ABSTUDY School Fees Allowance (SFA) at home rate (Group 1) 010-02050100

Is there a 'School Fees Allowance NOT paid in 20XX' MFU on the student's record?

• Yes, go to Step 7
• No, go to Step 2

Note: students turning 16 years before Term 1 starts are eligible for SFA (Group 1), even if they were not in receipt of Schooling A Award when they started school. See the Resources page for an example.

Does, or did, the student meet the Schooling A Award criteria?

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No:
  • Tell the student they are not eligible for SFA at the at home rate (Group 1)
  • Encourage the customer to test their eligibility
  • Record details on a DOC
  • Procedure ends here

The applicant or applicant's partner must meet one of the following:

• qualifies for one of the prescribed forms of Commonwealth Government assistance
• is taken to be receiving their income support payment during an employment income nil rate period
• is the holder of a current Low Income Health Care Card (LIC) or an automatic issue Health Care Card (HCC). This includes an HCC issued due to receiving maximum rate Family Tax Benefit (FTB) Part A or an extension HCC

The applicant does not meet the criteria:

• for a period after the expiry date on the card
• if they hold an HCC because they receive a Mobility Allowance (MOB) or Carer Allowance (CA) (in respect of a disabled child)
• if the concession card is a:
  • Foster Child HCC (FST) issued due to another child in their care (not the ABSTUDY student)
  • Pensioner Concession Card (PCC) or a Commonwealth Seniors Health Card (CSHC) and the card holder no longer receives an income support payment

Do, or did, any of the above criteria apply to the applicant or applicant's partner on any day between 1 January and 31 December in the year of the claim?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No:
  • Tell the applicant the student is not eligible for SFA (Group 1)
  • Record details on a DOC
  • Procedure ends here

Entitlement to SFA (Group 1) is established when the student starts study during the school year.

Is, or was, the student enrolled and attending studies at a secondary school (or primary school where eligible under the Schooling A Award) on any one day in the year of the claim?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, the student is not eligible for SFA (Group 1). If the student is:
  • current on ABSTUDY, see Payment of ABSTUDY when a student is deferring or discontinuing study before the end of the course
  • not currently receiving ABSTUDY Schooling A, record details on a DOC. Procedure ends here

Student is eligible for SFA (Group 1) for the year of the claim.

If SFA (Group 1) has already been paid to a school, see Table 2 > Step 6.

Check who should receive the payment. If the school fees have:

• been paid by a third party, go to Step 11
• been paid by the applicant, go to Step 6
• not been paid, and the applicant wants:
  • to claim reimbursement of SFA (Group 1), tell the applicant they will need to pay the fees and provide proof of payment. Leave the Supplementary Education Payments (EPSP) screen blank. Do not hold or reject the claim if the applicant has requested reimbursement, but has not provided proof of payment of school fees
    Procedure ends here
  • SFA (Group 1) to be paid to the school, go to Step 10

Proof of payment must be evidence that confirms the school has received payment of school fees for the student, such as receipts or a paid tax invoice. See the Resources page for examples.

Check both the student's and applicant's records for proof of payment.

Has proof of payment been provided?

• Yes, for:
  • , see Table 2 > Step 1
  • 
    Create an open ABSTUDY action request Fast Note
    Use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > Update > ABSTUDY action request > Confirm
    Procedure ends here
• No, for:
  • current customers, request proof of payment of school fees. Create a Q888 ABSTUDY Requesting proof of payment for school fees letter on the applicant's record. See Creating a Q999 or Q888 letter
  • Schooling A new claims, leave the Supplementary Education Payments (EPSP) screen blank. Do not hold or reject the claim if the applicant has requested reimbursement, but has not provided proof of payment of school fees. SFA (Group 1) reimbursement can be assessed when the applicant has provided the proof of payment
    Procedure ends here

A 'School Fees Allowance NOT paid in 20XX' MFU generates on a student record when:

• an applicant requests reimbursement of SFA (Group 1), and
• no SFA (Group 1) payment has been made in the applicable year (because no proof of payment of school fees has been lodged)

Check both the student's and applicant's records for proof of payment, see Viewing Centrelink customers' digital images.

Has proof of payment been provided?

• Yes, see Table 2 > Step 1
• No, go to Step 8

Make 2 genuine attempts to contact the applicant to obtain proof of payment of the school fees.

If contact was:

• successful, go to Step 9
• unsuccessful, and a written request to obtain the proof of payment has:
  • not been sent, place the MFU on hold for a further 21 days. Create a Q888 ABSTUDY Requesting proof of payment for school fees letter on the applicant's record. See Creating a Q999 or Q888 letter. Procedure ends here
  • been sent and no response received, go to Step 10

Proof of payment must be evidence that confirms the school has received payment of school fees for the student, such as receipts or a paid tax invoice. See the Resources page for examples.

Tell the applicant to provide proof of payment.

Has proof of payment of school fees been provided?

• Yes, and payment was made by:
  • a third party, go to Step 11
  • the applicant, see Table 2 > Step 1
• No, and the applicant will:
  • be providing proof, record details on a DOC and place the MFU on hold for 14 days. Procedure ends here
  • not be providing proof, go to Step 10

Pay the full amount of ABSTUDY SFA (Group 1) direct to the school.

If an eligible student has changed schools but the SFA (Group 1) was not paid to the previous school, the applicant can request the SFA (Group 1) be forwarded to either the previous or current school.

Where the SFA (Group 1) paid to the school exceeds the fees levied/payable, the school cannot pay the excess amount of SFA (Group 1) to the parent. It is expected that the school will spend any excess school fees paid by ABSTUDY on Indigenous education.

See Table 2 > Step 1.

As a third party has incurred the expense, and not the applicant, SFA (Group 1) cannot be reimbursed.

The school is also not entitled to receive payment of SFA (Group 1), as the school fees have been paid by a third party.

Record details on a DOC.

Procedure ends here.