Determining progress and duration of assistance for ABSTUDY 010-02080040

For customer enquiries regarding complex reassessments of reasonable time, send an ABSTUDY action request Fast Note to the ABSTUDY Smart Centre Processing team for assistance. Use Fast Note - select Auto Text, use Students, ABSTUDY & Apprentices > Update > ABSTUDY Study Update Required > Confirm. The customer may also need to provide evidence to support a reassessment.

Using the table in Determining allowable time/reasonable time for a course of study calculate the reasonable time for the course of study for which the customer is applying to receive ABSTUDY.

Note: when calculating reasonable time, the normal duration of the course (sometimes referred to as minimum time) must be used, i.e. the shortest period in which a student can finish a course.

Has the customer received any ABSTUDY to study (full or part time) the current course, in previous years?

If a customer overloads in a semester or year, it is counted as 50% (0.5) or 100% (1.0) respectively, and not the overloaded figure. For example, if a customer undertook 125% of the normal full-time workload in a year, it is counted as 100% (1.0) of workload.

Note: if the customer's current course is an Honours extension and ABSTUDY has been paid for any periods in the undergraduate degree (that lead into the Honours) the customer is considered to have 'received' ABSTUDY for their current course.

• Yes, go to Step 4
• No, see Step 1 in Table 2

Determine which periods of study are excluded when assessing an ABSTUDY customer's progress towards reasonable time.

Once reasonable time has been determined for the current course of study, there are certain periods that are excluded when assessing the customer's progress. The following are to be disregarded:

• periods of study for which Living Allowance or ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) was not paid, regardless of the reason why these were not paid
• periods of study in courses other than the one for which reasonable time is being calculated are not taken into account, and
• studies undertaken more than 10 years before the year for which assistance is being claimed

Are there any periods that are to be included in calculating the customer's progress towards meeting or exceeding the reasonable time for the current course?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, see Step 1 in Table 2

For ABSTUDY, reasonable time is only measured at the start of the academic year or the date on which the student first applies for ABSTUDY in a year (e.g. the student may only commence study in second semester). If at that date, the student has not yet met or exceeded the reasonable time allowed for the current course, then the student may continue to be eligible for ABSTUDY for the rest of the academic year (subject to meeting the other requirements such as workload, etc). This measurement is not made again at any other time in that year. See the Resources page for an example of how this rule applies in assessing extent of assistance.

On the first day of the course in the year of study, even if the customer has met or exceeded the reasonable time for the course, they may still be eligible for ABSTUDY assistance under the extension of reasonable time rules.

Has the student met or exceeded the reasonable time for their current course of study?

• Yes, go to Step 6
• No, and the customer does have reasonable time left to receive Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES, they must still meet the limit of assistance rules to remain eligible. See Step 1 in Table 2

Note: if the student will exceed reasonable time after the course duration, there is no requirement to code the Allowable End Date: field. However, if reasonable time will be reached during the duration of the student's current course (including where reasonable time will be reached at the end of the current course), the Allowable End Date: field on the EDC screen must be coded to reflect this date, see Coding ABSTUDY education details.

For Masters and Doctorate students who have exceeded the reasonable time allowed for the current course of study, they may still have eligibility under limit of assistance.

For all other students, if the reasonable time allowed has been exceeded for the current course of study, they may still have eligibility for an extension of one year due to disability or circumstances beyond the student's control.

Do either of these scenarios apply?

• Yes,
• for Masters and Doctorate students who have exceeded the reasonable time allowed for the current course of study see Step 4 in Table 2
• for all other students who have exceeded the reasonable time allowed for the current course of study who may have eligibility due to disability or circumstances beyond the student's control see Step 1 in Table 3
• No, customer does not qualify for any further ABSTUDY. Record details of the decision, including the relevant Policy references in a DOC, and advise customer of their review rights. Procedure ends here

The ABSTUDY limits of assistance rules limit the length of time a student may receive ABSTUDY to study Certificate 1 and 2 level courses, Bachelor degree and Masters and Doctorate courses. When a student has met or exceeded the limits, ABSTUDY is no longer payable.

Note: when calculating limits of assistance, the following is not taken into account:

• periods of study for which Living Allowance or ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) was not paid, regardless of the reason why these were not paid, this includes students on the ABSTUDY Part-time Award

Details of previous periods of payment of ABSTUDY and levels of study will be available on the customer's record. This can be checked on the Education Course History (EDCH) screen.

Is the student studying:

• a Statement of Attainment level course, or Certificate Level 1 or 2 course, go to Step 2
• an undergraduate Bachelor degree (including Honours, Masters qualifying year/s, combined degrees and/or prerequisite studies), go to Step 3
• Masters/Doctorate level course, go to Step 4
• none of the above, see Step 2 in Table 3

Students undertaking Statement of Attainment, Certificates 1 and/or 2 can receive Living Allowance and/or ABSTUDY PES for a maximum of four years in total, for any combination of Statement of Attainment, Certificate 1 or 2 courses.

If, at the commencement of the year of claim, the length of time that the student has received Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES for study at the Statement of Attainment, Certificate 1 or 2 level is greater than or equal to four years, then the student is not eligible for further assistance.

If after four years, students have not progressed to a higher level of study, their ABSTUDY payment will be cancelled. Cancellations will only be actioned where the appropriate records of study can be clearly identified.

To assist with identifying relevant customers, codes specifically for ABSTUDY customers are to be used in the Course Level: field on the Education Course Details (EDC) screen.

• SC1 - Secondary Level Certificate 1 or Statement of Attainment, for secondary not at school customers
• SC2 - Secondary Level Certificate 2, for secondary not at school customers
• SSN - Secondary Non-Schooling, approved scholarship course (not Certificate 1 or 2)
• SNS - Secondary Non-Schooling, not approved scholarship course (not Certificate 1 or 2)
• C01 -for Certificate Level 1 or Statement of Attainment, for tertiary level customers
• C02 - for Certificate Level 2, for tertiary level customers
• C03 - for Certificate Level 3, for tertiary level customers
• C04 - for Certificate Level 4, for tertiary level customers
• Note: some Tertiary Group C (TGC) and Secondary Non-Schooling (SNS) course levels may qualify a customer for a scholarship payment, as long as the course is also an approved scholarship course. If both of these criteria are met, TGC courses will need to be coded as SSN (scholarship approved SNS level courses). See Defining levels of tertiary study for more information. The Resources page contains a link to the Approved Courses and Educational providers page which contains further information on approved scholarship courses at specific higher education providers

Has the customer reached or exceeded their limit of assistance for a combination of certificate and Statement of Attainment courses?

• Yes, see Step 1 in Table 3
• No, see Step 2 in Table 3

Payment of ABSTUDY Living Allowance or PES is limited to:

• one completed undergraduate Bachelor degree (including Honours, Masters qualifying year/s, combined degrees and/or prerequisite studies), or
• time equivalent to one completed undergraduate Bachelor degree (including Honours, Masters qualifying year/s, combined degrees and/or prerequisite studies)

The method to determine reasonable time for ABSTUDY Living Allowance or PES is also used for determining the upper limit to the duration of ABSTUDY LA or PES for study at the same level under the Limits of Assistance.

Therefore, where the customer has previously attempted (but not completed) any undergraduate Bachelor degree studies for which Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES was paid (within the last 10 years), then the time spent at this level is used in the limit of assistance assessment to determine eligibility for the current undergraduate Bachelor degree study.

Also, for the purpose of determining whether a customer has met or exceeded the limit of assistance for undergraduate Bachelor degree level courses, if the customer has completed an Honours program, Masters qualifying year/s, or prerequisite degree for entry into the current course, those courses are included in the limit of assistance assessment. They are not considered separate.

See the Resources page for examples to assist in determining the limit of assistance.

Has the customer met or exceeded their limit of assistance for their undergraduate Bachelor degree level course?

• Yes, see Step 1 in Table 3
• No, see Step 2 in Table 3

Payment of Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES is limited to one of the following three options.

• one (or time equivalent to one) completed course at Master level and one (or time equivalent to one) completed course at Doctorate level, or
• two (or time equivalent to two) completed courses at Masters level, or
• two (or time equivalent to two) completed courses at Doctorate level

Commonly the two post graduate degrees will be a Masters followed by a Doctorate course, however, this is not the only option the student has. The student may instead choose to request payment for two Masters or two Doctorate courses. Having completed two post graduate degrees, or spent time equivalent to two, the student loses eligibility for further payment at that level.

The method to determine reasonable time for ABSTUDY Living Allowance or PES is also used for determining the upper limit to the duration of ABSTUDY LA/PES for study at the same level under the Limits of Assistance.

Therefore, where the customer has previously attempted (but not completed) any Masters or Doctorate level degree studies for which Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES was paid (within the last 10 years), then the time spent at this level is used in the limit of assistance assessment to determine eligibility for the current Masters or Doctorate level degree study.

If the customer has met or exceeded the limit of assistance for the current course, but they still have a Masters or Doctorate course available under their limit of assistance rules. The current course can be considered to be the second Masters or Doctorate course under limit of assistance rules.

Has the customer met or exceeded their limit of assistance for their current Masters or Doctorate level course?

• Yes, see Step 1 in Table 3
• No, see Step 2 in Table 3

Students that have exceeded the reasonable time or limit of assistance for their course of study can have an extension of up to one year if:

• the student's progress has been impeded by physical, psychiatric or intellectual disability or other circumstances beyond the control of the student
• the education provider recommends in writing that the student continues the course, and
• the education provider indicates that the student is expected to complete the course this year

This extension need only be granted where reasonable time (and the extension of reasonable time where appropriate) has run out. It can only be granted for the final year of a course.

Does the customer require an extension for one year and meet the above criteria?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, customer does not qualify for any further ABSTUDY. Record details of the decision, including the relevant Policy references in a DOC and advise customer of their new rights. Procedure ends here

As the customer meets the reasonable time and/or limit of assistance rules for their course of study, they remain eligible for Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES.

To update the course details refer to the following procedure depending on the customer's circumstances;

• commencing a new course
• changing or wishing to extend their course end date

Note: if the student will exceed reasonable time or limit of assistance after the course duration, there is no requirement to code the Allowable End Date: field. However, if reasonable time or limit of assistance will be reached during the duration of the student's current course (including where reasonable time or limit of assistance will be reached at the end of the current course), the Allowable End Date: field on the EDC screen must be coded to reflect this date, see Coding ABSTUDY education details.