Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) scheme

Introduction

The Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme helps the families of primary, secondary, and certain tertiary students who cannot attend an appropriate state school on a daily basis because of geographical isolation.

The aim of the AIC Scheme is to assist Australian children without reasonable daily access to an appropriate state school. Families in isolated areas incur additional costs to educate their children. The AIC Scheme provides financial assistance in the form of allowances to alleviate such costs.

An appropriate state school is one that offers tuition at the year or grade for which the student is qualified to enrol. If a student has a disability or other health-related condition or a special education need that requires a special school programme, facilities or environment, an appropriate state school will be one that can provide access to those things.

The scheme is not intended to help families where an appropriate state school is accessible. However, if a student does not have reasonable daily access to an appropriate state school, their family is free to send them to a school of their choosing.

The Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations is responsible for AIC Scheme policy contained in the AIC Guidelines. Centrelink conducts assessments, processes claims and makes payments.

AIC Scheme eligibility and payment principles

The AIC Scheme regards a student as ‘geographically isolated from appropriate schooling’ if one of the following guidelines is met:

The distance between the principal family home and the nearest appropriate government school is at least 56 kilometres via the shortest practicable route; or
The distance between the principal family home and the nearest appropriate government school (via the shortest practicable route) is at least 16 kilometres AND the distance between the principal family home and the nearest available transport service to the nearest appropriate government school is at least 4.5 kilometres via the shortest practicable route; or
The student does not have reasonable access to an appropriate government school for at least 20 days of the school year because of adverse travel conditions (eg impassable roads) or other circumstances beyond the family’s control.

In addition, a student may be deemed to be isolated under certain conditions such as when the occupation of a parent involves frequent moves or the student no longer meets geographic isolation conditions but continues to receive AIC to ensure continuity of schooling to the end of the year.

The underlying principle of the AIC Scheme is that all Australian children should have reasonable daily access to an appropriate government school without regard to parents' income. Families living in areas without access to such a school incur additional costs in educating their children. The purpose of the AIC Scheme is to provide financial assistance in recognition of the additional expenditure incurred by mainly geographically isolated families for the education of their children.

The AIC Scheme allowances are not intended to cover the full cost of boarding, but to contribute to the additional costs that geographically isolated families encounter in providing appropriate education for their children.

AIC Allowances

Allowances under the AIC Scheme include:

Basic Boarding Allowance for eligible students who board away from home at a school, hostel or private home;
An Additional Boarding Allowance is also available in addition to the Basic Boarding Allowance subject to parental income and actual boarding fees paid;
Second Home Allowance for families who set up a second home to allow their children to attend school daily;
Distance Education Allowances

A Distance Education Allowance for students who study at home by distance education methods; and
A Distance education supplement is also payable (in early 2010) to students who received the Distance Education Allowance in 2009.

Pensioner Education Supplement for eligible students under 21 who receive certain pensions. Under the AIC Scheme, this Supplement is available only where the student is studying below secondary level.

Apart from the Additional Boarding Allowance, all allowances under AIC are free of income and assets tests but applicants must meet the eligibility criteria. All allowances, with the exception of the Pensioner Education Supplement, are indexed annually.

How can I claim for AIC?

Centrelink administers the AIC Scheme. Claim forms or information on eligibility can be obtained by:

telephone: 13 23 18
website: www.centrelink.gov.au or
visit your nearest Centrelink office