Student Start-Up Scholarship

If you are a full-time student undertaking an approved scholarship course at a higher education institution and are receiving Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY Living Allowance, you will receive the Student Start-up Scholarship. You'll receive this scholarship at the beginning of each traditional tertiary semester to help with the up-front costs of studying, such as textbooks and specialised equipment. If you're eligible you'll receive the full amount of the Start-up Scholarship, even if you're not on the maximum payment rate from Centrelink. The Start-up Scholarship will be reduced in 2012. It will then be indexed by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), starting from 1 January 2013.

Eligibility

To be eligible for this payment you must be:

• studying full-time in an approved scholarship course
• receiving ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Austudy or Youth Allowance as a full-time student
• receiving at least $1 of Youth Allowance or Austudy basic benefit, or $1 of ABSTUDY Living Allowance in the fortnight that a scholarship is payable (i.e. you must be receiving more than just the Pharmaceutical Allowance and Rent Assistance component of Youth Allowance, Austudy or ABSTUDY)*.

* You will not be able to receive a scholarship in the scheduled pay period if you do not qualify for at least $1 of Youth Allowance or Austudy basic benefit, or ABSTUDY Living Allowance within that pay period. If you are eligible, you will be able to receive the scholarship in the next pay period in which you receive at least $1 of basic benefit, or ABSTUDY Living Allowance.

You won't get this scholarship if:

• you also receive, or qualify for, a Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship or a Student Start-up Scholarship paid by the Department of Veterans' Affairs
• you do not start (or resume) full time study within 35 days of qualifying for the scholarship
• you do not undertake full-time study for at least 35 days after qualifying for the scholarship
• there are less than 35 days left in the relevant period*.

*In most cases, the relevant periods for the Student Start-up Scholarship are:

• 1 January to 30 June, and
• 1 July to 31 December.

The relevant period for an individual student may be shorter, depending on your actual study dates, and when you first qualify for ABSTUDY Living Allowance, Austudy or Youth Allowance as a full-time student.

Approved scholarship course

An approved scholarship course is an accredited higher education course or preparatory course that is undertaken at a higher education institution.

Payment rates

In 2012, the Student Start-up Scholarship will be $1,025 for each 6 months of eligible study (a total of $2,050 in 2012). This amount will be indexed each year.

Continuing students who qualify for Student Start-up Scholarship should receive their scholarship with the first payment they receive after 21 February. The second payment to continuing students who qualify for Student Start-up Scholarship will be included in their first payment after 21 July.

Claiming

You do not need to make a separate claim to receive this scholarship. When you claim a Centrelink payment, your eligibility for the Student Start-Up Scholarship is assessed at the same time.