Where a student is undertaking approved study, the normal period of Living Allowance entitlement is:
- for secondary school students, from 1 January to 31 December of that year; or
- for tertiary and secondary non-school students, from the first day to the last day of the approved course.
- for these purposes, the first day of the course is the earlier of the following:
- the first day of attendance at classes in the course; or
- for external students, the first day of the enrolment period; or
- for students attending the first year of a higher education course, the first day of orientation week.
- the last day of the academic year/study period for that course; or
- for external students, the last day of the enrolment period; or
- the date of the last examination.
For Australian Apprentices undertaking an apprenticeship, traineeship or trainee apprenticeship, the normal period of Living Allowance entitlement is from the latter of:
- the date the customer lodges a claim or intention to claim; or
- the start date of the Australian Apprenticeship;
to the last day of the apprenticeship, traineeship or trainee apprenticeship as specified in the training contract.
However, in order for an Australian Apprentice to commence receiving payment, Centrelink must be provided with the Australian Apprentice's Commonwealth registration number and their start date.
Where payments of Living Allowance are being made on a term-in-advance basis to a school or hostel under the provisions set out in 71.5.1, then the normal periods of Living Allowance entitlement for these term-in-advance payments are:
- Term 1 01 January to 31 March;
- Term 2 01 April to 30 June;
- Term 3 1 July to 30 September;
- Term 4 1 October to 31 December.
The following circumstances affect the commencement date and end date of entitlement:
The following circumstances also apply to Australian Apprentices:
The new claim application for Australian Apprentices may be suspended without rejection while waiting for the Commonwealth Registration number to be provided.
A student will be entitled to Living Allowance from the normal entitlement period start date specified in 73.1 provided that s/he commences full-time or concessional study-load study in the approved course by the Friday of the third week of the relevant study period.
Where a student commences study in the course after the Friday of the third week, s/he is entitled to Living Allowance only from the day on which the student actually commences full-time or concessional study-load study in the approved course.
If a student’s late commencement was due to circumstances beyond the student’s control, s/he is entitled to Living Allowance from the from the normal entitlement period start date specified in 73.1.
A student is entitled to Living Allowance from 1 January if s/he has had a break in full-time or concessional study-load study of no greater than 1 semester and the first day of his or her course is between 1 January and 31 March of that year.
A student is entitled to Living Allowance from 1 July if s/he has had a break in full-time or concessional study-load study of no greater than one semester and the first day of his or her course is between 1 July and 31 July.
Where the break in full-time or concessional study-load study was greater than one semester, but the break in study was as a result of circumstances beyond the student’s control, the student is entitled to Living Allowance from 1 January or 1 July as appropriate.
If the student was paid from 1 January or 1 July on the basis of his/her intention to study a full-time or concessional study-load in the approved course in the next available study period, and the student subsequently becomes aware s/he will not be commencing the course, s/he is entitled to Living Allowance up to the date s/he became aware s/he would not commence the course.
This provision cannot be extended beyond the third Friday of the study period i.e. term or semester.
Where a student has discontinued full-time or concessional study-load study, his/her entitlement to Living Allowance ceases. A student is considered to have discontinued full-time or concessional study-load study if:
- s/he informs Centrelink s/he has ceased full-time or concessional study-load study; or
- s/he cancels his/her enrolment or his/her enrolment is cancelled by the education institution; or
- the education institution advises Centrelink that the student has ceased full-time or concessional study-load study; or
- s/he is a secondary non-school, tertiary or Masters & Doctorate level student who ceases to meet the conditions for payment during a period of extended absence as set out in 50.2; or
- s/he is a secondary school student and the education institution advises that s/he has had a continuous period of unapproved absence in excess of two weeks, as set out in 49.4.
The date of discontinuation is whichever the earlier is of:
- the date on which the student ceases to study full-time; or
- the date on which the student ceases to meet the conditions for payment during a period of extended absence as set out in 50.2; or
- the date on which the student ceases to be enrolled.
If Living Allowance has been paid on a term-in-advance basis to a boarding school for a student who has commenced in the term and under the institution’s conditions of enrolment it will not be refunded, then the entitlement end date for the term-in-advance payment will remain the normal entitlement end date for that term as set out in 73.1.1. This applies even where the reason for the student’s discontinuation is suspension or expulsion from the school.
There is no entitlement to the school for a student who does not commence.
Where term-in-advance Living Allowance has been paid for the term and a student subsequently ceases to board at that school, and the boarding school is entitled to retain the term payment under the provisions set out in 73.3.2, no further payments for board may be made until the commencement of a new term entitlement period.
If Living Allowance has been paid on a term-in-advance basis to a hostel that is a signatory to the ABSTUDY Hostels Agreement, and the student either discontinues boarding or ceases studying within 6 weeks of taking up residence, then under the ABSTUDY Hostels Agreement the entitlement end date for the term-in-advance payment will be 6 weeks from the date the student took up residence. This applies even where the reason for the student’s discontinuation is suspension or expulsion from the school.
Where term-in-advance Living Allowance has been paid for the term and a student subsequently ceases to board at that hostel, and the hostel is entitled to retain 6 weeks of the term payment under the provisions set out in 73.3.3, no further payments for board may be made until the date after this 6 week period ends.
A student is entitled to Living Allowance during any vacation period where:
- s/he was receiving Living Allowance on the basis of undertaking approved full-time or concessional study-load study immediately prior to the vacation period; and
- s/he is intending to undertake approved full-time or concessional study-load study in the study period immediately following the vacation period.
There is no entitlement to Living Allowance over the long vacation period where the approved course immediately prior to the vacation period ended earlier than 15 September and/or where the approved course immediately after the vacation period starts after 31 March.
Where such a student does not resume full-time or concessional study-load study after the vacation by the third Friday of the next study period, s/he is entitled to Living Allowance up to and including the day when s/he became aware that s/he would not be resuming full-time or concessional study-load study.
This provision cannot be extended beyond the third Friday of the relevant term/semester.
There is no entitlement to either term-in-advance payment to a boarding school or hostel, or fortnightly payments to a hostel, for a term where the student who does not commence in that term. This includes a continuing student who does not resume study after a vacation period.
In this situation, the provisions set out in 73.4.1 still apply in respect of fortnightly payments of Living Allowance directed to the payee identified in 71.7.1. This means that, although the boarding school or hostel is not entitled to any payments for a student where s/he does not commence in a term, the student is entitled to their normal fortnightly entitlement of Living Allowance up to and including the day s/he became aware that s/he would not be resuming study.
Where a student discontinues and then subsequently commences full-time or
concessional study-load study, in either the same course or a different course, s/he remains entitled to Living Allowance if the period between is no greater than 28 days.