An abatement rate is a system of gradual reduction in assistance as
individual (student), parental or partner income levels rise.
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
- An Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person for ABSTUDY
purposes, is one who:
-
- is of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, and
- identifies as an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
person, and
- is accepted as such by the community in which s/he lives or has lived.
Note: The terms Aboriginal or Aboriginality are used
throughout this manual to refer to both Australian Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander people.
- ABSTUDY
- ABSTUDY is the Aboriginal Study Assistance Scheme. It has three components
of assistance:
- Schooling;
- Tertiary; and
- Masters and Doctorate.
- Additional Assistance
- Additional Assistance is financial assistance provided to the student
which is over and above a student's normal entitlements where the student
can provide evidence of extreme financial difficulties associated with
education costs.
- AEU
- See Indigenous Education Unit.
- AEP
- National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Policy (AEP).
- AFI
- Adjusted Family Income (AFI) is the parental income, after adjustments to
take into account the number of children in the family, used in the parental
income test to determine whether the student qualifies for a Living
Allowance.
- Age
- Age, for the purposes of determining the rate of Living Allowance (Basic
Payment) on any day, is the student's actual age on that day.
- AHL
- Aboriginal Hostels Limited (AHL) provides boarding facilities for
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
- AIC
- The Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme provides distance
education, boarding and second home allowances for primary and secondary
students who have no reasonable daily access to appropriate Government
schooling.
- Allowable Deductions
- Allowable deductions are amounts by which gross income may be reduced to
obtain the income figure on which the income test is based.
- Allowable Income Limit
- The allowable income limit is the income threshold point at which Living
Allowance start to abate (reduce). Maximum Living Allowance is payable where
student and parental or partner income is below the relevant allowable
income limits.
- APA
- Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) scheme.
- API
- Adjusted Partner Income (API) is the partner income which applies to 21
year olds and over, after adjustments to take account of the number of
children in the family, used in the partner income test to determine if the
student qualifies for a Living Allowance.
- Applicant
- An applicant is a person who has lodged an ABSTUDY claim form with
Centrelink. This is usually a parent/guardian or student.
- Approved Course
- An approved course is an academic programme for which ABSTUDY assistance
is awarded.
- Approved Institution
- An approved institution is an institution which is registered by a State/
Territory accrediting authority and meets the requirements at 4.2.1.1
for Schooling Awards and 4.3.1.1 for
Tertiary Awards.
- APS
- Australian Public Service (APS).
- Area Manager
- See Centrelink Area Manager.
- Assessor
- See Customer Service Officer.
- Asset test
- An asset test is the measure used to establish eligibility for Living
Allowance - there are family and personal asset tests.
- ATO
- Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
- ASSPA
The Aboriginal Student Support and Parental Awareness (ASSPA) Programme,
administered by DETYA.
- ASSPA Committee
- The ASSPA Committee is the committee formed for each school or school
cluster to plan and run ASSPA activities.
- ATAS
The Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ATAS), administered by the
Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA).
- ATSIC
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).
- Austudy Payment
- Austudy payment is the student assistance scheme administered by
Centrelink for Australian students 25 years and over.
- Award
- An Award is an entitlement to specified benefits made under the ABSTUDY
provisions unless otherwise stated.
- Away-From-Base Activities
- There are two broad categories of ABSTUDY away-from-base:
- Travel and accommodation for ‘mixed-mode’ courses (a term used to
describe courses delivered through a combination of distance education
and face-to-face teaching for students who are based in their home
communities and need time on campus.) Eligible ABSTUDY students have
travel and accommodation costs paid for by the institution.
- Travel, accommodation and meals for special activities such as field
trips or practical placements essential for a course. The student may
receive money to help meet meals and accommodation costs. Travel may be
paid either by reimbursement or by Centrelink. This element of
away-from-base remains unchanged. For this type of assistance students
will still apply to Centrelink.
It is the first category of ABSTUDY away-from-base which will be
transferred to the Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives programme.
To simplify procedure for both students and institutions the funding will
be paid direct to the institutions for students in ‘mixed-mode’ courses
to attend residential schools.
This means that eligible ABSTUDY students will not need to apply to
Centrelink for away-from-base activities but will need to be enrolled in the
‘mixed-mode’ course to be eligible to apply for this assistance paid by
the institution.
The institution will then be responsible for paying the accommodation and
travel providers.
- B
- Boarding Fees
- Boarding fees are fees charged for boarding costs (accommodation, meals,
etc) for students living away from home.
-
Note: These fees are distinguished from school fees for
secondary students.
- Bridging Programme
- A bridging programme is a study programme conducted prior to the
commencement of a formal award course, and is provided for particular types
of disadvantaged students who need additional preparation prior to
commencing the award course. Programmes which form part of a formal award
course or for which credit will or may be given towards an award course are
not considered to be bridging programmes.
- C
- Centrelink
- Centrelink was set up to provide a wide range of Commonwealth Government
Services to the Australian community. Centrelink delivers payments and
services provided under ABSTUDY.
- Centrelink Area Manager
- The Centrelink Area Manager is an officer who has responsibility for
Centrelink Customer Service Centres in her/his administrative area.
- Centrelink Customer Service
Centre
- The Centrelink Customer Service Centre is the location for ABSTUDY form
lodgement – the organisational units which are responsible for the
assessment and processing of ABSTUDY claim forms and benefits.
- Centrepay
- ABSTUDY customers can make use of Centrelink's Centrepay service which
enables deductions from ABSTUDY entitlements, such as Living Allowance, Rent
Assistance, Pharmaceutical Allowance and Remote Area allowance, to be
directed to approved third parties in accordance with Centrelink/Centrepay
Organisation Agreements.
- CDEP
- The Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) Scheme is a programme
administered by ATSIC which enables Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
communities and organisations to take control of their own community,
economic and social development and to provide employment for people in
their communities.
- Coherent Course Sequence
- A workload concession for tertiary students studying two associated
courses where one merges with or leads into the other course. See 4.4.2.1.
- Continuing Students
- Continuing students are those students continuing study as a full-time
student without interruption from the previous academic year.
Note: Continuing students aged 21 years or more who have been
receiving the 1999 rate of the ABSTUDY living allowance will be maintained
at the 1999 rate of living allowance until the completion of the course.
Similarly, Pensioner Education Supplement recipients will be maintained at
1999 levels until the completion of their current course.
- Current Income Concession
- Current income assessment is a concession available for students whose
parents or partner experience a substantial drop in income from the previous
financial year. They are therefore approved to be income tested on the basis
of income for the current financial year.
- Customer Service Officer
- A Customer Service Officer (CSO), previously known as an assessor, is an
officer of Centrelink whose duty is to assess, organise and, as appropriate,
approve payments under the student assistance schemes administered by
Centrelink.
- Cut-off Limit
- Cut-off limit is the amount immediately past the upper income limit for
the income tests on personal (student) income, parental income, family
actual means and partner income, beyond which Living Allowance is not
payable.
- D
- DETYA
- Commonwealth Department of Education, Training and Youth Affairs (DETYA).
- Delegate
- A delegate is a person to whom the Minister or the Secretary has delegated
their authority. Such delegation gives that person the authority to make
decisions (see list of ABSTUDY delegations 1.5.6).
- Delegated Officer
- A delegated officer is an officer of Centrelink whose duty is to assess,
organise and, as appropriate, approve payments under the student assistance
schemes administered by Centrelink.
- Dependent Child
- A dependent child is a child who is:
- under 16 years of age;
- not receiving ABSTUDY, AIC, YA or Veteran’s Children’s Education
Scheme benefits; and
- wholly or substantially dependent on her/his parents/guardian.
- Dependent Child Adjustment
- A dependent child adjustment is an amount that may be added to income in
respect of other dependent children in a family for the purposes of the
parental income test (see definitions of adjusted family income (AFI)
and adjusted partner income (API), for 21 year old and
over ).
- Dependent Partner
- For the purposes of ABSTUDY a dependent partner is a legal or de facto
husband or wife who is wholly or substantially dependent on the student and
there is a dependent child or dependent student. See also Partner.
- Dependent Status
- A student is of dependent status if s/he:
- does not meet any of the criteria for independent status under
ABSTUDY;
- is not in receipt of a pension; and
- is not in lawful custody.
- Dependent Student
- A dependent student is:
- aged 16 to 24 years, and
- in a full-time secondary or tertiary course approved for ABSTUDY,
AIC or YA;
- not eligible for the independent rate of ABSTUDY or YA; and
- not receiving assistance from a Commonwealth education allowance
other than ABSTUDY, AIC, YA or Veteran’s Children’s Education
Scheme; or
- under 16 years of age, and
- is receiving ABSTUDY, AIC, YA or Veteran’s Children’s Education
Scheme; and
- is not eligible for the independent student adjustment.
- Dependent Student Adjustment
- Dependent student adjustment is an amount that may be subtracted from
taxable income in respect of other dependent students for the purposes of
the parental income test (see adjusted family income (AFI)
and adjusted partner income (API), for 21 year olds and
over).
- DVA
- Commonwealth Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).
- DVA Pensions
- DVA provides different types of pensions.
DVA Service Pension - full income support Living Allowances to returned
service personnel and/or their dependants, for example on the grounds of age
or permanent and total incapacity. A person cannot get ABSTUDY Living
Allowance while receiving a service pension (s/he may qualify for Pensioner
Education Supplement).
DVA Disability Pension - compensation-type payments for partial
disability or health impairment related to war service. A DVA Disability
Pension does not stop a student from getting an ABSTUDY Living Allowance.
The Veterans’ Children Education Scheme (VCES) is a programme that
provides financial and other benefits to student children (up to the age of
25) of veterans or members of the Armed Forces who meet certain specific
disability conditions such as qualifying for disability pensions at the
special rate (T&PI). Students who choose to take up the VCES benefits
become ineligible for assistance under ABSTUDY.
- E
- Enabling Courses
- An enabling course is a programme of study which provides bridging or
supplementary education for the purpose of enabling a person from a
designated disadvantaged group to undertake an award course. See Appendix
2 for the Austudy Determination of Courses - Schedules 1
and 2 for secondary enabling courses;
Schedule 3 for tertiary enabling courses.
Students undertaking enabling courses are exempt from HECS. Programmes
which form part of a formal award course for which credit will or may be
given towards an award course are not considered to be enabling courses.
- F
- FaCS
- The Department of Family and Community Services (FaCS).
- Family
- See Family Actual Means Test
definition.
For Compassionate Travel see 7.10.5.4.4.
For Additional Assistance family refers to a student’s parent or
partner; see definition of Parent.
- Family Actual Means Test
- Family Actual Means Test (FAMT) is a test applied to a dependent student
whose parent is a designated parent (see Policy Manual 6.5.2)
for the FAMT. The expenditure and savings of all assessable family members
are taken into account to determine the dependent student’s rate of
ABSTUDY.
- Fees for Secondary Students
- Fees are those amounts charged by a government or non-government school or
other institution for all students enrolled in a particular programme. These
fees cover tuition, examinations, services and amenities.
Note: Such fees are distinguished from boarding fees.
- Foster Care
- Foster care is where a student has been placed in substitute care through
a State or Territory Department of Welfare or through legal process.
- Full-time Student
- A full-time student is a student enrolled in and undertaking at least 75%
of the accredited full-time workload for the course. A student may also be
considered full-time for ABSTUDY purposes if s/he qualifies for a workload
concession (see 4.4).
- G
- Guardian
- A guardian is a person who has assumed the financial and custodial
responsibilities of a parent for a student.
- H
- HECS
- Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) is the scheme under which
students pay part of the cost of their higher education. HECS payments
depend on study load.
- Homeless Student
- A homeless student is a student of at least the required minimum school
leaving age for her/his State or Territory (see 5.5.1.3)
who is living away from the parental home because of serious risk to their
physical or emotional health.
- I J K
- IECB
- The State or Territory Indigenous Education Consultative Body (IECB) is
the committee of Aboriginal (and where appropriate, Torres Strait Islander)
people established to provide advice on Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander education matters to the relevant State or Territory Minister for
Education.
- Income Bank
- An Income Bank allows a student to earn money during breaks from study
without affecting their Living Allowance.
- Income Test
- An income test is the measure used to establish eligibility for Living
Allowance - there are student, parental and partner income tests.
- Independent Status
- A student is of independent status if s/he meets at least one of the
criteria for independence specified in 5.3.
- Indigenous
Education Strategic Initiative Programme (IESIP)
- Indigenous Education Strategic Initiatives Programme (IESIP) is the main
source of supplementary assistance to government and non-government
education providers to ensure Indigenous students achieve success in
education. The primary objective for IESIP over the 1997-99 triennium is to
achieve performances targets aimed at improving Indigenous education
outcomes.
- Indigenous Special Course
- An Indigenous special course is a course which is developed specifically
for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students (see 4.1.1.2
for approval procedures).
- Indigenous
- Indigenous means a member of the Indigenous race of Australia and includes
a descendant of the Indigenous inhabitants of the Torres Strait Islands.
- Indigenous Education Unit
- Indigenous Education Units (IEUs) are part of DETYA and are responsible
for the local administration and delivery of elements of the Indigenous
Education Direct Assistance (IEDA) programme. These are the Aboriginal
Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ATAS), Aboriginal Student Support and Parent
Awareness (ASSPA) programme and the Vocational and Educational Guidance for
Aboriginals Scheme (VEGAS).
- L
- Late Starting Course
- A late starting course is not a short course, but starts between 1 April
and 30 June or between 1 August and 31 December inclusive.
- Lawful Custody
- A student is considered to be in lawful custody for ABSTUDY purposes if
s/he is, for a period of more than two weeks, imprisoned or detained in a
correctional institution, remand centre or youth training centre.
- Living Allowance/ Basic Payment
- A term used by Centrelink which refers to ABSTUDY Living Allowance.
- M
- Mainstream Course
- A mainstream course is a course which is developed for members of all
sections of the Australian community. See Appendix
2 for the Determination of Education Institutions and Courses which also
are approved mainstream courses for ABSTUDY.
- Minister
- The Minister is the Commonwealth Minister for Education, Training and
Youth Affairs.
- Motor Vehicle Allowance (MVA)
- Where use of a private vehicle is necessary or appropriate, the Department
of Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business has granted permission
for DETYA to use the MVA rates under the conditions of their subscription
agreement for the purpose of ABSTUDY. (see 7.9.4.10)
- N
- NEIS
- New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS).
- Non-approved Course
- A non-approved course is a mainstream or Indigenous special course which
is not approved for ABSTUDY assistance.
- O
- Orphan
- An orphan is a person whose natural or adoptive (legal or traditional)
parents are dead or legally missing and presumed dead.
- P Q
- Parent
- A parent is a natural or adoptive (legal or traditional) parent, step
parent, de facto partner of natural or adoptive parents with whom the
student normally lives, and/or any other person who is fully or
substantially responsible for the student (not including the de facto
partner of the student) (also see Guardian). Does
not include foster parents.
- Partner
- For the purposes of ABSTUDY, partner means:
- a married husband or wife; or
- an unmarried person who is living with a person of the opposite sex in
a de facto relationship:
- which is of at least six months duration, or
- there is a child in the relationship who is dependent on the student
or the de facto partner.
- Part-time Student
- A part-time student is a student who is enrolled in, and undertaking, an
approved course but is not carrying a full-time workload.
- Payee
- A payee is a person to whom ABSTUDY assistance is paid.
- Pensioner Education Supplement
- The Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) is a benefit paid to students who
continue to receive a FaCS or DVA pension during the period of study.
- Pensioner Student
- A pensioner student is a student receiving a FaCS or DVA pension.
- Permanent Home
- A permanent home is defined as follows:
-
|
Type of Student |
Definition |
|
Dependent |
The place at which the student normally lives when not studying
(prior to study and during vacations),
usually with a parent or guardian. |
|
Independent and Pensioner (for secondary and initial tertiary
study) |
The place where the student lived immediately prior to the
commencement or recommencement of the approved course (for secondary
studies and initial tertiary qualification only). |
|
Independent and Pensioner (for further tertiary studies) |
The place where the student is studying, that is the place to which
the student has relocated. |
- Permanent Independent Status
- Permanent independent status is granted on the basis of a condition which
cannot change in a way that will substantially affect the independence of a
student.
- Pharmaceutical Allowance
- The Pharmaceutical Allowance (PhA) is a payment for pensioner students who
are incapacitated for study, to assist with the cost of pharmaceutical
prescriptions under the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.
- R
- Relevant Period
- Generally the income test period applies to the period that the student is
eligible to receive ABSTUDY assistance (see Part
6 - Income and Rates).
- Remote Area Allowance
- The Remote Area Allowance (RAA) helps to meet additional costs associated
with residence in remote areas. RAA makes a contribution towards some of the
higher costs associated with living in particularly remote areas.
- Reviewable Independent Status
- Reviewable independent status is granted on the basis of a condition which
can change in a way that may substantially affect the independence of a
student for ABSTUDY purposes.
- S
- Scheme
- The Scheme is the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Study Assistance
Scheme (ABSTUDY).
- School Fees Allowance
- School Fees Allowance is a benefit paid under ABSTUDY Schooling Awards to
assist with the cost of school fees (see 7.8).
- School Term Allowance
- The School Term Allowance is a benefit intended to help meet the costs
associated with equipping an under 16 year old student, living at home, for
school (see 7.2).
- School Year
- The school year is the period in a calendar year which starts on the first
day on which the school requires a student to attend her/his course and ends
on the last day of required attendance for that course. The last day of the
school year for a Year 12 student is the day of her/his final examination.
- Short Course
- A short course is not more than 30 weeks in duration, ie the first and
last days are not more than 30 weeks apart.
- SHR
- Student Homeless Rate (SHR) is the rate of Living Allowance paid to
students approved as independent under the ABSTUDY Homeless provisions (see 5.5).
- Special Assessment
- Special assessment is a concession allowing the parental/partner income
test to be waived if the parent(s)/partner are, or become, dependent on
certain Commonwealth Government assistance (
- see 6.3.3).
- State Care
- State care is where a student has been placed in substitute care through a
State or Territory Department of Welfare or through legal process.
- Student
- A student is a person whose ABSTUDY claim has been accepted by Centrelink.
- Student Assistance Act
- The Student Assistance Act 1973 is the legislation covering, among
other things, ABSTUDY overpayment and recovery matters.
- Supplementary Programme
- A supplementary programme is one which is provided for students subsequent
to their commencement of a formal award course, and which is undertaken
concurrently with that course. Such programmes provide supplementary
teaching in the form of a separate, discrete programme. The supplementary
programme is systematic, structured and aimed at addressing difficulties
experienced by particular types of disadvantaged students undertaking the
award course. Programmes which form part of a formal award course, or for
which credit will or may be given towards an award course, are not
considered to be supplementary programmes.
- T U
- TAN
- Tax Assessment Notice (TAN).
- TFN
- A Tax File Number (TFN) is usually required for:
- each student 16 years or older who applies for an allowance;
- the parents/guardians of dependent students; and
- the partner of students who are married/living in a de facto
relationship.
- Some exceptions apply (see 6.6.2.2).
- Travel Allowance
- Travel allowance entitlement is to cover cost of accommodation for
students who are at a transit location or attending an Away-from-base
activity. The Department of Employment, Workplace Relations and small
Business has granted permission for DETYA to use the Travel Allowance and
Meal Allowance rates under the conditions of their subscription agreement
for the purpose of ABSTUDY. (see 7.10.3.2.7
and 7.10.3.2.10)
- Travel 'No Show'
- Travel 'no show' refers to authorised or chartered travel booked for a
student who did not travel and did not advise Centrelink that the travel
would not be undertaken.
- V
- Vacation
- A short vacation is any one of the two or three major vacations (depending
on the State or Territory) occurring between terms within a school year.
A long vacation is that which occurs between the end of one year and the
commencement of the next.
- W
- Waiver
- A waiver is a written request by a parent or a student to have all or part
of an allowance to which s/he is entitled paid to another person or
institution.
- Y Z
- YHA
- Young Homeless Allowance (YHA) is an allowance paid by Centrelink on
behalf of FaCS to homeless and unemployed youth.
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Introduction to ABSTUDY > 1.2 Terms and Abbreviations
