Eligibility for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme Distance Education Allowance (DED) 010-03040020

The applicant must meet AIC Scheme eligibility criteria to be eligible for DED and the student:

• must usually be studying at home through an approved distance education provider, or
• in another acceptable study location or arrangement

DED is also for when a student undertakes study by distance education methods and needs to periodically attend:

• a residential school, or
• a short 'mini' school as part of their course

DED may be payable on a pro-rata basis when the student:

• is doing both face-to-face and distance education, and
• has a special need that means they need to study from home, and
• is not enrolled on a full-time basis, considering any reduction in study load due to disability or health related needs, and
• is undertaking less than 4 school days a week:
• home schooling/education, or
• work set by the school to do at home

These arrangements are usually:

• for socialisation reasons, or
• under a plan for a gradual return to full-time school attendance

State/Territory Department of Education approval

The relevant education authorities (through the distance education school or home education/schooling authority) must confirm the alternative schooling arrangements.

See the State/Territory Department of Education approval table on the Resources page for details.

Homeland Learning Centres (HLC):

• are annexes of Northern Territory (NT) Government remote community schools (also known as 'hub' schools, which are normally located in the main community)
• are located in communities around the main community

With the support of the hub school, the HLC:

• provides education to students of Indigenous families living outside the main community in traditional homelands
• may not provide the same range of grades for primary and/or secondary level study
• are acceptable study locations for payment of DED

Students are eligible for AIC because their local government schools and remote community schools or 'hub' schools, are:

• all classified as limited program schools by the NT Government, and
• not 'appropriate state schools' under AIC policy

Students are geographically isolated, regardless of the:

• distance of the HLC, to the hub school, or
• availability of transport to either school

DED is payable if:

• the student attends an HLC, and
• the student and the AIC applicant live at the homeland location

The payment should go to the administering remote community (hub) school.

DED is not payable for a student if the student:

• is attending the main remote community (hub) school and the student and/or their parent/guardian/carer(s) live in the main remote community
• travels to the main community to attend the hub school from the HLC (for example, because the HLC does not provide their level of study or grade), or
• lives in the main community and travels to the homeland location to attend an HLC

AIC applicants who are subject to Income Management, may still get AIC Allowances.