Away from Base assistance for ABSTUDY 010-02070000

Away from Base assistance is to assist students to participate in necessary components of an approved course where that course requires students to travel:

• away from their permanent home, or
• study location for a short period of time.

Approval for Away from Base assistance for a course activity may be given where:

• all participants in the activity incur the same or comparable costs, and any non-Indigenous students would be expected to cover their own costs
• any previous advances to the provider for Away from Base activities have been satisfactorily acquitted
• the specific approval requirements for the type of activity being undertaken have been met
• the activity is being conducted within Australia
• the student has established their eligibility

Away from Base assistance is not available for activities that are:

• part of an Australian Apprenticeship or,
• National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) Away from Base Funded Courses, unless the activity is a Testing and Assessment programme in order to gain entry to that course. See the Resources page for the list of NIAA funded courses

A student must test their eligibility for each Away from Base activity they are attending.

To qualify for Away from Base assistance, the student must:

• be attending 1 of the following approved activities:
• testing and assessment
• placement
• field trip
• residential school
• be eligible for 1 of the following ABSTUDY Awards:
• Schooling A Award
• Schooling B Award
• Tertiary Award
• Part-time Award
• Masters and Doctorate Award
• Lawful Custody Award
• Testing and Assessment Award
• lodge an ABSTUDY claim by the closing date
• incur the same or comparable costs that all participants in the activity incur, and any non-Indigenous students would be expected to cover their own costs
• not be studying a NIAA Away from Base Funded Course
• not have exceeded the limits on Away from Base assistance for the course
• be required to travel away from the permanent home to attend the Away from Base activity or attending a compulsory on-campus residence during a residential school or testing and assessment program
• if the student is claiming Away from Base assistance under the Lawful Custody Award, the student has permission from the correctional provider to attend the Away from Base activity

Note: students participating in a course funded by the NIAA's Away from Base Program can claim ABSTUDY non means-tested Living Allowance.

Education providers conducting an Away from Base activity must lodge an ABSTUDY Submission for away from base activity funding form (SY034). The submission must include all details of the activity.

Students who arrange their own activity do not need to lodge an SY034. However, they must provide a letter from the education provider confirming:

• the date, period and location of the activity
• that the activity is a necessary component of the course
• that the student's attendance is compulsory
• the details of any assistance provided by any third party for the student to attend the activity, and
• where the student is claiming Away from Base assistance under the Lawful Custody Award, that they have permission from the correctional provider to attend the activity

Away from Base claims must be lodged by the Away from Base submission closing date.

For students only claiming pre-booked travel to attend an AFB activity, see Coding pre-booked Fares Allowance (FAA) entitlements for ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES).

Submissions lodged by education providers will not be accepted more than 13 weeks before the calendar year in which the first course is due to start.

Note: be aware of risks associated with the authentication of third party callers.

Away from Base assistance is to cover the:

• student or approved travellers travel costs to attend the activity, or
• in certain circumstances, representatives from the education provider and/or the driver/pilot of chartered transport, and
• reasonable costs of accommodation and meals while away from their normal residence

Assistance available includes:

• Fares Allowance (FAA)
• Non-means tested Living Allowance
• residential expenses (meals and accommodation), either a residential expenses package or travel allowance

Assistance for the approved activity can be paid in advance or reimbursed after the activity has occurred.

The payment may be made to the:

• student
• education provider
• organisation incurring the expense

When assessing the costs of an approved Away from Base activity, the period for which costs may be approved is:

• the length of the approved Away from Base activity, and
• any period(s) of unavoidable overnight stopover(s) at an in-transit location or an Away from Base location due to transport timetables

Under certain circumstances, it may be paid to a non-student beneficiary.

Payment in advance can be made for an Away from Base activity based on estimated costs provided in an ABSTUDY Submission for away from base activity funding (SY034) form.

The customer must provide acquittal of an advance payment within one calendar month of the completion of the approved activity. No funding of future activities will occur until all previous funding is acquitted.

The customer must:

• confirm student participation in the approved activity for whom residential expenses was paid
• if the student was unable to participate due to exceptional circumstances, provide evidence of the student’s exceptional circumstance and
• provide a Single Activity Acquittal Report form for the acquittal of payments made as a residential expenses package. The form is attached to the ABSTUDY Submission for away from base activity funding (SY034), and
• provide original receipts attached to substantiate the acquittal

Acquittal of bulk funding requires:

• providing a Bulk Activity Acquittal Report form for the acquittal of payments made as a residential expenses package. (This form is attached to the ABSTUDY Submission for away from base activity funding (SY034)) and
• the lodgement of an independently audited financial statement, and
• a declaration certifying the funds have been expended in accordance with the agreement

The audited acquittal statement is due by 31 January in the following year. If not provided, funding of individual or bulk activities will cease.

Unacquitted portions of an advanced payment will result in an overpaid amount. Repayment of this amount must occur prior to further approval of Away from Base funding.