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Assessing disability for ABSTUDY away from home rate 010-02060100

This document outlines the ABSTUDY Away from Home rate for dependent students with a disability, the reasons for a customer claiming this rate and the documentation required.

Assessing disability for ABSTUDY Away from Home rate

Category	Information
1	Boarding at a special education provider + Read more ... A special education provider is one designed to meet the needs of students with a particular disability or disabilities and is recognised by State or Commonwealth authorities. If acceptance at the special education provider indicates that a professional assessment has been made of the student's physical, emotional or psychological requirements, further documentation is not required. When servicing customers with a mental illness, please consider the various impacts of the condition on their ability to comply, including their capacity to attend appointments.
2	Special facilities include a special centre for disabilities or special educational or physical facilities for the disabled within normal schools. + Read more ... If acceptance at the special education facility indicates that a professional assessment has been made of the student's physical, emotional or psychological requirements, further documentation is not required. When servicing customers with a mental illness, please consider the various impacts of the condition on their ability to comply, including their capacity to attend appointments.
3	Avoiding lengthy daily travel + Read more ... A statement from an appropriate medical authority must be provided which specifies the nature of the disability and affirms that the student could not be expected to live at home and travel daily to the nearest suitable government school, or designated school providing specialised programs or facilities.
4	Access to regular medical treatment + Read more ... If the disruption to the student's schooling because of their need to seek medical treatment amounts to the equivalent of at least 20 school days a year (not necessarily consecutive), the student is eligible for assistance at the Away from Home rate to board near the treatment centre. However, the student's need to receive regular medical treatment should be supported by both of the following: statement from an appropriate medical authority at the treatment centre statement from the applicant giving full details of the travel required if the student were living at home
5	Access to a different climate + Read more ... A statement from an appropriate medical authority is required specifying the student's condition and indicating all of the following: the local climate or other circumstance, if the student were to live at home during the school terms, would be likely to cause the student severe illness for a total of at least four weeks during the school term it is essential for the student to attend school in another area in the area chosen for the student to attend school, the effects described above would be less likely to arise
6	Coding requirements + Read more ... Complete the following fields on the Independent/Homeless/Away From Home Details (NIH) screen to record the approval of Away from Home rate based on having a disability. If there is a previous entry on the NIH screen, the NIHS screen will display. If there is a current entry, this will need to be end-dated before a new line can be entered. Once end-dated, press [Enter] for a new NIH screen. Action: field type 'AFH' Start/Reject Reason: field, type 'ADI' (Customer has a disability - isolated from special facilities) Start Date: field, type the date from which the Away from Home rate has been granted Note: the End Date: End Reason: and Consent to Contact: fields are not required. See Coding away from home rate for ABSTUDY for procedures on fully coding a student qualified for Away from Home rate.