ABSTUDY Study Requirement: Chapter 51 - Progress Rules from 1 July 2007

There are two aspects to ABSTUDY progress rules:

• Reasonable time; and
• Limits on duration of assistance for degree level courses.

Progress rules apply to students studying secondary non-school courses and tertiary level courses.  The following ABSTUDY Awards are subject to progress rules:

• Schooling A Award;
• Schooling B Award;
• Tertiary Award;
• Masters and Doctorate Award;
• Part-time Award; and
• Lawful Custody Award

ABSTUDY progress rules do not apply to Australian Apprenticeships.

The ABSTUDY reasonable time rules limit the length of time a student may receive ABSTUDY to study in a particular course.  Where a student has reached or exceeded the reasonable time for study in a course, ABSTUDY is no longer payable.

The table below defines what constitutes a reasonable time for different secondary non-school (including enabling/bridging courses) and tertiary courses (including Certificate courses).

The assessment of whether a student has reached or exceeded the reasonable time for study in a particular course involves a comparison of the reasonable time for that course with the length of time the student has studied in that particular course. All time spent in that course is taken into equal account, regardless of the study-load.

When calculating reasonable time, the following are disregarded:

• periods of study for which Living Allowance or Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) was not paid, regardless of the reason why these were not paid;
  
• periods of study in courses other than the one for which reasonable time is being calculated are not taken into account, and;
  
• studies undertaken more than 10 years before the year for which assistance is being claimed.

A student's eligibility under reasonable time rules is measured at the start of the academic year for which assistance is being sought, and at that time, the student must have studied less than the maximum time allowed.

Where a student is eligible under reasonable time rules at the start of the academic year, they remain eligible under reasonable time rules until the end of the academic year, even where reasonable time would have been met or exceeded during that year.

A student’s eligibility under the reasonable time rules may be extended by up to one year beyond the reasonable time duration specified in 51.2.1 if:

• the student's progress has been impeded by physical, psychiatric or intellectual disability or other circumstance beyond her/his control, and;
  
• the education institution recommends in writing that the student continues the course and indicates that the student is expected to complete the course in this year.

The ABSTUDY limits of assistance rules limit the length of time a student may receive ABSTUDY to study Certificate I and II level courses, degree and Masters and Doctorate courses.  When a student has met or exceeded the limits, ABSTUDY is no longer payable. 

ABSTUDY assistance is limited to:

• four years of study for any combination of Certificate I or II level courses; and
• one undergraduate Bachelor degree (including Honours, Masters qualifying year/s, combined degrees and/or prerequisite studies); and
• one of the following three options:
• one degree at Master level and one degree at Doctorate level; or
• two degrees at Masters level; or
• two degrees at Doctorate level.

Limits of assistance rules do not apply to studies other than Certificate levels I and II, Bachelor, Masters or Doctorate level courses.

Students undertaking Certificates I and/or II can receive ABSTUDY Living Allowance and/or PES for a maximum of four years in total, for any combination of Certificate I or II courses.

If, at the commencement of the year of claim, the length of time that the student has received ABSTUDY Living Allowance or PES for study at the Certificate I or II level is greater than or equal to four years, then the student is not eligible for further assistance.

The assessment of whether a student has met or exceeded the limits of assistance is to include a comparison of the reasonable time for the course (plus any extension approved under 51.2.7) with the length of time for which the student has received ABSTUDY Living Allowance or Pensioner Education Supplement for study at that study level. 

When calculating the limit of assistance, all time spent in a course of the same study level for which ABSTUDY Living Allowance and/or PES was received must be declared and counted, regardless of the study-load.