Late commencement of course for ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), Austudy, PES, and Youth Allowance (YA) 106-05010120

To work out the correct start day for a student, staff must take into account the actual date the student started classes.

Note: this procedure is not applicable for Australian Apprentice customers.

Services Australia will not regard a student as starting late if they start full-time or concessional study-load study in the approved course within the first 3 weeks of classes. That is, by the Friday of the third week of the term or semester.

If they 'started' full-time study on the Friday, regardless as to what time they started on the day, the agency considers this as being the first day of attendance.

If they start late (i.e. after the Friday of the third week), Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES entitlement will start from the date they started full-time or concessional study-load study in the approved course, and meet closing date requirements if applicable. This is, unless they started late because of circumstances beyond their control.

YA, Austudy and PES customers must start their studies by the second Friday after the relevant education provider course start date.

If they start late, (i.e. after the Friday of the second week of the study period), Services Australia will not consider them to have undertaken full-time study until the date they start full-time study in the approved course unless they started late because of circumstances beyond their control.

The start day for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme payments (including AIC PES) has some differences.