Student Start-up Scholarship (SSS) eligibility 010-07030040

Example

Description

1

Determining the qualification date

Teena contacts Services Australia on 1 June and is granted Austudy from this date. Teena started a 3 year course at the University of Western Australia on 22 February of the same year.

Teena's qualification for SSS begins on the first day of meeting all the conditions of eligibility for SSS. From that day (the SSS qualification time), Teena must be undertaking study in an approved scholarship course 35 days after the qualification date.

In Teena's case, the qualification for SSS begins on 1 June. This is because although Teena was studying from 22 February, one of the eligibility conditions for SSS is being in receipt of a qualifying payment - in this case, Austudy. Teena is eligible for SSS for the first study period in the year.

The next regular SSS payment is due on 21 July, however, there must be a break of at least two months between SSS payments. This means Teena would receive the next SSS with the regular Austudy payment on or after 1 August.

Note: a person cannot receive more than two payments of SSS in a calendar year.

2

Continuing student with a non-traditional study regime

Ting is receiving ABSTUDY Living Allowance to study an Associate Degree in Policing Practice at Charles Sturt University. This course begins in January and will end on 13 August.

On 1 July, as Ting is studying a non-traditional study regime and has already re-commenced her studies after a break. The qualification for SSS in this period begins on this date (students studying a 2 semester course normally re-commence in mid to late July and must be studying 35 days after that date to qualify for SSS).

As Ting is actually undertaking study on 1 July, the qualification for SSS begins on that date and because there are 35 days between 1 July and 13 August, Ting will qualify for SSS payment in relation to this period.

3

Deferral of studies

Meagan is receiving ABSTUDY Living Allowance for a Bachelor of Business Administration course at Macquarie University that was started in the first semester 2013. Meagan received a SSS for this course in the first semester.

On 2 August 2013, Meagan returns to the university to continue studying for the course in the second semester. However, on 28 August 2013, Megan decides to defer the studies until 2014.

Part of the eligibility for SSS is that students must commence or recommence studies and be studying in an approved scholarship course 35 calendar days after their qualification date for the period.

Although Meagan recommenced studies in the second semester on the 2 August 2013, Megan was not studying 35 calendar days later.

This means that Meagan has been overpaid SSS in second semester and will need to repay this amount. Meagan's overpayment will need to be raised manually.

To assist with calculating scholarship eligibility, the system uses default study start date for continuing students. The default study start dates for SSS are 21 February and 21 July. The system uses these default dates when calculating whether a student has met the 35 days study requirement.

These default dates may not be the same as the actual start of the institution's semester, so when coding student end dates it is essential that Service Officers check whether the student has met the 35 day study requirement based on their actual start date and not the default start date.

Example

Description

1

Angus is granted Youth Allowance (YA) for an approved scholarship course from 1 January 2015 until the end of the course on 30 November 2018.

Angus’ last Student Start-up Scholarship payment before 1 January 2016 was paid on 29 July 2015.

In November 2015 Angus gets casual work. Angus reports earnings every fortnight and after depleting the Student Income Bank Angus’s Youth Allowance is reduced to zero from 10 December 2015 until 3 March 2016. Youth Allowance is cancelled E6F.

Angus’s casual hours are reduced in late March and on 2 April 2016 and Angus reapplies for Youth Allowance. YA is granted from 2 April 2016.

To be eligible for Student Start-up Scholarship after 1 January 2016 Angus must have been in continuous receipt of YA since the last Student Start-up Scholarship payment prior to 1 January 2016. This means Angus needs to have received YA without a break since 29 July 2015.

Employment income nil rate periods of up to 6 fortnights do not count as a break in payment for grandfathering purposes. Therefore Angus is regarded as receiving YA during the 6 fortnights at nil rate.

However, Angus also has a non-payment period from the date his YA is cancelled until YA is regranted.

The non-payment period is 28 days (four weeks).

As this non-payment period is less than 6 weeks long it is an ‘allowable break’ and does not count as a break in payment.

Therefore Angus is eligible for Student Start-up Scholarship in 2016.

However, because Angus’s rate of YA was zero on the default SSS qualification date of 21 February 2016, Angus did not receive a SSS payment prior to his YA being cancelled.

Student Start-up Scholarship will be paid with Angus’s first YA payment of at least $1 after YA is re-granted on 1 April 2016.

2

Portia is granted Youth Allowance (YA) for an approved scholarship course from 1 February 2015 until the end of the course on 30 November 2018.

Portia’s last SSS payment before 1 January 2016 was paid on 29 July 2015.

Portia has casual income throughout 2015 so Portia’s Student Income Bank balance is zero. In the Christmas break 2015/16 Portia gets additional hours which immediately reduces her YA to zero from 3 December 2015. Because Portia’s rate is zero, Portia stops reporting after two fortnights and Youth Allowance is cancelled (did not report) on 20 December.

In March Portia’s work hours are reduced and Portia reclaims Youth Allowance, which is granted from 17 March 2016.

Employment income nil rate periods of up to 6 fortnights do not count as a break in payment for grandfathering purposes. Therefore Portia is regarded as receiving YA during the nil rate period.

However, Portia also has a non-payment period from the date YA is cancelled until YA is re-granted on 17 March 2016.

Portia’s non-payment period is more than 6 weeks so it can only be treated as an ‘allowable break’ if Portia had been receiving YA for at least 12 months when the non-payment period started.

The non-payment period starts on the day her YA is cancelled (20 December) at which time Portia had only been receiving YA for 11 months.

This means Portia is only entitled to an 'allowable break' of up to 6 weeks.

Because Portia has had a non-payment period of more than 6 weeks since the last SSS payment before 1 January 2016, Portia is not eligible for SSS under the grandfathering provisions.

3

Raoul has been receiving ABSTUDY Living Allowance since 1 March 2015 for an approved scholarship course.

Raoul last SSS payment before 1 January 2016 was paid on 29 July 2015.

On 17 December 2015 Raoul went overseas and ABSTUDY Living Allowance was suspended under the portability provisions. When Raoul returned to Australia on 21 January 2016 ABSTUDY Living Allowance was restored.

The overseas absence is an ‘allowable break’ because:

• at the start of the suspension period, Raoul had been receiving ABSTUDY Living Allowance for less than 12 months, which means any break of not more than 6 weeks is an ‘allowable break’ for SSS grandfathering purposes and
• the non-payment period (while payment was suspended) was only five weeks

In the first semester of 2016 Raoul is eligible for SSS under the grandfathering provisions because Raoul has been continuously receiving ABSTUDY since Raoul last SSS payment prior to 1 January 2016.

4

Sacha has been receiving Youth Allowance (YA) (student) since 1 February 2015 for an approved scholarship course that ends on 10 November 2019.

Sacha’s last SSS payment before 1 January 2016 was paid on 29 July 2015.

In September 2015 Sacha went overseas and YA was suspended under the portability provisions. When Sacha returned to Australia 2 weeks later, YA was restored.

In the first semester of 2016 Sacha was eligible for SSS under the grandfathering provisions because, although payment was suspended for 2 weeks in September 2015, the non-payment period was less than 6 weeks and is therefore an ‘allowable break’ for SSS grandfathering purposes.

On 20 December 2016 Sacha goes overseas again and YA is suspended under the portability provisions. After six weeks YA is cancelled.

When Sacha returns to Australia on 27 March 2017 Sacha reclaims Austudy and is granted from that date.

At the time payment was suspended in December 2016, Sacha had been receiving YA for more than 12 months, which means any non-payment period of not more than 12 weeks is now an ‘allowable break’ for the purposes of SSS grandfathering.

Sacha was overseas for just under 12 weeks, which means Sacha remains eligible for SSS under the grandfathering provisions when Sacha starts receiving Austudy again in March 2017.

SSS will be paid with Sacha’s next YA payment of more than $1.

5

Summer has been receiving ABSTUDY Living Allowance since 1 February 2015 for an approved scholarship course that ends on 10 November 2018.

Summer’s last SSS payment before 1 January 2016 was paid on 28 July 2015.

In August 2015 Summer went overseas and Living Allowance was suspended. When Summer returned to Australia 7 weeks later, ABSTUDY Living Allowance was restored.

This is not an ‘allowable break’ for SSS grandfathering purposes because:

• at the time her payment was suspended, Summer had been receiving ABSTUDY Living Allowance for less than 12 months and was therefore only entitled to an ‘allowable break’ of up to 6 weeks and
• the non-payment period (while payment was suspended) was more than 6 weeks long

This means Summer is not eligible for SSS under the grandfathering provisions because Summer has had a break in payment since receiving her last SSS payment prior to 1 January 2016.

6

Declan receives Austudy for an approved scholarship course which started on 4 March 2015 and ends in November 2020.

Declan’s last SSS payment before 1 January 2016 was paid on 24 July 2015.

In the first semester of 2016 Declan is eligible for SSS under the grandfathering provisions because Declan has been continuously receiving Austudy since the last SSS payment prior to 1 January 2016.

On 30 June 2016 Declan goes overseas during a semester break and Austudy payment is suspended under the portability provisions. Declan’s Austudy is restored upon returning to Australia on 4 August 2016.

As this non-payment period is less than 6 weeks long it is an ‘allowable break’ for SSS grandfathering purposes.

This means that in the second semester of 2016 Declan is still eligible for SSS under the grandfathering provisions.

SSS will be paid on the first payday after Declan’s Austudy is restored (as long as Declan meets all the other criteria for SSS on that payday).

7

Minnie has been receiving Youth Allowance (YA) (student) since 1 February 2015 for an approved scholarship course that ends on 10 November 2018.

Minnie's last SSS payment before 1 January 2016 was paid on 28 July 2015.

On 10 December 2015 Minnie decided to defer study and look for work instead. Minnie notifies that study has been deferred and would be claiming Newstart Allowance as a job seeker, as Minnie is now 23 years old.

After looking for work unsuccessfully and receiving Newstart Allowance for 2 months Minnie decides to return to study on 10 February 2016.

The period from 10 December to 10 February is not an 'allowable break' for SSS grandfathering purposes because Minnie was receiving Newstart Allowance during this period.

8

Oliver has been receiving Youth Allowance (YA) (student) since 1 February 2015 for an approved scholarship course that ends on 10 November 2018. Oliver's last SSS payment was before 1 January 2016 and paid on the 28th July 2015.

Oliver decides to defer study on the 10th December 2015 and look for work. Oliver is granted Newstart Allowance from this date as Oliver is now 23 years of age.

On 8 January 2016, Oliver finds employment and cancels Newstart Allowance from this date.

Oliver decides to leave work and resumes study and claims YA (student) from 2 February 2016.

The period 8 January to 2 February is a non-payment period where Oliver did not receive any income support payment.

Oliver was not on a student payment just before this break and so is not entitled to SSS grandfathering.