Coding new study details 010-07010180

Different procedures apply for situations where the customer:

• will not commence full-time study for YA, Austudy and PES
• will not commence full-time study for ABSTUDY, ABSTUDY PES, AIC and AIC PES
• is receiving YA or Austudy and defers or discontinues study before the end of the course
• is receiving PES or AIC and defers or discontinues study before the end of the course
• is receiving YA, Austudy or PES and changes the course that they were studying
• is transferring from student to job seeker
• has now finished their course

Study details of customers who receive JSP or YA (job seeker) are to be recorded on the system if they have been assigned a customer target category of 'partial capacity to work' or 'principal carer' and are undertaking study as part of their mutual obligation requirements.

If a YA job seeker or Australian Apprentice is returning to full time study and wishes to change their activity type to full time student, see Youth Allowance (YA) job seeker or Australian Apprentice returning to full time study first before attempting this procedure.

When a course is approved for TAP, study details are to be recorded on the system if they have not already been coded.

Most education institutions will have an academic calendar with the standard date many students will start or end their courses or study periods. Service Officers can access these dates on the National Course Approvals sub-site. Education providers often publish their academic calendars on their websites. It is important to note that many students will be enrolled in a course that starts or finishes on a different date to the standard date on the education provider's academic calendar.

Service Officers can accept a student start date advised by a YA or Austudy customer, providing that date is not greater than 14 days before the standard course start date published on the National Course Approvals sub-site, or an education provider's website.

The exception to this is where the date the student has provided is the day they are commencing 'Orientation week' (O week). O week is not considered part of the student's course.

The student may provide a date that is known to be the start date of O week. If there is no indication the student is attending O week on the date provided, the date must be accepted.

When Service Officers are making study updates, consideration should be given to whether the customer can be considered a continuing/intending student. This determination may influence what date the customer is eligible to receive a student payment. The rules for continuing/intending students vary between different student payments.

Only Startup Year Courses that offer STARTUP-HELP loans are considered to be an approved course. Not all Startup Year Courses are approved to offer STARTUP-HELP loans.

To be eligible for a student payment, students doing a Startup Year Course must be:

• enrolled in the course, and
• selected for a STARTUP-HELP loan by their higher education provider

See Startup Year Courses for more information on coding these courses.

Students studying an approved scholarship course may also be qualified to receive an RS.

RS eligibility explains additional coding required for students studying an approved scholarship course to ensure that the RS is paid correctly.

When making an unfavourable decision, speak to the customer:

• explain the decision
• give them a chance to provide more information or evidence
• advise their review and appeal rights, and record an application for a formal review of the decision if required

Make 2 genuine attempts to contact the customer before finalising the decision.