ABSTUDY Allowances and Benefits: Chapter 102 - Relocation Scholarship
This chapter provides details of the Relocation Scholarship that may be available to students undertaking approved scholarship courses
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102.1 Purpose of Relocation Scholarship
The purpose of the Relocation Scholarship is to assist eligible students who have to live away from home to study with the cost of establishing new accommodation in order to attend university. The aim is to remove financial barriers to the educational participation of students from low socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds, particularly those from regional and remote areas and Indigenous students.
102.2 Qualification for Relocation Scholarship
A person is qualified for a Relocation Scholarship if the person:
- is qualified for and receives the minimum rate of ABSTUDY Living Allowance either,
- as a full-time dependent student at away from home rate, OR
- as a full-time independent student as a result of certain circumstances (see 102.2.1.1 below), and
- is studying an approved scholarship course, and
- is expected to commence or continue undertaking the course in the period of 35 days of qualification for the Relocation Scholarship, and
- is not likely to receive a Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship in the next 12 months, and
- the person has not qualified for a Relocation or equivalent scholarship payment (see 102.2.2 below) in the preceding 12 months (this can be shortened to a period of at least 3 months if such a determination would enable the person to qualify for the Relocation Scholarship on or near 1 January in a year, provided they do not receive more than 2 relocation scholarships in a period of 2 successive calendar years).
102.2.1 Qualification for Relocation Scholarship as an independent person
102.2.1.1 Independent as a result of certain circumstances
The circumstances under which a full-time student who receives ABSTUDY Living Allowance at the independent rate may be paid a Relocation Scholarship are:
- a) they are an orphan, or
b) they have, or have had, a ABSTUDY dependent child (refer to 38.3 Parenthood), or
c) currently have the care or custody of another person's dependent child or student (refer to 39.2 Care or Custody of Child), or
d) they have been in lawful custody for a cumulative period of six months or more (refer to 38.5 Previous Lawful Custody), or
e) they are 15 years of age or older and has undergone and completed a traditional initiation ceremony (refer to 38.7 Special Adult Status), or
f) it is unreasonable for them to live at home (UTLAH), or
g) their parents cannot exercise their responsibilities because they are in prison, missing, or are mentally incapacitated or living in a nursing home (refer to 39.3 Parents Cannot Exercise Parental Responsibilities), or
h) they are 16 years of age or over and has returned to live in an Indigenous community after been adopted or fostered by a non-Indigenous family for more than two year (refer to 39.4 Returning to an Indigenous community)
If a person qualified for ABSTUDY as a dependent person who has to live away from home to undertake study, or as an independent person under one of the above listed circumstances, the person will be eligible for Relocation Scholarship as long as they continue to qualify for ABSTUDY while undertaking the course. However, if a person qualified for ABSTUDY as an independent person by gaining reviewable independent status, i.e. under c), or f), or g), or h) of the above listed circumstances, the person will cease to be eligible for the Relocation Scholarship if they cease to meet these conditions for reviewable independence.
102.2.1.1 Independent as a result of age
If a person is qualified for ABSTUDY Living Allowance as an independent person on the basis of age and has previously been qualified for Relocation Scholarship, s/he continues to be qualified for Relocation Scholarship until s/he turns 25 years old or completes the approved scholarship course, whichever is the later.
102.2.2 Equivalent scholarship payments
Equivalent scholarship payments are:
- Youth Allowance Relocation Scholarship
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs Relocation Scholarship payment
- Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship, provided the person has received the amount or was entitled to it but full entitlement was not received as the scholarship was suspended.
102.2.3 Loss of qualification for Relocation Scholarship
Unless exceptional circumstances apply which are beyond the student’s control, a student will cease to be qualified for a Relocation Scholarship if:
- they do not commence full-time study, or
- they started the course but are not undertaking the course as a full-time student at the end of 35 days after the course commences, or
- they were undertaking a course but are not undertaking the course as a full-time student at the end of 35 days after payment qualification.
102.3 Rates of payment
In 2010, the amount of Relocation Scholarship a qualified student receives IS $4000 in the first year UNLESS the following circumstances apply, in which case the amount is $1000:
- The student has previously received a Relocation Scholarship or equivalent scholarship payment, OR
- The student undertook an approved scholarship course in the calendar year prior to payment qualification, AND more than six months prior to payment qualification either:
- became independent as a result of certain circumstances (see 102.2.1.1 above), or
- became required to live away from home.
After the first year, a $1000 lump sum payment (indexed) is payable for each year that the student continues to qualify while undertaking the course.
102.4 Payment of Relocation Scholarship
The Relocation Scholarship is paid annually as a lump sum payment, which l normally coincides with the start of the academic year.
103.4.1 Payee for Relocation Scholarship
The payee for Relocation Scholarship is the eligible students who receive Living Allowance as set out in 71.7.
102.3.1 Indexation
The rates of Relocation Scholarship are indexed to Consumer Price Index (CPI) from 1 January each year.
102.3.2 Taxation Status
Relocation Scholarship is non taxable. See Chapter 5 Taxation
102.3.3 Overpayments
If a student is paid an amount of Relocation Scholarship to which they were not qualified, or cease to be qualified for, the amount paid will be a recoverable amount and an overpayment may be raised.
Where an overpayment occurred, refer to Chapter 3 Overpayment and Recovery of Allowances to determine what is a recoverable debt and from whom this amount should be recovered.