Student studying outside Australia 102-07020170

Alice

Alice is receiving Parenting Payment and will be starting an approved unit of study that forms part of a course in Japan on 1 February. Alice plans to leave Australia on 1 January to travel around Asia before starting these studies.

Alice's PP is portable for holiday purposes from 1 January to 31 January as the total holiday period before study is less than 6 weeks. The payment is then portable for an approved study period from 1 February. There is no break in entitlement.

Jordan

Jordan, who is receiving Parenting Payment, will be starting study overseas on 1 May. Jordan also wants to have a holiday overseas before starting study and leaves Australia on 1 January.

Jordan's general portability period will cease after 6 weeks on 12 February and payment will stop. Jordan's PP can be restored with a break in entitlement and continue to be paid from 1 May for the duration of the approved study period.

Phil

Phil is studying an Australian course full time and is receiving Disability Support Pension (DSP). As part of this course, Phil is required to complete a unit lasting five weeks in Thailand from 6 September to 10 October. Once the course is complete, Phil will travel in Asia for a further 2 weeks. Phil is leaving Australia on 31 August to travel direct to Thailand and get accommodation set up before classes commence. This is considered additional travel time and included in the OFS approved period.

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 6 days prior to the course start date can be included in the approved portability period; however, as Phil 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.

Phil's DSP is payable for the period up to the end of the overseas study. The Service Officer would code RSCD using:

• Event date: 31 August
• Country: TH
• Reason: OFS
• End date: 10 October

A further line has to be recorded:

• Event date: Phil's return to Australia date 24 October
• Country: Australia

DSP will continue to be payable until 10 October (the entire absence payable under the approved overseas study provision) but if Phil does not return on this date, payment will cease as the total period of absence is more than 4 weeks in a rolling 12 month period and Phil no longer has an approved portability reason.

Alex

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 USA from 1 August. Once the course is completed, Alex will remain in the US for a further three 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 must 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 unknown, this 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.

Madeline

Madeline is receiving Parenting Payment (PP), is a full-time student and is required to complete 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.

Make a separate decision for each period of study to determine it meets the requirements for approved study.

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

A PP student can utilise 6 weeks general portability provisions and could be restored with a break in entitlement if the second period of study is approved.

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

No additional travel time is allowed where a student is having a holiday between courses.

Sam

Sam is a full-time university student, receiving Austudy. 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 has to be recorded:

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

A further line has to be recorded:

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

Sam's Austudy 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.

Carl

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

It is a requirement of the Australian course Carl remains 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, record this 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.