ABSTUDY Additional Incidentals Allowance 010-02050090

The student must:

• meet the eligibility criteria for one of the following ABSTUDY Awards:
• Tertiary Award
• Masters and Doctorate Award
• commence in the course, and
• incur essential course costs that exceed the Additional Incidentals prescribed amount
• have already purchased half of the total costs being claimed

ABSTUDY students currently receiving Incidentals Allowance under the Tertiary or Masters and Doctorate Award who require financial assistance with additional essential costs for their course, can apply for Additional Incidentals Allowance.

Note: ABSTUDY students will be found not eligible for ABSTUDY Additional Incidentals Allowance if they have only supplied quotes. Half of the total claim costs must be purchased by the student before a claim can be lodged.

The student must:

• lodge an ABSTUDY Additional Incidentals Allowance Claim Form M (SY031)
• detail the cost of each item of essential course costs (including necessary items that have not yet been purchased)
• provide proof of expenditure (for example, receipts) that covers the bulk of essential course costs
  Students must keep receipts for all their course expenditure so Services Australia can assess their entitlement for Additional Incidentals Allowance
  Receipts must show:
• the business name
• each item purchased
• date and
• amount of each item
• provide a quote for items being claimed that are yet to be purchased
  Quotes must show:
• the name of the business
• the date the quote was supplied
• a description of the items

The Head of School/Faculty must sign the declaration on the claim form (SY031) to verify that the incidentals being claimed are an essential requirement for all students undertaking the course.

There is no limit on the number of Additional Incidentals Allowance claims a student can make for a course (or courses) in a year. However, the total payment of Additional Incidentals Allowance payment cannot exceed the maximum per calendar year.

A customer who undertakes more than one course in a year can qualify for Additional Incidentals Allowance for each course, however the student's essential course costs must exceed the relevant Additional Incidentals prescribed amount for each course, prior to the student qualifying for payment of an amount of Additional Incidentals Allowance.

The payment is the difference between the cost of the essential course costs/items and the Additional Incidentals prescribed amount, where the essential course costs/items are greater. The amount payable is up to a maximum of $2,080.00. See the Resources page on Assessing Form m (SY031) for ABSTUDY Additional Incidentals Allowance Claim for examples of how to complete calculations.

Additional Incidentals Allowance:

• is paid directly to the customer
• is not means tested and is non-taxable