10.2 Relocation Scholarship

Part 7.5 of the VCES Instrument and Part 7.3 of the MRCAETS Instrument concern the Relocation Scholarship.  The Relocation Scholarship is intended to assist students with the costs of establishing accommodation in their new place of study.

A student does not need to make a claim to receive the Scholarship.  The Commission may grant a Scholarship to a student where they are satisfied that:

(a)the student is receiving tertiary education allowance at the living away from home, homeless or double orphan rate;

(b)the student is undertaking an approved scholarship course;

(c)the student intends to start or continue their course of study within the 35 day cut-off period; and

(d)the student is not likely to receive the Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (CAS) in the period of 12 months starting immediately after the qualification time.

Under 7.5.4 of the VCES Instrument and 7.3.4 of the MRCAETS Instrument, a student is not eligible to receive a Relocation Scholarship if, in the 12 months ending immediately before the student's qualification time:

(a)the student already qualified to receive a Relocation Scholarship payment; or

(b)the student qualified to receive a Relocation Scholarship payment under ABSTUDY or Part 2.11B of the SSA; or

(c)the student already qualified to receive a Relocation Scholarship payment under MRCAETS (for VCES students) or VCES (for MRCAETS students); or

(d)the student has received the amount or value of a Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship (CAS) or the person was entitled to the amount or value of such a scholarship but has not received the full entitlement only because the scholarship was suspended.

The Commission has the discretion to determine a period in relation to a student that is between 3 and 12 months in which the student may be paid the Scholarship if this would enable payment to be made on or near the day 1 January in a year (see 7.5.5 of VCES Instrument and 7.3.5 of MRCAETS Instrument).  This is consistent with the intention of the Scholarships to provide financial support to students who move locations in order to undertake study.  The Commission must not make a determination in this regard if it results in a student being paid more than 2 Student Relocation Scholarship payments in a period of 2 successive calendar years.