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You are here: ABSTUDY > 7
Benefits and Allowances > 7.4 Masters and Doctorate Allowances
This chapter outlines the details of the Masters and Doctorate Allowances.
Summary table
The table below summarises the Masters and Doctorate Allowances
|
Feature of Allowance |
Details |
|
Availability |
For students meeting the general ABSTUDY criteria who are undertaking Masters and Doctorate (PhD) degrees on a full-time basis at an approved institution. |
|
Purpose |
To assist Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students undertaking Masters and Doctorate degrees on a full-time basis meet the cost of fees, living and a range of other expenses. |
|
Eligibility conditions |
|
|
Maximum rates |
Living Allowance
Relocation allowance:
Thesis allowance:
Rates are aligned to the Australian Postgraduate Award scheme standard stipend and allowance rates. An abatement rate applies which may reduce a student’s entitlement to Living Allowance. |
|
Benefits |
May receive:
|
|
Other entitlement features |
|
|
Comments |
|
|
Taxation Status |
Taxable |
|
Indexation |
As per Australian Postgraduate Award scheme. |
Masters and Doctorate may be approved if the applicant is an Australian Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student (see Policy Manual 3.1.1.2), and:
A 1997 Budget measure introduced income testing and abatement to the Masters and Doctorate with effect from 1 January 1998. Students must qualify for Living Allowance to be eligible for relocation allowance, Thesis Allowance and payment of HECS or compulsory course fees.
Income, assets and family actual means tests are applied to student income during the period for which the student is eligible for ABSTUDY assistance.
Means tests also apply to:
The income of students and their parents/guardians or partners, where relevant, must be below the allowable income limits after income and family actual means tests (see Policy Manual 6.5.1.2) to receive the maximum rate of Living Allowance
Students may be entitled to a reduced rate of Living Allowance where the relevant income and family actual means tests are higher than the allowable income limits but below the upper income limits according to their circumstances (see the table at Policy Manual 6.5.2.1).
Entitlement to relocation allowance, Thesis Allowance and payment of HECS or compulsory course costs is dependent on a student qualifying for Living Allowance or PES. However, a student will be eligible for these allowances if receiving Living Allowance at either the maximum rate or a reduced rate. A student receiving PES must be studying a full-time workload.
The entitlements for Masters and Doctorate are based on the standard stipend rates which apply to the Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) scheme.
Part-time postgraduate students cannot receive Masters and Doctorate but are entitled to apply for an ABSTUDY Part-time Award (see Policy Manual 3.2.1.4).
For the purposes of the Masters and Doctorate Award, the following courses cannot be approved under this Award:
Students in such courses may apply for benefits under a Tertiary Award (see Policy Manual 3.2.1.3).
Full-time Masters and Doctorate students who prefer to retain their pension and receive the Pensioner Education Supplement must be studying a full-time workload to be eligible for the Masters and Doctorate Award supplementary benefits. That means that if they are receiving the Pensioner Education Supplement because of a workload concession (see Policy Manual 4.4.2.4 Pensioner concession) they are not eligible for relocation allowance, Thesis Allowance or payment of compulsory course fees or HECS.
The following forms of assistance are available to approved Masters and Doctorate students:
The Living Allowance rate paid under the ABSTUDY Masters and Doctorate Award is based on the standard stipend rate paid under the Australian Postgraduate Award scheme.
The maximum rate of Living Allowance is $675.30 a fortnight. The rate is applicable to both course work and research studies.
ABSTUDY Masters and Doctorate is income, asset and family actual means tested and taxable. Family actual means tests do not apply to independent students. An abatement rate may also be applied (see Policy Manual 6.5.1).
A student who has to move to another town or city to take up a Masters and Doctorate Award may be paid a relocation allowance.
Relocation allowance is to assist with:
Note: An eligible student must be receiving Living Allowance to be eligible for relocation allowance (see 7.4.2.2).
The removal costs component of relocation allowance covers:
Removal costs can be paid either:
The student must obtain three quotes before removal costs can be approved (see Policy Manual 7.10.3.2.3 to 7.10.3.2.5). The lowest quote will be paid. Where it is not possible to get three quotes, the delegated officer needs to be satisfied the costs are reasonable.
Relocation allowance does not cover the costs of establishing the student’s new home.
Note: Students paid relocation allowance have moved their permanent home and cannot receive Fares Allowance other than for participation in an Away-from-base activity, attendance at a graduation ceremony and relocation travel (see Policy Manual 7.9.5.5, 7.9.5.7 and 7.9.5.9).
Relocation allowance cannot be paid without proof of full-time enrolment in an approved Masters/Doctorate course (see Policy Manual 2.1.4.1.2).
ABSTUDY Masters and Doctorate Award students may receive a Thesis Allowance to assist with costs associated with the presentation of a thesis or other similar course requirement.
Thesis allowance is payable up to:
This payment must be claimed within two years of the expiry of the Award. The claim must be substantiated by original accounts or receipts for payment if reimbursement is sought.
Note: An eligible student must be receiving Living Allowance to be eligible for Thesis Allowance (see 7.4.2.2).
ABSTUDY Masters and Doctorate Award students may apply to Centrelink for assistance to pay compulsory course fees or HECS commitments incurred for the approved course.
Where either course fees or HECS are payable, ABSTUDY will pay the lesser of the two amounts. To receive this benefit, a student must make a written request attaching:
HECS requests should be lodged before the census date and in time for the advance payment discount to be received.
Note: A student must be receiving Living Allowance to be eligible for payment of compulsory course fees or HECS (see 7.4.4.2).
For both course fees and HECS, payment will be made direct to the institution.
Where a student has incorrectly nominated to defer their HECS payment instead of choosing the Up Front payment option, or has lodged their HECS payment option form late, and the institution is unable to accept payment, the student must then obtain a statement of their HECS liability from the education institution before payment can be made on their behalf to the Australian Taxation Office. In such cases, the early repayment discount would need to be deducted from the notified amount.
Under no circumstances, is payment to be made direct to the student.
Refer to Policy Manual 7.1.2 to identify the responsible payee where an overpayment of any of these allowances has been made.
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