaves Australia on 1 March.

Johnny's YA will stop on 1 March. As long as Johnny remains qualified for YA while outside Australia the YA can be restored and continue to be paid from 1 May for the duration of the approved study.

Note: no additional travel time is added to the beginning of the approved overseas study period, as all travel prior to commencing study is deemed as a holiday. The end date of the approved study period will be decided based on the evidence provided for study and travel dates.

The Service Officer should record on RSCD:

• a line with departure date of 1 March as the event date, no reason is required
• a further line with study commencement date of 1 May as the event date, reason OFS and end date as per evidence provided
• a further line with Johnny’s return to Australia date as the event date and Australia as the country, if known. If this is not known, this further coding is not required

2

Student taking a holiday following study overseas

Alex is receiving YA and studying an Australian course full time. As part of this course Alex is required to complete a unit lasting 10 weeks in the United States of America (USA) from 1 August. Once the course is completed, Alex will remain in the USA for a further 3 weeks to tour the local area. Alex is leaving Australia on 29 July.

Generally it is reasonable to allow a period of additional travel time either before and/or after the study period to travel and set up or pack up. The 3 days prior to the course start date can be included in the approved portability period, however as Alex is having a holiday after the course there is no allowance for additional travel time. In this case the start date of approved portability is the departure date.

Alex's YA is payable for the full time the unit of study is being completed in the USA which ends on 10 October.

The Service Officer should record on RSCD:

• A line with departure date 29 July as the event date, reason OFS and end date 10 October
• A further line with Alex's return to Australia date (if known) as the event date and Australia as the country. If this is not known, this further coding is not required

YA will stop on 11 October, but should be automatically restored when Alex returns to Australia as long as Alex remained otherwise qualified for payment.

3

Student taking a holiday before and after overseas study period

Sam

Sam is receiving Austudy (AUS) and is a full-time university student. Sam has been approved for overseas full-time study in France from 30 June to 30 November. Sam is leaving Australia on 15 June to travel via Asia and returning 24 December after holidaying with relatives in Germany.

Generally it is reasonable to allow a period of additional travel time either before and/or after the study period to set up or pack up, however as Sam is holidaying both before and after the approved study period this is not appropriate.

The Service Officer would code RSCD:

• Event Date: 15 June
• Country: XT
• Reason: blank
• End date: blank

A further line then needs to be recorded:

• Event Date: 30 June
• Country: France
• Reason: OFS
• End date: 30 November

A further line then needs to be recorded:

• Event Date: Sam’s return to Australia date 24 December
• Country: Australia

Sam’s AUS will suspend on departure and will automatically restore when the approved portability period commences on 30 June. Sam will be paid for the period of approved portability and will suspend when the study ends on 30 November. Provided Sam returns to Australia within 13 weeks of the suspension, payment can be restored.

4

Student taking a holiday between study in two countries

Madeline is receiving Youth Allowance (YA), is a full time student and is completing 2 semesters overseas as part of a course. Madeline will be studying during the first semester in France from 1 March to 15 June and the second semester in Switzerland from 15 August to 1 December.

Where a customer completes a period of approved study in one country, travels to another country and there undertakes another period of approved study then payment for the intervening holiday period cannot be made under overseas study provisions.

This is because, although they are qualified for payment (assuming they remain enrolled in Australia as a full-time student), SSA 1991 section 1218 allows for payment overseas only for the duration of an approved overseas course that counts toward their Australian qualification. The break described in this example is not a "semester break" - the 2 overseas courses are separate courses.

The study of 2 different units in 2 different countries does not constitute a semester break.

Separate decisions will need to be made for each semester of study in each country. Madeline could be approved for each and be paid with a break in entitlement. No additional travel time is allowed where a student is having a holiday between courses.

5

Student leaves Australia as a requirement of the current course and additional travel time

Carl is receiving YA as a student and has provided a statement from the Australian institution stating that Carl is leaving Australia on 16 February for 2 semesters in the United States of America (USA).

It is a requirement of the Australian course that Carl will remain enrolled with the Australian institution while overseas and will maintain a qualifying study workload. The course work completed overseas will be credited towards the Australian course and Carl will continue in the course on return to Australia. Carl's course in the USA starts on 20 February and the last lecture in the USA is on 15 November.

Carl's YA is portable for the duration of the course in the USA. The approved study period may include additional travel time to allow Carl to prepare for the study and/or to finalise affairs and return to Australia.

Carl is travelling 4 days before the course start date which will be included in the approved study period. The end date of the approved study period will depend on what date Carl has advised for return to Australia. If no date has been provided, the end date will be the study end date of 15 November. If Carl has advised any date up to November 21 this can be recorded as the end date of the approved study period.

If Carl is returning after November 21 this would be in excess of the total allowable 10 days and be considered a holiday. The end date in this instance would be November 15, the last day of study.

6

Continuing student claims early while in Australia before commencing overseas study

Andrew has submitted a claim for YA as a student. Andrew is 21 years old and has been studying full-time for 18 months but could not be paid YA until turning 22 due to the Parental Income Test. Andrew will continue full-time study next semester at a campus in Japan. The course starts on 15 February, ends on 5 August and will count towards a degree at the University of NSW. Andrew will turn 22 on 28 April.

Andrew's YA can be paid from the 22nd birthday (28 April) and for the remaining duration of the studies in Japan. Overseas study provisions can be applied to a continuing student who lodged a claim before leaving Australia.

7

New student claims early while in Australia before commencing overseas study

Jennifer has submitted a claim for YA as a student. Recently Jennifer took a study break, but will start full-time study next semester at a campus in Hong Kong. The course starts on 15 February, ends on 5 August and will count towards the degree at Sydney University. The course at Sydney University starts on 1 March.

Jennifer's YA cannot be paid during studies in Hong Kong because Jennifer is not qualified and payable as a student until the first day of the course, at which time Jennifer is not in Australia. Overseas study provisions do not apply unless the student was eligible to receive payment before leaving Australia.

Note: Jennifer's claim should be manually rejected and advice sent so that options can be reconsidered.

8

New student starts Australian course before starting overseas study

Dana recently stopped full-time work to start a Bachelor of Business degree at the University of Canberra. On Dana's claim for YA, lodged on 10 February, it advises Dana will be studying in Canada from 22 February as part of the Australian course and will be departing Australia on 16 February.

Semester one at the University of Canberra starts on 12 February for the course. As this is before Dana's departure date, the start date for YA can be deemed to be 12 February.

Dana's YA can be paid from 12 February and also while studying overseas because Dana is qualified for YA and payable prior to leaving Australia.