The purpose of Fares Allowance is to cover the cost of specified travel for students who need to live away from home to attend study or to participate in an approved Away from Base activity. This allows the student to participate fully in the approved course while maintaining contact with his/her home community. Persons other than students may also be eligible for fares allowance in specified circumstances.
Fares Allowance is not available to Australian Apprentices.
There are different types of specified travel for which Fares Allowance may be approved; these are detailed in Chapter 89 Approved Travel.
The qualification criteria for Fares Allowance vary depending upon the type of specified travel being undertaken:
To qualify for Fares Allowance for all types of specified travel, with the exception of Away from Base activities travel, the following criteria must be met:
- the student has a permanent home address that varies from his/her term address; and
- the student was living at the permanent home address immediately prior to undertaking the travel; and
- the travelling time and/or distance between the permanent home and the term address can be considered to be unreasonable according to the principles set out in Chapter 26 Travel Time and Access; and
- the journey is not precluded under the interstate travel rules; and
- the person undertaking the journey is an approved traveller; and
- the student is eligible for the type of specified travel being undertaken.
Where a student is undertaking a Masters or Doctorate level degree, and s/he has received Relocation Allowance in order to relocate to the study location, the study location is considered the permanent home. This means that Fares Allowance is no longer payable in respect of this approved course.
To qualify for Fares Allowance for Away from Base activities travel, the following criteria must be met:
- for field trips, the travelling time and/or distance between the institution location and the field trip location can be considered to be unreasonable according to the principles set out in Chapter 26 Travel Time and Access; and
- for residential schools and testing/assessment programmes, the travelling time and/or distance between the permanent home and the institution location can be considered to be unreasonable according to the principles set out in Chapter 26 Travel Time and Access; and
- for placements:
- where the student is living at his/her permanent home, the travelling time and/or distance between the permanent home and the placement location can be considered to be unreasonable according to the principles set out in Chapter 26 Travel Time and Access; and
- where the student is living at his/her term address, the travelling time and/or distance between the term address and the placement location can be considered to be unreasonable according to the principles set out in Chapter 26 Travel Time and Access; and
There are restrictions on interstate travel for the following students:
Fares Allowance cannot be approved for secondary school students who choose to study interstate, except in the following circumstances:
- the student lives near a State/Territory border and will attend a school at a nearby interstate location; or
- interstate travel is more cost effective that intrastate; or
- there are no available boarding places at boarding schools in the student's State/Territory; or
- the student is undertaking an approved specialist secondary course at a government school which meets the criteria at 28.6 and is not available in their home state; or
- the student has been awarded an Indigenous Youth Leadership Programme (IYLP) scholarship to a boarding school at an interstate location; or
- the student has been approved for ABSTUDY away from home entitlements on the basis of being offered an Independent Boarding School Scholarship (refer 35.1); or
- the student has been approved to live away from the permanent family home under the Continuity of Study provisions set out in Chapter 32.
Note: When assessing cost effectiveness other factors may need to be considered such as how long the travel will take, the time of day the travel is taken, the number of legs that need to be taken and the availability of appropriate transport.
Fares Allowance cannot be approved for students undertaking certificate and enabling courses who choose to study interstate, except in the following circumstances:
- interstate travel is more cost effective than intrastate; or
- the student is participating in the Indigenous Youth Mobility Programme (IYMP) and has been offered a placement at an interstate location; or
- both of the following apply:
- a similar course in the particular field of study is not available in the student’s home State or Territory; and
- the institution has applied to DEEWR and has been granted an exemption from this interstate travel rule.
In such cases, the student may be approved to travel to the nearest most cost-effective interstate location; or if the student is participating in IYLP or IYMP or has been awarded a scholarship to an independent boarding school in accordance with 35.1, to the location where the student has been offered a placement.
The decision whether or not a certificate or enabling course is available in a particular State or Territory is made by DEEWR. It is the responsibility of institutions, not students, to apply for recognition that a course is not available in (some) other States/Territories.
Institutions wishing to apply for such recognition should be advised to make a written request to the:
Branch Manager
Income Support for Students Branch
DEEWR
GPO Box 9880
CANBERRA ACT 2601
or by fax to 02 6240 8435, for consideration.
DEEWR will advise both the institution and Centrelink of the decision.
Interstate travel will not be approved for Away from Base field trips and placements except where:
- the travel is between New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory; or
- the student is attending an educational institution near a State/Territory border; or
- the field trip or placement provides experience or training that is both:
- essential for successful completion of the minimum requirements of the student’s course; and
- unavailable within the home State or Territory.
Fares Allowance is not available for travel between Australia and an overseas location.
Fares Allowance may be available for travel within an overseas country under the specific provisions set out in Chapter 55 Overseas Study.