What is considered full-time study for Youth Allowance purposes?

Full-time study

For Youth Allowance, full-time study means:

• your secondary course is considered full-time by the institution where you are studying, or
• your tertiary course attracts a HECS loading of at least 0.375 each study period, or
• you are doing at least 75 per cent of the full-time workload, or
• if none of these apply, you are attending a minimum of 15 hours a week of face-to-face study.

You may also be considered a full-time student if your minimum workload is reduced to at least 66 per cent of the normal full-time workload because of:

• the institution’s normal requirements for the course, or
• a specific direction in writing from your deputy principal, academic registrar or equivalent officer, or
• a written recommendation from your deputy principal, academic registrar or equivalent officer for academic or vocational reasons.

Part-time study

For Youth Allowance, part-time study means:

• you have a study load less than 75 per cent of a full-time workload, and
• you need to enter a Preparing for Work Agreement and undertake other activities to make up a full-time workload (for example, Job Search).