There are two aspects to ABSTUDY progress rules:
- Reasonable time; and
- Limits on duration of assistance for degree level courses.
Reasonable time rules limit the length of time a student may receive ABSTUDY to study in a particular course. Reasonable time rules apply only to students studying secondary non-school or tertiary level courses; the following ABSTUDY Awards are subject to these reasonable time rules:
Reasonable Time rules do not apply to Australian Apprentices.
The rules regarding assistance for degree courses limit the length of time a student may receive ABSTUDY to study at the Bachelor, Masters or Doctorate level. The limits on assistance for degree courses apply only to students studying a Bachelor degree, Masters degree or a Doctorate; the following ABSTUDY Awards are subject to these limits on the assistance available for degree courses:
Reasonable time rules limit the length of time that a student may receive ABSTUDY to study in a particular course. Where a student has reached the reasonable time for study in a course, ABSTUDY is no longer payable for that course.
The table below defines what constitutes a reasonable time for different secondary non-school and 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. |
New Apprenticeships Access Programme (NAAP) courses run for a maximum of 26 weeks. Eligible ABSTUDY students can only be paid assistance for the actual duration of their course.
Note: Not all NAAP students will be required to study for the full 26 weeks.
The assessment of whether a student has reached 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 for which ABSTUDY was received is taken into equal account, regardless of the study-load, the time elapsed since that study was undertaken, and whether or not Australian Government assistance was received for that study.
When calculating whether a student has reached the reasonable time for a particular course of study, periods of study in courses other than the one for which reasonable time is being calculated are not taken into account. Further more, study undertaken 10 years ago or more is not taken into account. Nor is study for which ABSTUDY was not paid.
A student's eligibility under reasonable time rules should be measured when a student commences study for a year; at that date, the study undertaken by the student in that course must be less than the maximum time limit allowed. Where a student is eligible under reasonable time rules at the start of the academic year, a student is considered to remain eligible under reasonable time rules until the end of the academic year, even where reasonable time would have been reached 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 52.1 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.
ABSTUDY assistance is normally limited to:
- 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 Bachelor, Masters or Doctorate level courses.
Where a previously completed degree course is either:
- a recognised prerequisite for entry to another degree course; or
- accepted as a prerequisite for entry to another degree course on the basis of an arrangement made with the institution that is specific to the student
then the previously completed degree course is disregarded for the purposes of calculating the limits of assistance for degree courses.
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. Such courses may be completed in addition to the number of degree courses permitted under the limits of assistance rules.
A Master's qualifying course can be a year of undergraduate study that is an alternative to the completion of an Honours year and enables entry to Masters or Doctorate study. The Masters Qualifying year is undertaken following the completion of an undergraduate pass degree, that is, a degree without Honours, so that a student can receive assistance to complete an Honours year or a Masters Qualifying course, but not both.
Where a student is continuing study in a second or subsequent degree course that s/he commenced prior to 1998 and has been undertaking on a continuous basis since then, previous degree/s undertaken at that level may be disregarded for the purposes of determining eligibility under the limits of assistance rules. This exception applies until either:
- the student completes the degree course in question; or
- the student discontinues or defers studies.
The assessment of whether a student has exceeded the limits of assistance in a degree course is to include a comparison of the reasonable time for the course with the length of time for which the student has received ABSTUDY Living Allowance or Pensioner Education Supplement for study at that study level. Additional reasonable time may need to be considered in accordance with 52.4.
If, at the commencement of the year of claim, the length of time that the student has received ABSTUDY Living Allowance or Pensioner Education Supplement 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.
When calculating previous study time for degree level study, the following are not taken into account:
- periods of study for which Living Allowance or Pensioner Education Supplement was not paid, regardless of the reason why these were not paid;
- periods of study in courses other than degree level courses; and
- studies undertaken more than 10 years before the year for which assistance is being claimed.