Skip to navigation Skip to content

Effect of concurrent secondary and Vocational Education and Training studies on student payments 010-07010150

Expand/Collapse all sectionsExpand all


This document outlines the effect on Services Australia administered payments when a student is undertaking Vocational Education and Training (VET) and secondary studies concurrently.

Concurrent study

Item

Form of concurrent study

1

Independent study + Read more ...

Note: for independent study there is no interaction or formal arrangement between the two types of educational providers.

Students at either secondary school or Registered Training Organisation (RTO) may choose to undertake additional study outside their main course.

If there is no link between this extra study and the course for which they are being paid, then it does not affect entitlement to payments for the main course.

As long as they maintain the appropriate level of study in their approved course, their payments are unaffected.

However some ABSTUDY students undertaking concurrent courses of unrelated study may qualify for Incidentals Allowance under Part time Award for the minor course, in addition to Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES for the main course.

Note: Special provisions apply to some ABSTUDY PES customers undertaking concurrent courses.

2

VET study undertaken as part of a secondary school studies + Read more ...

Secondary students whose VET studies will be credited to, or allow entry to, a VET course after secondary schooling is complete, in an arrangement with their school, are still considered to be secondary students for Services Australia purposes.

These students are not formally enrolled in RTO, and may be studying under Australian Vocational Certificate or 'VET in School' arrangements or undertaking ‘Year 13’ type study.

3

Secondary study undertaken as part of a VET qualification + Read more ...

Students (other than AIC students) undertaking concurrent VET and secondary study are considered to be tertiary students when:

  • the study undertaken is leading to both senior secondary qualification and to an accredited VET qualification, and
  • there is an association between the two levels of study, and
  • the two levels of study are integrated within the structure of the course, and
  • the two institutions are approved for Services Australia purposes, and
  • the students are enrolled at both institutions, and
  • both levels of study are undertaken in the same year

AIC students undertaking concurrent study at a secondary school and a RTO are considered to be secondary students.