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You are here: ABSTUDY > 7
Benefits and Allowances > 7.7 Incidentals Allowance
This chapter contains details about Incidentals Allowance and Additional Incidentals Allowance
Summary table
The table below summarises the Incidentals Allowance.
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Feature of Allowance |
Details |
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Availability |
Tertiary, Part-time, Schooling B, Masters and Doctorate Awards. Note: Schooling Award students must be 18 years or older at 1 January to be eligible. |
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Purpose |
To assist in meeting expenses associated with study in the approved course, such as general purpose education institution fees, textbooks, equipment and stationery. |
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Eligibility conditions |
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Entitlement |
Initial entitlement:
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Additional Incidentals Allowance |
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Rate of Incidentals Allowance (IA) for each year of study per Award |
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Other entitlement features |
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Payment features |
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Taxation status |
Non taxable. |
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Indexation status |
Initial IA and the Prescribed Amounts for Additional Incidental Allowance are indexed to CPI and adjusted annually. |
Students on the following awards may qualify for Incidentals Allowance:
Note: Schooling Award students must be 18 years or older
at
1 January to be eligible.
The purpose of Incidentals Allowance is to assist students to meet expenses associated with study in the approved course, such as general purpose education institution fees, textbooks, equipment and stationery.
A student is eligible for Incidentals Allowance if s/he meets the eligibility criteria for Tertiary, Part-time, Schooling B and Masters and Doctorate Awards.
Where a student holds more than one Award, Incidentals Allowance is payable for each Award (see Policy Manual 3.2.1.8 Concurrent Awards).
Note: Schooling Award students must be 18 years or older at 1 January to be eligible.
A student is eligible for Incidentals Allowance each year that s/he studies in an approved course. The allowance may be paid in full where a student repeats a year/stage of a course.
Note: Students in Access Program courses are not eligible for Incidentals Allowance (see Policy Manual 4.1.3).
The maximum amount of initial incidentals payable for an Award is:
If a student enrolled in one course changes to another course before its completion, her/his entitlement is the same as if the change of course had not occurred. This means that the student is not entitled to more than the maximum semester or annual rates specified above.
Gail was paid $194.20 Incidentals Allowance for a 20 week course at TAFE in the first semester. On completion of the course, Gail enrolled into another 20 week course about six weeks later. Gail would also be entitled to receive the Incidentals Allowance of $194.20 for the second course.
Clive enrolled in and commenced a 16 week course and received Incidentals Allowance of $97.60. He found the course unsuitable and after three weeks’ study transferred to another course of the same length. Clive has already been paid Incidentals Allowance covering the period of the second course, therefore he is not entitled to receive a second payment of Incidentals Allowance.
Janine commenced a 10 week course and received Incidentals Allowance of $55.80. Half way through the course, she discontinued the course and enrolled into a semester length course. Janine is not entitled to receive the full incidentals rate payable for a semester length course, however, can receive the difference between the amount already paid and the amount payable for the second course, i.e $194.20 less $55.80 (already paid) = $138.40.
Initial Incidentals Allowance rate of entitlement is determined by the period of enrolment in the course during the year of assistance.
This entitlement is paid to students on the initial approval of the award.
Entitlement to Incidentals Allowance is established by the student commencing the approved course.
Early discontinuation does not affect the rate of entitlement (if the student commenced study in the course, no overpayment is raised for Incidentals Allowance). However, if a student does not commence study in an approved course, any Incidentals Allowance paid is recoverable.
Also see 7.7.3.2.
Different rates of initial Incidentals Allowance apply according to the period of enrolment.
|
Period of enrolment |
Amount |
|
less than 12 weeks |
$55.80 |
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12 to 16 weeks |
$97.60 |
|
17 - 23 weeks (1 semester) |
$194.20 |
|
24 weeks to one year |
$394.90 |
A student is entitled to Additional Incidentals Allowance if:
Note 1: Part-time students and secondary students are not eligible for Additional Incidentals Allowance.
Note 2: Tuition or course fees charged by an education institution are not included. This includes the flying time and associated fees charged by institutions offering pilot (aviation) courses.
The amount of Additional Incidentals Allowance entitlement is the amount by which the verified essential course costs exceed the prescribed amount.
A maximum of $2,080 is payable in a year.
A student studying for the full year who has essential course costs of $860 will receive $394.90 Incidentals Allowance and $80.50 Additional Incidentals Allowance. The student is responsible for paying the other $384.60.
| Total Expenditure | $860.00 | ||
| Less Prescribed Amount | |||
| ie, Initial IA | $394.90 | ||
| + Student Contribution | $384.60 | = | $779.50 |
| Additional IA Entitlement | = | $ 80.50 |
See Policy Manual 7.7.4.9 for prescribed amounts.
Essential course costs are those costs which all students in a course are obliged to incur in order to undertake their course. Such costs may include:
Note: Flying time and associated fees charged by institutions offering pilot (aviation) courses are viewed as tuition or course fees.
For the purposes of this Chapter, the prescribed amount for additional incidentals is the amount of expenditure on essential course costs required before an Additional Incidentals Allowance entitlement is established. This amount includes the level of initial Incidentals Allowance plus a student contribution to costs.
The prescribed amounts for determining additional entitlement are listed in the following table.
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Period of enrolment |
Amount |
|
less than 12 weeks |
$98.30 |
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12 to 16 weeks |
$194.60 |
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17 - 23 weeks (1 semester) |
$389.20 |
|
24 weeks to one year |
$779.50 |
| Maximum in a year |
$2080.00 |
To qualify for Additional Incidentals Allowance, a student must submit a claim detailing the cost of each item of essential course expenditure. The claim must account for the full level of the prescribed amount, including the initial Incidentals Allowance amount and student contribution, and may include necessary items which have not yet been purchased, although evidence of expenditure, such as receipts, is required to cover the bulk of the expenditure.
Note : Receipts should clearly show: Business name, each item purchased, date and amount of each item purchased.
The claim must contain certification by the Head of School/Faculty of the education institution that the items listed are essential for all students studying the course. All claims must be submitted using the Additional Incidentals Allowance Claim (Form 806).
Note: Only one form at a time is to be issued to minimise the risk of blank forms being signed by institutions.
Incidentals allowance and Additional Incidentals Allowance are not income-tested.
Incidentals allowance is paid in one instalment at the time the award is approved. The allowance can be paid up to four weeks before the student commences her/his course.
Additional Incidentals Allowance may be paid following approval of a completed claim from a student.
Incidentals allowance and Additional Incidentals Allowance are paid directly to the student. No arrangement to pay an account at the student's education institution or to a bookshop will be entered into.
Refer to Policy Manual 7.1.2 to identify the responsible payee where an overpayment of this allowance has been made.
The Incidentals Allowance is non taxable.
The Incidentals Allowance is indexed to CPI and adjusted annually.
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