Assessing scholarships and mobility provisions for secondary students for ABSTUDY away from home rate 010-02060170

The Away from Home rate of payment is available if a student:

• is offered an approved Boarding School scholarship (including an Independent Boarding School (IBS) prior to 1 January 2019)
• is offered an approved Third Party Indigenous Scholarship
• is offered a Transition School Scholarship at Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) to assist in the successful transition into a scholarship opportunity at a high performing school, or on the basis of being offered a scholarship at MITS partner school as a result of completing the MITS program, or
• permanently resides in 1 of 5 designated Cape York Welfare Reform sites (Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale, Mossman Gorge, and Doomadgee) and are required to live away from the community to attend a school at another location

If a:

• student is seeking approval for the Away from Home rate of payment under the Cape York Welfare Reform sites mobility criteria (listed above), go to Step 2
• student is seeking approval for the Away from Home rate of payment under any of the scholarship criteria's listed above, go to Step 3
• student has been previously approved for Away from Home payments under the IBS scholarship criteria prior to 1 January 2019, go to Step 9
• school or provider organisation is seeking approval of a scholarship as a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship, see the Resources page
• student has lost qualification for a scholarship, they may no longer be eligible for the Away from Home rate. This may include where:
• a school withdraws a scholarship from a student (due to performance/behaviour)
• a scholarship ceases to be offered, or
• a scholarship is no longer approved as a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship

See Cessation of the ABSTUDY away from home rate.

Secondary school students may be approved for the ABSTUDY Away from Home provisions to enable the student to live away from the community and attend a school at another location. To be eligible for this provision, the student must permanently reside in 1 of 5 designated Cape York Welfare Reform sites.

The period of the reform runs from 1 July 2008 until the government advises of its closure.

Is the student's permanent home in 1 of the 5 designated Cape York Welfare Reform sites (Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale Mossman Gorge or Doomadgee)?

• Yes, see Table 2
• No:
• the student will not qualify for the Away from Home rate under this criteria
• assess the student for other Away from Home rate for ABSTUDY circumstances
• procedure ends here

A secondary school student may be approved for Away from Home entitlements by being offered a Boarding School scholarship (or bursary).

From 1 January 2019, criteria for approval of a Boarding School scholarship has been simplified:

• the new criteria for approval of a Boarding School scholarship only applies to scholarships offered on or after 1 January 2019
• Independent Boarding School (IBS) scholarships offered prior to 1 January 2019 (including a scholarship for the 2019 academic year) is to be approved under the pre-2019 IBS scholarship criteria

Has the student been offered the Boarding School scholarship on or after 1 January 2019?

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, go to Step 6

From 1 January 2019, a secondary school student may be approved for Away from Home entitlements on the basis of being offered a Boarding School scholarship. To be eligible all the following circumstances must be met:

• the school is an approved secondary school offering an approved course of secondary studies, and
• the boarding arrangement is an integral part of the school, and
• the amount the school contributes towards the scholarship covers, the greater of either:
• the Boarding School Scholarship Approval Threshold amount, or
• 25% of the school's annual boarding school and tuition fees

See the Resources page for examples.

Note: the minimum Boarding School Scholarship Approval Threshold amount increases each year in line with CPI. Similarly, a Scholarship Contribution Amount based on 25% of a school's annual boarding and tuition fees may increase if the school increases the fees. In order to approve a Boarding School Scholarship offered in second and subsequent years, the value of the Scholarship Contribution Amount must continue to meet the scholarship financial contribution requirements. See the Resources page for examples.

To calculate which financial contribution requirement is the greater amount:

• add the combined total of a school's board and tuition charges in the year of approval, and
• divide by 4 to identify 25% of the total charges

Has the student been granted an approved Boarding School scholarship?

• Yes, the student is approved for Away from Home payments. Go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 7

Once a Boarding School scholarship is approved in the first year of grant for a student, ongoing eligibility will require the school to continue to contribute to the student's scholarship under the specific financial contribution criteria that the scholarship was originally approved.

This means a school cannot swap between the financial contribution criteria (minimum Boarding School Scholarship Approval Threshold amount or 25%) after the initial grant for a student, even in circumstances where a change in board or tuition charges at the school affects which criteria may be approved for other new students.

Over time, a school may in fact offer scholarships under either criteria to different students, as long as the grant meets the financial contribution requirements for each individual case.

See Resources for examples.

See Table 2.

A secondary school student may be approved for Away from Home entitlements on the basis of being offered a scholarship by an IBS prior to 1 January 2019 in all of the following circumstances:

• The school must be an approved secondary school offering an approved course of secondary studies
• The boarding arrangement is an integral part of the school
• the school having a socioeconomic status (SES) funding score for Commonwealth General Recurrent Grant of 100 or greater (Schools Assistance Act 2008)
• The scholarship being offered by the school must contribute a minimum of 15% of the total tuition and boarding fees, and
• The local Indigenous Education Consultative Body (IECB), or their nominee, will provide advice on the scholarship's establishment and ongoing guidance, as required. If there is no IECB able to fulfil this role, an independent representative from the local Indigenous community with an education background should be involved. Where an IECB is unable to fulfil this role the Department of Social Services (DSS) must be advised in writing of the reason for this. DSS will forward this advice to Services Australia

Services Australia is responsible for determining whether a school and the scholarship offered qualifies under this criteria.

The Resources page contains contact details of the relevant IECB contact for each State and Territory, as well as a link to the Department of Education site containing the CTC scores for non-government schools.

Has the student been granted a scholarship at a qualifying IBS?

• Yes, the student is approved for Away from Home payments, see Table 2
• No, go to Step 7

A secondary student may be approved for Away from Home entitlements on the basis of being offered a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship to attend a select school in the following circumstances:

• the school is an approved secondary school offering an approved course of secondary studies, and
• the scholarship is 1 of the scholarships or programmes supported by the Australian Government as approved by the relevant delegate of the Minister for Families and Social Services. See the Resources page for Approved Third party Indigenous scholarships and contracted providers

Note: funding for the IYLP or SCP scholarships ended on 30 June 2014 and was rolled into the Indigenous Advancement Strategy (IAS). No new IYLP or SCP scholarships were issued after 1 July 2014. See the Resources page for equivalent projects replacing new IYLP and SCP scholarships.

Further scholarships may be added, as approved by the Department of Social Services, from time to time.

Has the student been granted a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship at a school?

• Yes, see Table 2
• No, go to Step 8

A secondary student may be approved for Away from Home entitlements on the basis of being offered a Transition School Scholarship at Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS).

Students offered Transition School Scholarships will qualify for the Away from Home rate. Students who complete the Transition School Scholarship and as a result are offered a placement at a MITS partner school, will continue to qualify for the Away from Home rate of ABSTUDY.

Has the student been offered a Transition School Scholarship at MITS or offered a placement at a MITS partner school?

• Yes, the student is approved for Away from Home payments. Add a DOA DOC advising the student is on a transition scholarship. Go to Table 2
• No:
• The student will not qualify for the Away from Home rate due to the receipt of a scholarship
• Assess other scholarships received by a student under the general provisions. See Assessing scholarship income for the appropriate assessment
• Assess the student for other Away from Home rate for ABSTUDY circumstances
• Procedure ends here

Students approved for ABSTUDY Away from Home payments on the basis of accepting an IBS scholarship before 1 January 2019 retain approval for Away from Home payments. Students are grandfathered for as long as they continue at the same school and continue to meet the criteria under which the IBS scholarship was originally approved (pre 1 January 2019 rules). From 1 January 2019, the scholarship is not required to continue to meet the Indigenous Education Consultative Board criteria.

Note: grandfathering provisions do not apply to the Third Party Indigenous Scholarships or Transition School scholarships.

However, if a holder of a grandfathered IBS scholarship does have a break in study, in exceptional circumstances the student can retain the grandfathered status for up to 2 years from the date the student discontinued study.

A beneficial approach is to be taken to assessing whether exceptional circumstances led to the student discontinuing. See Resources for examples of grandfathered scholarships.

Grandfathering arrangements do not apply if a student has been expelled.

Does the student continue to hold a grandfathered IBS scholarship, or can be approved to recommence as a grandfathered scholarship holder under exceptional circumstances:

• Yes, the student is approved for Away from Home payments, see Table 2
• No:
• The student will not qualify for the Away from Home rate due to the receipt of a scholarship
• Assess other scholarships received by a student under the general provisions. See Assessing scholarship income for the appropriate assessment
• Assess the student for other Away from Home rate for ABSTUDY circumstances
• Procedure ends here

To determine approval of Away from Home payments for a recipient documentation may be required. For:

• Cape York Welfare Reform sites, go to Step 2
• Boarding School Scholarship granted on or after 1 January 2019, go to Step 3
• Independent Boarding Scholarship (IBS) granted prior to 1 January 2019, go to Step 4
• Third Party Indigenous Scholarship, go to Step 5
• Transition School Scholarship, go to Step 6
• Grandfathered IBS scholarship holder recommencing the scholarship after a break in study of less than 2 years, go to Step 7

No evidence is required if a student's permanent home address is located in 1 of the Cape York Welfare Reform sites of Aurukun, Coen, Hope Vale, Mossman Gorge, or Doomadgee.

See Table 3.

In the first year of the grant of a Boarding School scholarship granted on or after 1 January 2019, a student must provide a statement from the school which confirms the following requirements:

• the date of grant of the scholarship
• the financial contribution amount from the school towards the scholarship

In a second or subsequent year, the school will confirm the ongoing grant of the scholarship, and the school will make a financial contribution towards the scholarship of the same financial requirement under which it was initially approved (either the Boarding School Scholarship Approval Threshold amount or 25% contribution requirement).

Students are required to advise if the scholarship ceases or changes.

See Table 3.

In the first year of an IBS scholarship granted prior to 1 January 2019, a student must provide a statement from the school which confirms the date of grant of the scholarship and that the school meets the following requirements:

• It is a school with an SES funding score for Commonwealth General Recurrent Grants of 100 or greater (School Assistance Act 2008), or was previously approved as a provider of IBS scholarships but has had a drop in their SES score to below 100 but to no less than 98

Note: if the SES funding score is not provided in the letter from the school, refer to the Department of Education website to locate this information. See the Resources page for a link to the Socio-economic Status (SES) scores

• The scholarship being offered by the school must contribute a minimum of 15% of the total tuition and boarding fees
• The local Indigenous Education Consultative Body (IECB) (or another relevant Indigenous education body where an IECB does not exist) has involvement in the determination of scholarship criteria for selection of students

Where an IECB is unable to fulfil this role, the Department of Social Services (DSS) Work and Study Payments Branch Manager must be advised in writing of the reason for this. DSS will then forward this advice to Centrelink. The Resources page has a link to the DSS website.

In a second or subsequent year, the school will confirm the on-going grant of the scholarship, and that the scholarship continues to meet the criteria under which the IBS scholarship was approved.

After 1 January 2019, there is no requirement for ongoing IECB involvement.

Students are required to advise if the scholarship ceases or changes.

See Table 3.

In the first year of the grant of a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship a student must provide a letter from the school or scholarship provider stating the type of scholarship or programme the student is participating in, and that it has been granted to the student (this includes students who change schools but retain the same qualifying scholarship).

In a second or subsequent year a student is not required to continue to provide proof of receipt of a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship.

Students are required to advise if the scholarship ceases or changes.

See Table 3.

All students enrolled at Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) are in receipt of a Transition School Scholarship. No verification is required. Students transitioning from MITS to a partner school will require confirmation from MITS of the placement at the partner school for the first year of the placement only.

See Table 3.

To approve a student to recommence study as a grandfathered IBS scholarship holder, the school must confirm the on-going grant of the scholarship, and that the scholarship continues to meet the criteria under which the IBS scholarship was approved, except for the requirement to meet the Indigenous Education Consultative Board criteria.

See Table 3.

Complete the required fields on the Independent/Homeless/Away From Home Details (NIH) screen to record the approval of the Away from Home rate.

If there is a previous entry on the NIH screen, the NIHS screen will display. End date any current entries and press [Enter] for a new NIH screen. To code approval of Away from Home payments for a customer of:

• Cape York Welfare Reform site criteria, go to Step 2
• an approved Third Party Indigenous Scholarship, or a Transition School scholarship, go to Step 3
• Boarding School scholarship offered on or after 1 January 2019, go to Step 4
• an Independent Boarding School (IBS) scholarship offered before 1 January 2019, go to Step 5
• grandfathered IBS scholarship holder recommencing the scholarship after a break in study of less than 2 years, go to Step 6

To approve Away from Home payments for a customer in a Cape York Welfare Reform site, code:

• Action field, key 'AFH'
• Start/Reject Reason field, key 'AOT' (other reasons)
• Start Date field, key 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.

Record the details in a DOC.

Procedure ends here.

To approve Away from Home payments for a customer of a Third Party Indigenous Scholarship or a Transition School scholarship, code:

• Action field, key 'AFH'
• Start/Reject Reason field, key 'ASO' (other organisation scholarship)
• Start Date field, key 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.

Go to Step 7.

For a scholarship grant based on the school financial contribution of the Boarding School Scholarship Approval Threshold amount, key:

• Action field, key 'AFH'
• Start/Reject Reason field, key 'ASF' (school contributed a dollar value to a scholarship)
• Start Date field, key the date from which the Away from Home rate has been granted

For a scholarship grant based on the school financial contribution of 25% of total school board and tuition charges, code:

• Action field, key 'AFH'
• Start/Reject Reason field, key 'ASP' (school contributed a percentage value to a scholarship)
• Start Date field, key 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.

Go to Step 7.

For a scholarship granted before 1 January 2019, code:

• Action field, key 'AFH'
• Start/Reject Reason field, key 'ASI' (scholarships approved prior to 1 January 2019)
• Start Date field, key the (pre 1 January 2019) date from which the school offered the scholarship. The start date must be before 1 January 2019

Note: the End Date, End Reason and Consent to Contact fields are not required.

Go to Step 7.

For a grandfathered IBS scholarship holder recommencing the scholarship after a break in study of less than 2 years, code:

• Start/Reject Reason field, key 'ASI' (scholarships approved prior to 1 January 2019)
• Start Date field, key the (pre 1 January 2019) date from which the school originally offered the scholarship. The start date must be before 1 January 2019. The original start date of scholarship approval recorded on NIH screen should be applicable

Note: the End Date, End Reason and Consent to Contact fields are not required.

Go to Step 7.

Boarding School scholarships have a mandatory requirement for a school to make a financial contribution to the scholarship for approval of Away from Home payments.

Many Third Party Indigenous Scholarships, and Transition School Scholarships can also contain a school or provider contribution towards a scholarship's value; usually as a waiver or reduction in student fees or boarding or lodging costs.

The actual dollar amount of the school financial contribution for the scholarship must be determined and coded at the Scholarship Contribution Amount field on the School Fee and Boarding Detail (EYSB) screen. Code the school or provider contribution amount to the scholarship for each year of the scholarship.

Record details of the particular scholarship on a Display on Access (DOA) DOC using the ABSTUDY Scholarship Information Fast Note:

• select Auto text use Students, ABSTUDY and Apprentices > Update > ABSTUDY Scholarship Information
• select the Display on access tick box,
• the Expiry Date field will default to a date 1 year in the future. If the period covered by the scholarship is known, record an expiry date. If not, leave the Expiry Date field blank
• there is an automatic review with a due date of 365 days to update scholarship details each year, where:
• the Expiry Date field is blank, or
• the expiry date is more than 1 year in the future

In circumstances where a scholarship contains a Scholarship Contribution Amount that waives or reduces their student fees or boarding and lodging costs, the Annual Fees/Tuition Amount and Annual Boarding School/Hostel Amount fields on the EYSB screen must be coded correctly.

See Assessing scholarship income for correct coding of board and tuition amounts for students in receipt of a scholarship.

Additional information will also need to be coded on the student's record. See Coding away from home rate for ABSTUDY.