Part 7.4 of the VCES Instrument and Part 7.2 of the MRCAETS Instrument concern the Student Start-up Scholarship. The Student Start-up Scholarship is intended to assist students to cover up-front higher education fees including text book and equipment fees. 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;
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 Education Costs Scholarship (CECS) in the period of 6 months starting immediately after the qualification time.
Under 7.4.4 of the VCES Instrument and 7.2.4 of the MRCAETS Instrument, a student is not eligible to receive a Student Start-up Scholarship if, in the 6 months ending immediately before the student's qualification time:
a)the student already qualified to receive a Student Start-up Scholarship payment; or
b)the student qualified to receive a Student Start-up Scholarship payment under ABSTUDY or Part 2.11B of the SSA; or
c)the student already qualified to receive a Student Start-up 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 Education Costs Scholarship (CECS) 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 2 and 6 months in which the student may be paid the Scholarship if this would enable payment to be made on or near the day on which the approved scholarship course concerned started or starts (see 7.4.5 of VCES Instrument and 7.2.5 of MRCAETS Instrument). This is consistent with the intention of the Scholarships to provide financial support to students at the beginning of their course to enable them to pay for text books and other necessary study-related expenses. The Commission must not make a determination in this regard if it results in a student being paid more than 2 Student Start-up Scholarship payments in a calendar year.