Home schooling arrangements for Youth Allowance (YA), Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) and Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) 010-06070090

Has a Youth Allowance (YA) or Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) customer or AIC applicant contacted to advise they are (or in the case of AIC, the student is) undertaking or intending to undertake home-based schooling?

• Yes, go to Step 2
• No, this process does not apply. Procedure ends here

Has the customer/AIC applicant provided evidence in writing from the relevant State/Territory Government education authority indicating the following:

• specific approval has been given by the education authority to the student to undertake home study
• confirmation that the study is full-time, and
• in the case of YA or PES, the study will be credited towards the secondary qualification accredited by that authority, or
• that they are exempt from home schooling registration
• Yes, go to Step 5
• No, go to Step 3

The customer or AIC applicant will need to provide evidence indicating that:

• they are formally registered at a secondary school recognised for YA or PES purposes, and
• they are studying accredited subjects, and
• they are undertaking a study load deemed to be full-time by the school, or
• a certificate of exemption from home schooling registration, or
• the AIC student has specific approval or a registration by the education authority for them to undertake home study on a full-time basis as a satisfactory alternative to a state/territory provided government curriculum. See Table 7 'Home schooling age and registration rules' on the Resources page of Eligibility for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme Distance Education Allowance (DED) for the AIC Home schooling age and evidence requirements

The PES customer's proof of enrolment (POE) document would be considered suitable evidence as it provides information about which school the student is enrolled at and whether the school considers the study load to be full-time.

Note: if the school is recognised for the purposes of YA or PES, then for secondary students the subjects are automatically assumed to be accredited. For information on how to tell if the secondary school is recognised for YA or PES purposes, see Approved courses of study for Youth Allowance (YA), Austudy and Pensioner Education Supplement (PES).

For YA or PES

Is there suitable evidence that the customer is undertaking a full-time study load at a secondary school recognised for YA or PES purposes?

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

For AIC

Has the AIC applicant provided suitable evidence that the student has specific approval or a registration by the education authority for them to undertake home study on a full-time basis?

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

The customer, or AIC student, does not satisfy the requirements as a full-time student.

YA or PES

• Consider whether the YA customer may satisfy the full time study requirements in other ways, for example. if the customer is under 22 years of age, the course may be an approved activity

Note: care should be exercised in approving home-based schooling as an activity if the syllabus being used has not been accredited by the state or territory authority.

• The YA customer may also be required to combine the study with other activities
• If the YA customer is 22 years or older, consider qualification for alternate income support, for example JobSeeker Payment (JSP)
• If the YA customer has a disability, consider whether the reduced study load in an accredited course is the only activity required, (for example if the customer does not have the capacity to make up a full-time load with other approved activities). If so, this must be part of the terms of an Activity Agreement

Note: students claiming YA who are considered to be part-time students are not eligible for student income bank or the higher income free area.

Record details including discussions with customer in relation to their full time study requirements on a DOC. Procedure ends here.

AIC Smart Centre staff

• Code the rejection on the system
• Record the details on a DOC

Procedure ends here.

When the student satisfies the study requirements as a full-time student, explain:

• the full time study requirements to the student, and
• their obligation to notify Services Australia of any changes (for example, commencing a different course or decreasing study load)

Then, for:

• YA and PES students
• code the education details on the system
• record the details on a DOC
• AIC students
• confirm the AIC student satisfies the AIC home based schooling requirements as a full-time student
• code the education details on the system, or
• if processing a new AIC claim, refer to Assessing and coding claims for Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC)
• record the details on a DOC