5.1.7.40 Relocation Scholarship - Current Rates

Current rates

In 2013, the amount of relocation scholarship a qualified student receives in the first year of payment qualification IS $4,048 UNLESS:

• the student has previously received the relocation scholarship or similar scholarship payment, OR
• the student has previously undertaken an approved scholarship course (at any time prior to the calendar year of payment qualification), AND, if they were undertaking that course more than 6 months prior to payment qualification, they were independent (in the circumstances described in 3.8.15.10) OR became required to live away from home more than 6 months prior to payment qualification.

The $4,048 relocation scholarship payment is intended to assist young people with the higher costs associated with their first year of relocation to study. It is not intended to be available to a young person who has already relocated and commenced study in a previous year, even if they didn't receive a relocation scholarship at the time.

In recognition of the additional barriers and high costs facing young people from regional and remote areas who need to relocate to study higher education, the amount of relocation scholarship in each of the second and third years of living away to study is $2,024. This rate of relocation scholarship applies where the eligible recipient is either:

• in 1 or more calendar years prior to payment qualification, the student undertook a course that would have been an approved scholarship course at the current qualification time, AND
• in 1, but no more than 2, of those years the student was either independent (in the circumstances described at 3.8.15) OR required to live away from home OR the student has previously received a relocation scholarship payment, AND
• a dependent student living away from home, whose family home is in inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote Australia, OR
• an independent (in the circumstances described at 3.8.15.10) student required to live away from home who, 6 months before commencing an approved scholarship course, lived in inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote Australia.

In subsequent years, or where the requirements for a $4,048 or $2,024 payment are not met, the amount of relocation scholarship a qualified student receives is $1,012.

Similar scholarship payments are:

• ABSTUDY relocation scholarship,
• DVA relocation scholarship payment, and
• Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (CAS), provided the person has received the amount or was entitled to it but full entitlement was not received as the scholarship was suspended.

Example 1: Anna moved away from her parents' home, which is in a major city, in order to study at an interstate university in 2012. Her parents' income meant that she did not qualify for YA in 2011. Her parents' financial situation changed and in 2013 she became eligible for the away from home rate of YA. As she is in her second year of living away from home to study an approved scholarship course, she is eligible to receive the $1,012 relocation scholarship in 2013.

Example 2: Blake is from a town classified as inner regional and had to move away from his parents' home to study at university in 2012. He qualifies for the away from home rate of YA and received the higher initial rate of relocation scholarship ($4,000 at the time) in 2012, as it was his first year of living away to study an approved scholarship course and he had not previously received a relocation scholarship payment. As he will be in his second year of living away to study at university in 2013 and his parents' home is in a regional area, he will receive the $2,024 rate of relocation scholarship in 2013 assuming he meets all requirements of that payment.

Indexation (1.1.I.100)

The relocation scholarship is indexed to CPI from 1 January each year, commencing 2013.

Timing of payments

The relocation scholarship is payable as a lump sum payment on commencement of the course and annually thereafter if the student continues to qualify for the duration of the course.

Act reference: SSAct section 592L Amount of relocation scholarship payment

Policy reference: SS Guide 3.8.15 Relocation Scholarship - Qualification & Payability

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Last reviewed: 2 January 2013