Effect of articulated short courses of study on continuing payment 010-07010100

This is a course of no more than 30 weeks for:

• ABSTUDY
• Pensioner Education Supplement (PES), and
• ABSTUDY PES

It includes holidays and vacations. However, certain short courses link together to form a longer course leading to a higher qualification. These are articulated short courses, see below.

Articulated short courses are also called 'nested courses'.

For example, a TAFE may offer a Community Services course as:

• 4 semester - long certificate level courses, or
• a 2 year Diploma level course

A student who successfully completes all 4 Certificates will have the Diploma granted as well. Some students will prefer to enrol in articulated short courses rather than the corresponding long course.

ABSTUDY students

Articulated short courses are recognised for ABSTUDY purposes as if they are one long course. Depending on the circumstances, there may be advantages and disadvantages for the student in articulated short course study.

Under the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF), it is possible to take the stages of an articulated course on a 'stand-alone' basis. Students may choose to enrol this way to avoid committing themselves to an extended period of study. For further information on AQF see the Resources page for a link to the AQF website.

In the above example, Services Australia would view the student who enrols in successive short courses as if they were undertaking the longer course. The 4 consecutive courses are related.

Note: this is not the same situation as a student who undertakes several semesters of certificate level courses, then undertakes a one semester Diploma level course in the same field. These courses are not articulated.

Eligibility for payment for PES students who undertake a short course usually stops on the last day of the course. If they start another short course, payments could restart from the first day of the new course. There would be no eligibility for the interim period.

Students doing articulated short courses of study, are considered to be undertaking the longer course. Their eligibility for PES continues in the period between the courses. The student needs to provide proof of enrolment for each short course.

To consider a PES customer as a continuing student, they have to re-enrol in a short course which is in the same group of articulated short courses (this does not include a new, unrelated short course). PES continues because they:

• are considered to be undertaking the longer course, and
• satisfy the undertaking full time study requirement as a student between the previous short course and the next one

Note: this does not apply to Austudy and YA students receiving a payment for the period between courses if they intend to study. ABSTUDY and ABSTUDY PES students can receive payments, in certain circumstances, between approved short courses.

YA and ABSTUDY time limits for articulated courses are whichever is the greater of either:

• minimum time for the course of study plus the usual additional period in any stage or stages with a minimum duration of more than a year, or
• unlimited study where the stage or stages have a duration of 1 year or less

The student would have to show proof of their enrolment in the articulated series of courses rather than the longer course.

The Resources page contains a link to the Australian Qualification Framework (AQF) website.