13.8.3.1 Initial scholarship amount

When a person becomes eligible for the Relocation Scholarship for the first time, the higher amount will generally be payable to that person. However, the higher amount cannot be paid if:

either

(a) the person has previously received a student relocation payment;

or

(b) more than 6 months prior to the person becoming eligible for the relocation scholarship and in any previous calendar year the person did an approved scholarship course while at the same time receiving; the homeless or living away from home allowance for a tertiary student

Effectively, this means that a person will only ever receive the higher amount of the Relocation Scholarship once (hence it is known as the ‘initial’ amount). The higher amount is intended to assist with the initial costs of relocating in order to study.

These provisions also mean that students who, more than 6 months prior to qualifying for the payment were receiving the living away from home, homeless or orphan allowance for a tertiary student while undertaking an approved scholarship course, will be ineligible for the higher amount. This applies even to students who were undertaking an approved scholarship course and receiving a tertiary education allowance in 2009, prior to the scholarships being available.

Examples

1. Josie was studying at university during the first semester of 2011 and, as a recipient of the living away from home education allowance was paid a relocation scholarship at the initial scholarship rate. She has advised the Department that she intends to study again in 2012 and will continue to be living away from home. Because she has previously received a student relocation payment she will not receive the initial scholarship amount again in 2012.

2. Bronwyn started her university studies in 2009. She was living away from home in order to undertake her studies and was financially supported by her father. In September 2011 her father, a member of the Australian Defence Force, was killed while on duty. She continued her studies and was granted living away from home allowance in October 2011, just before finishing her studies for the year.

Even though Bronwyn moved away from home some years previously, because she started receiving the education allowance within 6 months of her qualification time for 2012 (which commences in February 2012) she is eligible to receive the initial scholarship amount.

3. Claire started her university studies at the beginning of 2009 and was receiving the living away from home rate of education allowance. As she was receiving the living away from home rate while undertaking an approved scholarship more than 6 months prior to becoming eligible for the relocation scholarship (because the scholarship only commenced in 2010), she is unable to receive the initial scholarship amount. However, she would be eligible for the intermediate rate for up to 2 calendar years from 2010 if she continues her course of study.