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You are here: ABSTUDY > 4
Study Requirements > 4.3 Tertiary Study
To be eligible for ABSTUDY Tertiary Award or Part-time Award, students must meet certain study criteria.
This chapter covers the education institution, level and workload requirements for tertiary study.
Approved education institutions for a Tertiary Award are:
A student who studies a secondary course through a tertiary institution is a secondary student and can apply under a Schooling Award.
For ABSTUDY purposes, a higher education institution is:
Note: Bond University in Queensland and Open Learning Australia are higher education institutions for ABSTUDY purposes.
For ABSTUDY purposes, a TAFE institution is :
The following education institutions are not approved institutions for the purposes of ABSTUDY assistance:
Increasingly, schools and TAFE colleges are joining together to offer students the opportunity to study towards their matriculation qualification and a recognised TAFE qualification. In these situations, students’ TAFE study is directly credited to a distinct qualification (generally, a certificate or advanced certificate).
Students are considered as ‘tertiary’ students for scheme purposes where:
Students applying for a Tertiary Award or a Part-time Award will be considered to be full-time or part-time on the basis of their study workload judged against the normal full-time study workload requirement of the approved course.
Normally, students must undertake at least 75% of the normal full-time workload to be eligible for full-time study entitlements, however, they also may be considered full-time if they qualify for a workload concession (see 4.4).
The normal Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) assessment is 1.0 over a year; 0.5 each semester.
Students studying higher education courses for which there is a HECS assessment will be regarded as full-time in a semester provided that they are enrolled in and undertaking a HECS workload of at least 0.375 in that semester (ie, 75% of a full-time workload for the semester).
See 4.3.2.12 to 4.3.2.21 for further information about assessment of full-time workload courses.
Where special arrangements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students have been made to facilitate take up of higher education courses (eg a study programme involving non-HECS bridging subjects) and the institution classifies the study programme as being full-time and leading into a full-time degree course, the study programme will be considered to be a full-time course. Written advice is needed from the institution.
The normal workload for non-HECS tertiary courses is the normal study programme as set down in course documentation.
Tertiary students studying non-HECS assessed courses who are enrolled in, and study, at least three-quarters (75%) of the normal full-time study workload are regarded as full-time students and may be eligible for benefits under an ABSTUDY Tertiary Award. Students must be full-time in each semester.
Students undertaking courses without full attendance requirements, ie in mixed-mode, distance education or competency based training courses, who cannot provide evidence of a full-time study workload, may be approved only for part-time entitlements. Acceptable workload evidence would be a timetable or similar document showing dates assignments are due and completion dates for the modules in which the student is enrolled.
Note: Tutorial assistance sessions funded under the DETYA Aboriginal Tutorial Assistance Scheme (ATAS) are not to be included when assessing a student’s full-time workload
Students who are not undertaking at least 75% of a normal full-time workload or do not qualify for a workload concession as described in Policy Manual - 4.4, may be eligible for benefits under the ABSTUDY Part-time Award.
Two part-time courses cannot be grouped to make one full-time course. The student is entitled to the benefits arising from each Part-time Award. Exceptions to this are articulated courses which are described in 4.1.1.4 and 4.1.1.5. See also 4.1.4 Competency Based Training.
However, students may be eligible for full-time entitlements where they are enrolled in one course while undertaking their study at more than one institution or campus. This can be applied if the study at both institutions counts toward one qualification and totals at least three-quarters of the full-time course workload (or the student is eligible for a workload concession and undertaking the required workload for that concession). Also see 4.3.2.11.
A statement supporting this must be provided by one institution where this cannot be clearly identified.
The workload criteria set out in this section apply equally to students studying distance education/correspondence courses.
Students must meet the requirements of the university for studying full-time in the particular Masters or Doctorate course being undertaken.
Note: Part-time Masters and Doctorate students are entitled to apply for assistance under the ABSTUDY Part-time Award.
Subjects in which the student is not currently undertaking study cannot be counted for workload purposes. Subjects, units or points ‘credited’ for work done previously do not count as ABSTUDY workload.
Jon studies for two years in a Bachelor of Commerce course. He then transfers to Economics. During his first year, he is awarded half a year’s credit on the basis of his previous studies. The credited subjects do not count for workload purposes.
Where a student is undertaking a course that is a combined course for ABSTUDY purposes (eg an approved BA/LLB course), workload is measured against the normal full-time study load for the combined course.
A student may study at more than one institution.
Normal workload requirements apply:
The above rules also apply to studies which combine HECS and non-HECS subjects.
A HECS course is a course in which students attract a charge under the Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) administered by DETYA.
HECS loadings are calculated based on institutions’ advice about the normal full-time student workload in each year of a course. The year’s normal full-time student workload has a HECS load (or weighting) of 1.0. HECS loads for individual subjects are determined based on the institution’s advice about how much of the normal full-time student workload a subject comprises.
A normal full-time semester workload in a HECS course will be 0.5 (that is, one half of the full-year workload of 1.0). Three quarters (75%) of a full-time workload will be 0.75 in a year or 0.375 in a semester.
HECS values are expressed to three decimal places and rounded down. Thus, a subject which is one-third of a semester’s work has a HECS value of 0.166 rather than 0.167. A subject worth one-eighth of a semester’s work has a value of 0.062, while a quarter of a semester’s work is worth 0.125.
A student should not be regarded as ineligible for ABSTUDY because of the effects of HECS rounding errors. (Rounding discrepancies will be 5/1000ths (0.005) or less.)
The minimum concessional HECS value for a student to be considered full-time is:
ABSTUDY normally requires that students in HECS courses undertake a HECS load of at least 0.375 per semester.
Generally, it would be unfair for students with a lesser HECS load to get Commonwealth student assistance simply because an institution does not properly present courses with full HECS loads of 1.0 per year or has otherwise arranged courses to minimise HECS contributions outside the normal operation of the Commonwealth HECS legislation.
If an institution tells the Commonwealth that a normal full-time load is 10 (equal) subjects, each subject should have a HECS load of 0.1 per year or 0.05 per semester. The institution should not then set normal full-time loads at only 8 of these subjects without amending HECS weightings.
Just as it is unfair on students in other courses or other institutions for proper HECS liability not to be applied, it would be unfair if ABSTUDY waived its normal HECS requirements rather than encourage the institution to ensure its HECS loadings were fairly and correctly calculated.
Students’ HECS liability is calculated at the HECS census date in each semester (31 March and 31 August). The census date does not normally affect ABSTUDY. A student who withdraws from or ceases studying in a subject after the census date decreases her/his workload by that subject’s HECS load from the date of withdrawal or cessation, irrespective of whether HECS remains payable for that subject.
Conversely, a student who withdraws before the HECS census date and who undertook, and was enrolled in, subjects is credited with their workload to the date of withdrawal.
From time to time, anomalies do arise in HECS loadings. ABSTUDY is concerned that individual needy students should not be unfairly penalised in such circumstances. If the student’s workload is consistent with the full-time workload as described in the institution’s handbook or official course structure, ABSTUDY workload eligibility can, for administrative purposes be determined in accordance with the provisions of 4.3.2.2.3 instead of 4.3.2.2.2, essentially in such cases the HECS loading is ignored.
Any cases should be referred to the Operational Policy Support Unit where:
The first semester of Year 3 in Janni’s Bachelor of Engineering consists of compulsory Industrial Experience for which no HECS is paid. She remains enrolled full-time for this period.
Janni is counted as a full-time student for ABSTUDY workload purposes.
Industrial or practical experience components are not generally covered by HECS and so do not have a HECS weighting. These periods should be assessed under 4.3.2.2.3.
Second Year Nursing is arranged so that the normal HECS weighting for Semester 1 is 0.664, but Semester 2 only 0.334. Under 4.3.2.2.2, students undertaking HECS loads of 0.334 in a semester are not full-time (allowing for HECS rounding errors, it is 66.66% of a ‘normal’ 0.5 HECS load).
However, ABSTUDY can be paid if a student in this Nursing course is granted a workload concession under 4.4.2.2 because of the institution’s normal requirements for the course or other approved reason.
The final year of Bachelor of Electrical Studies requires completion of a full year Project. The project is divided into three units, two must be completed in Semester 1 and one in Semester 2. The institution has allocated HECS for this subject equally across each semester even though the workload in Semester 1 is greater than Semester 2. ABSTUDY workload eligibility can be determined by ignoring the HECS loading and the student’s workload is assessed against the normal full-time workload for the final year of the Bachelor of Electrical Studies as described in the institution’s handbook or official course structure.
The duration for which a student can continue to receive ABSTUDY is subject to:
ABSTUDY Tertiary students are eligible for assistance providing they can complete the approved course of study within a reasonable time.
The table below defines what constitutes a reasonable time for different length tertiary courses.
|
If the course is... |
then a reasonable time to complete the course is... |
|---|---|
|
two years’ duration or less |
twice the normal course duration. |
|
a course of more than two years’ duration |
the normal course duration plus two years. |
See also - 4.1.1.7 and 4.1.1.8 concerning articulated short courses.
Transfer for students over 21 from ABSTUDY to Newstart Allowance (NSA) because ineligible under ABSTUDY because of the minimum time rule. ABSTUDY recipients who transfer to NSA because they have exceeded their maximum time study for completion of their course, may finish their course as an Approved Activity under NSA if they have less than 12 months of their course to complete. ABSTUDY customers are to be processed in the same way as Youth Allowance.
Note: The student’s eligibility should be measured at the start of the academic year, and at that date, the student must have studies less than the maximum time limit allowed. A student may continue to be eligible for ABSTUDY until the end of the academic year, even where s/he will have studied more than the maximum limit by the end of that academic year. That is, previous study is only measured against the reasonable time once a year, at the start of the year.
In addition to the above, where a graduate student is accepted into a mainstream Bachelor degree course on the basis of completion of the initial Bachelor degree course, the reasonable time rules can be extended by up to two additional years. This provision applies to those students whose acceptance in the second degree was as a result of completion of the first degree being a mandatory prerequisite or alternative entry requirement imposed by the institution on such students.
The provision also applies to students who have been accepted into the second degree on the basis of an arrangement made with the institution that is specific to the student. That is, where successful study in the first course is accepted by the institution as an alternative means of entry to the second degree. Different rules apply where completed study at the same level is the usual or compulsory requirement for entry to the degree course for all students. In this situation, the provision at 4.3.3.9 is applicable.
The delegate may approve the extension of an award for up to one year beyond the reasonable time duration specified above if:
the student’s progress has been impeded by physical, psychiatric or intellectual disability or other circumstance beyond her/his control (see 4.6.4.2); and
the education institution recommends in writing that the student continues the course and indicates that the student is expected to complete the course this year.
DIFFERENT TO YA/AUSTUDY PAYMENT
ABSTUDY assistance is normally limited to:
The limitation is applied by comparing the reasonable time for the course with the length of time that the student has received ABSTUDY Living Allowance for study at the level of the degree course. See 4.3.3.6 for how this limitation is to be applied.
Students may, however, be approved for any number of non-degree undergraduate and/or postgraduate courses.
Note: Students continuing study in a degree course which commenced prior to 1998 may be considered to meet this rule where they are studying in a second or subsequent degree course. This applies for either the duration of the student’s current course or until s/he discontinues or defers studies (but see also 4.6.4.2 Circumstances Beyond Student’s Control).
The assessment of a claim for a student in a degree course is to include a comparison of the reasonable time for the course (as determined by 4.3.3.2, including where applicable, the additional reasonable time at 4.3.3.3) with the length of time that the student has received Living Allowance for study at the level of the degree course.
If at the commencement of the year of claim, the length of time that the student has received Living Allowance for study at the level of the degree course is greater than or equal to the reasonable time allowed for the second course, then the student is not eligible for further assistance.
Periods of study for which Living Allowance was not paid (eg, for part-time study or because of income testing) and periods of study in courses other than degree level courses, are not taken into account.
Studies undertaken more than 10 years before the year of study are disregarded when calculating previous study time for either undergraduate or postgraduate degrees.
If a previously completed degree course at the same level is a recognised prerequisite for entry to another degree course, the previous course is not taken into account when calculating time spent. That is, the reasonable time rule at 4.3.3.2 is calculated separately for the second course and the period Living Allowance was received to undertake the first course is disregarded.
This applies only where a previous course is the usual or compulsory requirement for entry to the degree course for all students, for example, the graduate entry requirement into the Bachelor of Social Work or the Bachelor of Medicine at Flinders University, SA. It does not apply because an individual student needs to get into the course in that way. The institution handbook should be consulted to verify the prerequisite requirement.
This provision does not apply to a student who has been accepted into the second degree on the basis of an arrangement made with the institution which is specific to the student. In these cases, the additional reasonable time rule at 4.3.3.3 applies.
The Barristers or Solicitors Admission Board's course or other similar professional admission courses for graduates may be approved following completion of an undergraduate degree where it is an essential requirement for entry to the profession relevant to the completed undergraduate degree.
A Master's qualifying course is a year of full-time undergraduate study that is an alternative to the completion of an Honours year to enable entry to Masters or Doctorate study. The Masters Qualifying year is undertaken following the completion of an undergraduate pass degree, ie a degree without Honours, so that a student can receive assistance to complete an Honours year or a Masters Qualifying course, but not both.
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