Changes from the AIC Scheme 2006 Guidelines

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Each year, the AIC Guidelines are  reviewed and edited.  Several notable policy changes occurred for this year and are described in the table below.  For a full list of all changes, including wording changes made for clarification and succinctness, refer to Attachment B.

Section	Change
1.1 Definitions	Definition of Appropriate state school clarified.  A “selective” or “specialist” school is not considered an “Appropriate state school” in determining AIC geographic isolation criteria unless it is a school attended by the claiming student.
1.2.5 Roles and Responsibilities for administration of AIC	Reworded to align with current arrangements where the Minister approves policy and the Parliamentary Secretary decides appeals.
Former Sections 2.1.4 Student lives with parent(s)	Section renumbered to 2.1.3. Removal of the requirement that one Parent must apply for all respective students normally live with them.
Former Sections 2.1.6 Student lives with each Parent separately and 2.1.7 Matters to consider where there is a dispute over who should be the approved applicant	Sections renumbered to 2.1.5 and 2.1.6. Rewording to clarify how to determine an approved applicant where the student lives with each Parent separately and/or there is a dispute over who can claim AIC in respect of a student.
Former Sections 2.4.1 Lodgement of Claim and 2.4.2 Late lodgement concession	Removal of the requirement that applicants claim AIC by 31 March of that year to receive payment for the full year.
3.3 Age limits and 3.4 Approved level of study	Removal of “Preparatory Year Trial” and insertion of the “Preparatory Year for the Queensland education system to confirm that this is year is now eligible for AIC allowances.
4.1.2 Nearest Appropriate state school	Definition of Appropriate state school clarified.  A “selective” or “specialist” school is not considered an “Appropriate state school” in determining AIC geographic isolation criteria unless it is a school attended by the claiming student.
Former Section 4.2.7 Rule 3 – Measuring travel time	Renumbered to 4.2.6. Inclusion of a deemed speed for water transport (to assist in calculation of travel time).
Former Section 4.2.18 Conditions in year of assistance concession and 4.2.19 Rule 3 – How pro-rata entitlement is calculated	Section renumbered to 4.2.16. Removal of pro-rata eligibility for students who are geographically isolated for periods of less than 20 school days per year.
4.3.11 Student would suffer serious educational disadvantage if not able to bypass local school	Rewording to clarify supporting documentation and include the Western Australian system of education.
4.4.2 Occupation of parent(s) involves frequent moves	Clarification of evidence requirements for person applying for AIC on the basis of itinerant occupation.
5.1.5 Payment frequency – term instalments	Rewording to include the Queensland Government’s “homestay programme”.