Changes to Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY

From 1 January 2012, Youth Allowance, Austudy and ABSTUDY are changing.

Details of these changes are provided below.

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Changes to Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY for regional students

Students from Inner Regional Australia will be able to access the self-supporting independence conditions that previously applied only to students from Outer Regional Australia, Remote Australia and Very Remote Australia.

This will allow full-time students from Inner Regional Australia to be considered independent for Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY if:

• they are required to live away from home to study, and
• they have a combined parental income of less than $150,000, and

they have either:

• worked part-time (at least 15 hours each week) for two years since last leaving secondary school, or
• earned at least 75 per cent of Wage Level A of the National Training Wage Award included in a modern award in 18 months since last leaving secondary school.

Students can find out which area their family home is in by using the Student Regional Area Search service.

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Changes to Relocation Scholarship for regional students

From 1 January 2012, the amount of the Relocation Scholarship will be adjusted to provide more assistance for higher education students in receipt of Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY and who need to live away from home to study (or who meet specific scholarship independence criteria). A higher rate of Relocation Scholarship will be available in the second and third years for students who are from regional areas.

A regional area is one that is classified under the Australian Standard Geographical Classification (ASGC) as:

• Inner Regional,
• Outer Regional,
• Remote, or
• Very Remote.

Students can find out which area their family home is in by using the Student Regional Area Search service.

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Changes to Age of Independence for Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY

From 1 January 2012 the age of independence for Youth Allowance and ABSTUDY will be lowered to 22 years of age.

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Changes to Student Start-up Scholarship

From 1 January 2012 the amount of the Student Start-up Scholarship will be $1,025 per half-yearly instalment. This applies to all eligible higher education students receiving Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY or Austudy.

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Student Personal Income Test

From 1 July 2012 the amount a Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY, Austudy student or Australian apprentice can earn each fortnight without reducing their payment will increase from $236 to $400.

Full-time students will be able to accrue up to $10,000 in their student income bank to offset their future earnings from employment.

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Masters by Coursework Degrees

In 2012 and 2013, only students undertaking an approved Masters by coursework will be eligible for Youth Allowance and Austudy. From 2014, all Masters by coursework will be approved courses.

For more information please visit the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations website.

More Information

• Youth Allowance section
• Austudy
• ABSTUDY
• Register for Online Services to apply for Youth Allowance or Austudy online

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