Assessing eligibility for 25% concessional study load for Austudy 010-04050050

Is the customer enrolled in and undertaking (or planning to enrol in and undertake) at least 75% of the normal full-time course study load?

For more information, see Assessing study load requirements.

• Yes, the customer is a full-time student so there is no need to assess eligibility for a study load concession. Procedure ends here
• No, go to Step 2

Is the customer enrolled in and undertaking (or planning to enrol in and undertake) at least 25% of the normal full-time study load of the course?

Note: for students who are undertaking (or planning to enrol in and undertake) at least 66-74% of the normal full-time course study load, see Assessing eligibility for the 66% concessional study load for Austudy.

• Yes, go to Step 3
• No, 25% study load concession cannot be approved, go to Step 4

A 25% study load concession may be granted if the customer has a disability that would prevent them undertaking a full-time study load in the course.

Does the customer have a physical, psychiatric or intellectual disability?

• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 4

Inform the customer of the decision and tell them

• to contact Services Australia immediately if they decide to increase their study load. Identifying the most beneficial payment for students or Australian Apprentices
• to test their eligibility for another income support payment

Update either Process Direct or Customer First to show the customer is no longer in full-time or approved concessional study.

Process Direct

• Go to the Customer Study Details (EDC) screen
• Select Edit on the current course line
• On the Change Education Details screen:
• Student End Date: the customer's last date of full-time or approved concessional study
• Select Save
• Complete the Receipt Date and Channel. Select Save
• Key ‘NES’ in the Super Key. Select Enter
• Select Edit on the current confirmed line
• On the Change Education Status screen, update:
• Start Date: the customer's last date of full-time or approved concessional study plus 1
• Student Status: NST - Not a Student
• Education Level Attained: as advised
• Verification Document Code: NVE (Not verified) (unless already verified)
• Select Save
• Select Assess and address any errors/warnings
• Select Assess
• Select Finish
• Record details of the update
• Select Finalise
• Procedure ends here

Customer First

• Go to the Education Course History (EDCH) screen and select the current course line:
• In the Student end date: field, code the customer's last date of full-time or approved concessional study
• Code the Source: and DOR: fields and 'C'orrect in the Action: field. Press [Enter]
• Code the Newstart Education Status (NES) screen as follows:
• DOV: field, key the customer's last date of full-time or approved concessional study + 1
• Student Status: field, code NST
• Educ Level Attained: field, code as per advised
• Year12/Equiv Verified: field, code 'NVE' (Not verified) (unless already verified)
• Finalise the activity on the Assessment Results (AR) screen
• Record the reasons for the decision on a DOC

Procedure ends here.

Evidence is required that the customer's disability is sufficiently severe to prevent them undertaking a full-time (that is, at least 75%) study load. The nature of this evidence is dependent on the nature of the disability.

What is the nature of the customer's disability?

• Physical, go to Step 6
• Psychiatric, go to Step 7
• Intellectual, go to Step 8

For a customer with a physical disability, Services Australia requires that an appropriate medical practitioner (who has a detailed knowledge of the customer's physical condition) state in writing that:

• the customer has a substantial physical disability, and
• they cannot successfully undertake the normal amount of full-time study in the course (that is, 75% of a full-time load or more) because of that disability

Go to Step 9.

For a customer with a psychiatric disability, Services Australia requires that a medical practitioner specialising in psychiatry state in writing that:

• the customer has a substantial psychiatric disability, and
• they cannot successfully undertake the normal amount of full-time study in the course (that is, 75% of a full-time load or more) because of that disability

Note: a statement received from a medical practitioner who is not a psychiatrist can be accepted if there is a shortage of psychiatrists in the area. The statement must indicate that the medical practitioner has experience in treating patients with psychiatric conditions and that they are treating the patient due to a shortage in the area of specialists in psychiatry. There is an expectation that the condition be confirmed by a psychiatrist in the long term. The concession should not be granted for longer than one academic year without a statement from a psychiatrist.

Go to Step 9.

For a customer with an intellectual disability, Services Australia requires that a psychologist (who is registered with the Board established under the law of a State/Territory that registers psychologists) state in writing that:

• the customer is intellectually disabled, and
• they cannot successfully undertake the normal amount of full-time study in the course (that is, 75% of a full-time load or more) because of that disability

Does the customer have, or have they previously provided, the evidence necessary to confirm entitlement to the 25% study load concession?

Note: where a customer has previously been granted a 25% concessional study load for a permanent condition, and they are continuing in the same course and there has been no change to the nature of their disability, no further medical evidence is required. See Table 1 in Effect of end of course on payments for students.

Yes, go to Step 10

No, and:

• the customer wants to provide evidence, send a Requesting information (CLK) letter requesting appropriate evidence of the medical condition:
• Medical evidence – unable to study full-time - physical disability
• Medical evidence – unable to study full-time - psychiatric disability, or
• Medical evidence – unable to study full-time - intellectual disability
• Procedure ends here
• unable to gather evidence, tell the customer:
• without proof of the disability it is not possible to grant this concession
• payments may be made if the study load is increased or if the appropriate evidence is provided
• of their review and appeal rights
• Record the details of the discussion on a DOC
• Procedure end here

Complete the following:

• If the customer has not already done so, they should lodge a claim for Austudy
• Inform the customer that this concession only applies for the current course and the customer's current state of disability. The situation will have to be reassessed if the customer either:
• changes their course, or
• the nature if their disability changes
• Advise the customer they are required to notify any changes to their study load within 14 days
• Explain the consequences of failing to notify changes, or failing to satisfy the full time study requirements. See Participation and serious failures for students and Australian Apprentices
• Record decision on a DOC including:
• the 25% concession was granted
• the general nature of the student's disability
• the name and qualification of the person who provided the medical evidence
• the details of the course for which the concession was granted
• the actual study load the customer expects to do, and
• any other information that may be relevant, particularly if it relates to an expected change in the customer's disability

Check if there is a current full-time course recorded for the customer. To do this in:

• Process Direct, go to Step 11
• Customer First, go to Step 12

• Go to the Customer Study Details (EDCH) screen
• Select Edit on the current course line
• On the Change Education Details screen:
• Update the Student End Date: with the customer's last date of full-time study
• Select Save
• Complete the Receipt Date and Channel. Select Save
• Select Add
• On the Create Education Details screen, update the following:
• Participation Status Event Date:
• Current, continuing or intending customers, this is the Student End Date of previous course +1 day
• New claims, this is the date the student qualifies for payment as a 25% concessional study load student. This is generally, whichever is the later of:
  the claim lodgement date
  the date the customer commenced to study at least 25% of the normal amount of full-time study, or
  the date the customer was diagnosed with a substantial physical, psychiatric or intellectual disability
• Participation Status: C25 - 25% Concessional Student
• Course Start Date: the actual day the course starts
• Student Start Date: the date the student commenced the approved 25% concessional study load
• Course End Date and Student End Date: the end date of the approved 25% concessional study load period
• Select Save
• Select Assess and address any errors/warnings
• Select Assess
• Select Finish
• Record details of the update
• Select Finalise

• Go to the Education Course History (EDCH) screen, if there is a current full-time course recorded, select the current course line:
• In the Student end date: field, code the customer's last date of full-time study
• Code the Source: and Receipt date: fields and 'C'orrect in the Action: field
• 'I'nsert a new EDC line, with the following details:
• Participation Status Event Date (PSED): field for current, continuing or intending customers will be the Student End Date of previous course +1 day. For new claims, the PSED will be the date the student qualifies for payment as a 25% concessional study load student. This is generally, whichever is the later of:
  the claim lodgement date
  the date the customer commenced to study at least 25% of the normal amount of full-time study, or
  the date the customer was diagnosed with a substantial physical, psychiatric or intellectual disability
• Participation Status: field 25% Concessional Student (C25)
• Inst Course Start Date: field the actual day the course starts
• Student Start Date: field the date the student commenced the approved concessional study load
• Inst Course End Date and Student End Date: field the end date of the approved concessional study load period
• Finalise the activity by going to Assessment Results (AR)

As 25% concessional study load is only granted to students with a substantial physical, psychiatric or intellectual disability, normally it is coded for the duration of their current course.

If the customer has completed their previous study at the concessional study load, however plans to commence a new study period with a full-time study load, code the new study as per Coding new study details.

If the customer has advised they are returning to a full-time study load in their current course, in Customer First:

• go to the Education Course History (EDCH) screen. If there is a current concessional course recorded, select the current course line:
• Student end date: customer's last date of concessional study
• Code the Source: and Receipt date: fields and 'C'orrect in the Action: field
• 'I'nsert a new EDC line, with the following details:
• Participation Status Event Date (PSED): student end date of previous course +1 day.
• Participation Status: full-time student
• Inst Course Start Date: actual day the course started
• Student Start Date: date the student returned to full-time study
• Inst Course End Date and Student End Date: end date of the current course.

Note: the error: 'E947NS - Can't add a new Inst to this screen' may display. Remove this error by updating the 'field of study' on the new Full-time EDC screen.

Finalise the activity by going to Assessment Results (AR).