ABSTUDY Study Requirement: Chapter 54 - Study through Open Universities Australia

54.1.1 University Level Units through OUA

University level units through OUA are either:

• single units with a credit weighting of 1/8 or 0.125, generally run over one study period of 13 weeks and identified by a 2 number unit code (eg PSY11); or
• double units with a credit weighting of 1/4 or 0.25, generally run over two or more consecutive study periods and identified by a 3 number unit code, (eg FRE112).

For ABSTUDY purposes, the normal full-time (100%) workload for an OUA student undertaking university level units is 1/4 or 0.25 over a single study period of 13 weeks.

54.1.2 Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) modules through OUA

For ABSTUDY purposes the normal full time study-load for an OUA student undertaking VTE modules is 214 hours in a single study period. Therefore, students who undertake OUA VTE modules equivalent to 160 hours per study period are considered to be enrolled in 75% of the normal full-time study-load.

For VTE courses, the unit registration of students over two or more study periods is not averaged across the study periods.

With the exception of the closing dates, the provisions relating to lodgement of ABSTUDY claims set out in 6.3 apply to OUA students.

The closing date for lodgement of ABSTUDY claims for OUA students is the last day of the study period for which the student is seeking ABSTUDY.

For the purposes of determining the start date of Living Allowance entitlement set out in 73.2, OUA students who have had a break of more than two study periods are considered to have had a break in full-time or concessional study-load study of more than one semester.