ABSTUDY Hostel Agreements 010-02060040

For students residing in a hostel, an ABSTUDY Hostels Agreement determines the conditions for payment of:

• ABSTUDY Away from Home rate of Living Allowance
• Rent Assistance, and
• Remote Area Allowance

Hostels which are signatories to an ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement can be paid ABSTUDY as an ABSTUDY boarding instalment.

See Resources for the ABSTUDY Standard Hostel Agreement List which contains:

• all current hostel signatories to an Agreement
• its expiry date, and
• hostels covered by the Bilateral Management Agreement with Aboriginal Hostels Limited (AHL)

If a:

• student will be boarding at a hostel that is not on the ABSTUDY Standard Hostel Agreement List, go to Step 2
• hostel is seeking payment by the ABSTUDY boarding instalment method, go to Step 2
• response has not been received from the Level 2 Policy Helpdesk with a hostel agreement outcome:
• tell the hostel/student/parent or carer an outcome will not be reached until it is confirmed that the hostel is a signatory to either of the ABSTUDY Hostel Agreements
• contact the Level 2 Policy Helpdesk for an update about the status
• procedure ends here
• response has been received from the Level 2 Policy Helpdesk with a hostel agreement outcome, or if allocated a work item by the Workload Management team, and the hostel:
• agreed to all conditions of the ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement, see Table 2 > Step 1
• did not agree to all conditions of the ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement, see Table 2 > Step 2

If a hostel is a signatory to the ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement for the current 3 year period, there will be a Display on Access DOC on the hostel’s Organisation record showing this.

Is the individual hostel a signatory to the ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement for the current 3 year period?

• Yes, the hostel can be paid ABSTUDY as an ABSTUDY boarding instalment. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 3

Several AHL hostels provide dedicated student accommodation for secondary school students living away from home. Services Australia and AHL have signed a Bilateral Management Agreement governing the conditions of payment of ABSTUDY Away from Home allowances. These hostels are not required to sign individual ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreements with Services Australia.

Hostels not covered by the Bilateral Management Agreement, need to have individual Agreements for each hostel, even if the hostels are operated by the same over-arching company or organisation.

Is the hostel covered by the Bilateral Management Agreement?

• Yes, the hostel can be paid ABSTUDY as an ABSTUDY boarding instalment. Procedure ends here
• No, the hostel must enter into an ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement for the current 3 year period to receive ABSTUDY Away from Home allowances. Go to Step 4

To enter into an ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement, an organisation must first meet:

• all local and State/Territory government requirements to operate as a hostel. This includes local council approval for 'business use of the premises' as a hostel or lodging house
• local building and facility requirements
• State/Territory governments various requirements to operate as an accommodation facility for children

If a hostel is seeking guidance about approval processes and requirements to operate as a hostel, refer them to their local council/shire.

Go to Step 5.

Before entering into an agreement, ABSTUDY Service Officers must verbally tell the hostel:

• they must have all the necessary government approvals to operate as a hostel
• an agreement must be entered into, or renewed if previously a signatory, to access ABSTUDY Away from Home allowances by the ABSTUDY boarding instalment payment method
• ABSTUDY payments cannot be paid to a hostel that is not a signatory to the ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement
• Services Australia will contact them within 7 days to discuss a new agreement and can provide more details during this contact if required
• payments for current and new ABSTUDY customers who are residing at the hostel may be affected if:
• the hostel’s current agreement will soon expire, and
• a new agreement is not signed and approved by the expiry date of the current agreement

For new hostels, ask:

• how many students (excluding their own, if applicable) reside at the premises, and
• if the hostel is being paid as a private boarder

Record details of the discussion in a DOC on the hostel’s Organisation record. To search for an Organisation record, see Creating and updating Organisation records for ABSTUDY and Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) purposes.

Has the hostel advised they want to start the negotiation process?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, ABSTUDY Living Allowance and Group 2 School Fees Allowance cannot be paid. For:
• ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing staff, see Processing an ABSTUDY claim > Table 4 Schooling B - Boarder coding instructions. Procedure ends here
• ABSTUDY Smart Centre staff, send a Fast Note with details to the relevant ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing for action. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > Update > ABSTUDY Boarder action request. Include all relevant details. Procedure ends here

The ABSTUDY and AIC Programs Team has responsibility for negotiating all ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreements and advising the outcome to the relevant provider.

Service Officers must escalate the enquiry to a Service Support Officer (SSO) by completing a direct SSO referral.

The SSO will refer the enquiry to the Level 2 Policy Helpdesk and will tell the Service Officer the outcome.

ABSTUDY Living Allowance and Group 2 School Fees Allowance cannot be paid during the negotiation process. For:

• ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing staff, continue processing the claim or activity. See Processing an ABSTUDY claim > Table 4 Schooling B - Boarder coding instructions. Procedure ends here
• ABSTUDY Smart Centre staff, send a Fast Note with details to the relevant ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing for action. Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > Update > ABSTUDY Boarder action request. Include all relevant details. Procedure ends here

Send a Fast Note with details to the relevant ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing for action:

• Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > Update > ABSTUDY Boarder action request
• Include all relevant details
• Procedure ends here

• Display on Access DOC
  Record details of the Agreement’s acceptance for the relevant 3 year period in a Display on Access DOC on the hostel’s or AHL Organisation record
• Update the Organisation record
  Update the hostel’s Organisation record, where required, with any changes to:
• contact person
• address
• telephone
• email
• bank details,
  see Creating and updating Organisation records for ABSTUDY and Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) purposes
• To update the student’s record, see Table 3

Send a Fast Note with details to the relevant ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing for action:

• Use Fast Note - select Auto text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > Update > ABSTUDY Boarder action request
• Include all relevant details
• Procedure ends here

Create a Display on Access DOC on the hostel's Organisation record stating an agreement will not be entered into by the hostel for the current 3 year period

• Check the following screens on the student’s record to ensure coding is correct and update if required. For coding instructions, see Processing an ABSTUDY claim > Table 4 Schooling B - Boarders:
• EYSB
• EPRC
• Procedure ends here

When a hostel signs the Agreement, update the students’ records to pay ABSTUDY Living Allowance and activate Group 2 School Fees allowance.

Students are entitled to these ABSTUDY allowances from the date they start living away from home.

Check the following screens and update if required. see Processing an ABSTUDY claim > Table 4 Schooling B - Boarders:

• Accommodation details (AC)
• School Fees and Boarding Details (EYSB)
• Payment Instruction (PIPI)

Go to Step 2.

In the Rate Component Override (EPRC) screen:

• key 'D' beside a current line
• press [Enter]
• repeat above for any remaining current lines

Go to Step 3.

• Go to the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• Check and finalise the activity
• Record details of the updates on a DOC

Procedure ends here.