ABSTUDY Living Allowance 010-02070080

The customer must meet the eligibility criteria for one of the following Awards:

• Schooling B Award
• Tertiary Award
• Masters and Doctorate Award

Australian Apprentices can only qualify under the Tertiary Award.

A customer cannot receive Living Allowance and other Australian Government income support payments at the same time.

ABSTUDY Living Allowance entitlement is automatically calculated and paid as part of a customer's new claim for ABSTUDY.

Students or Australian Apprentices can submit:

• an online claim (tertiary students and Australian Apprentices only)
• an Assisted Customer Claim (ACC) (tertiary students and Australian Apprentices only)
• ABSTUDY Claiming Tool (secondary students only), or
• a paper form:
• Claim for ABSTUDY form (SY019)
• ABSTUDY - Additional information form (SY023)
• Claim for ABSTUDY Remote Areas form (SY092)

Customers who lodge any claim for ABSTUDY by the relevant closing date, do not need to lodge a separate claim to be assessed for Living Allowance. See Claiming ABSTUDY for examples of when an ABSTUDY claim is or is not required.

ABSTUDY payment rates depend on factors including whether a student or Australian Apprentice is:

• dependent or independent
• living at or away from home
• in state care
• subject to the personal, partner or parental income and assets tests
• taking up the Residential Costs Option

See ABSTUDY - Living Allowance Rate and thresholds.

The payment is calculated on a daily rate and made fortnightly in arrears.

This payment method may change, depending on whether the customer is:

• boarding at a boarding school including an approved ABSTUDY homestay arrangement or at a hostel that is a signatory to An ABSTUDY Hostel Agreement
• Living Allowance is calculated on a daily rate. Payments are made in a combination of ABSTUDY boarding instalments and fortnightly in arrears, depending on the student's entitlement and the board amount charged by the school/hostel
• boarding at a hostel that is not signatory to an ABSTUDY Hostel Agreement
• Living allowance is not payable for students or to boarding providers on behalf of students in this circumstance
• boarding in a private boarding arrangement
• A student is considered to board in a private board arrangement if a provider other than a boarding school or hostel, provides the student with board and lodgings during the school term and accommodates less than 5 students (excluding the providers own children). Payments are made fortnightly in arrears and can be directed to the private board provider were requested by the parent/guardian, and in some circumstances the payee. This will also depend on the student's entitlement and the board amount charged.
• payee for Living Allowance
• See the Resources page which outlines correct entitlements for the payee of Living Allowance
• eligible for Living Allowance but chooses not to receive it
• They will remain eligible for ABSTUDY, and other allowances or benefits under the ABSTUDY Award they have been granted