Where the Commission has approved payment to a student of a 'living away from home', 'homeless' or 'double orphan' rate of education allowance under paragraph 3.5.1, it may accept financial liability for a fare (or part thereof) paid, or to be paid, by the student for a journey between the student's home and place of study.
In making a decision under paragraph 5.1.1 in respect of whether to accept liability for a fare, the Commission is to take into account Part 2.26 of the Social Security Act 1991. Part 2.26 sets out the circumstances under which fares allowance is payable and the level of fares allowance payable in certain circumstances. This Part also provides direction on fares allowance for students studying an external or correspondence course.
Students are entitled to the reimbursement of up to 2 single and 1 return trip per academic year (or equivalent). The intention is to reimburse the cost of travel from the student's permanent or family home to the study institution at the beginning of the year, and return travel at the completion of study for the year. The student's permanent home must be in Australia.
Reimbursement is at the cheapest rate of public transport and it is payable upon receipt of expenditure (copy of receipt, bus/ train ticket, etc). This can include the use of private transport. Reimbursement is based on size of car/ number of kilometers travelled, calculated by formula under Part 2.26 (Fares Allowance) of the Social Security Act 1991.
Air travel may be paid where the travel time (including waiting time between connections) exceeds 36 hours by train or 18 hours by coach.
A higher rate may also be paid if the student is unable by illness or incapacity to travel by the cheaper means.
Part 5.2 of the VCES and MRCAETS Instruments provide the Board or Commission with the power to grant additional tuition funding to students where there is a discrepancy between the student's intellectual potential and their actual academic achievements.
This discrepancy must be established by the relevant education authority. The relevant education authority is the school, university or other education institution where the student is currently undertaking study. A request for additional tuition must be accompanied by an appropriate assessment from the education authority establishing the value of the proposed tuition. An 'appropriate assessment' is the DVA form 'Application for Additional Tuition', which is located on the VCES and MRCAETS Collaborative Tools site. In most instances, the student's lecturer, teacher, special education coordinator, or school deputy principal will provide the information requested in the form.
Additional tuition is granted for a prescribed period as determined by the Education Scheme Secretary. If the student is applying for additional tuition for subsequent periods, the appropriate assessment form must outline the continuing need for such assistance. Requests for continuing additional tuition must be accompanied by a report from the tutor outlining the work covered, progress made by the student, and the value in continuing tuition.
Part 5.4 of the VCES and MRCAETS Instruments state that the Commission will determine the maximum value of additional tuition which may be available to a student in any year. As at 1 June 2010 the maximum amount payable is $2,000 per year (see Departmental Instruction 2007 C16). If there is a need for funding to be provided beyond this limit, up to an additional $2,000 may be granted by the appropriate National Manager and approved by the Repatriation Commission (for VCES students) or the Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Commission (for MRCAETS students).
Additional tuition is intended for those students who are experiencing a genuine discrepancy between their intellectual potential and their actual academic achievement. The education authority should identify the particular discrepancy that exists. The authority should establish a student's academic ability by, for instance, producing previous school reports that indicate higher levels of academic achievement. The report should identify any factors other than learning difficulties which may be affecting the student's progress (e.g. medical, domestic situation).
Additional tuition is intended to provide short-term assistance to students who are struggling in their studies where their usual performance has been hindered by circumstances beyond their control. For example, additional tuition may be provided to students who have been absent from school for long period due to illness, who have transferred schools and are struggling to maintain their previous academic achievements, or who have experienced a loss of a parent or family member and this loss has impacted their studies. In such cases additional tuition can assist the student to make sure that these circumstances do not permanently disadvantage their education.
Additional tuition is not intended to aid students who have achieved lesser results due to a lack of effort. Additional tuition is not intended to be used to provide tutoring to students to enable them to produce a higher level of result than would normally be expected. Additional tuition is also not intended to assist students who have never shown a particular aptitude in a subject to improve their results in that subject.
Before approving such funding, the education authority must be satisfied that appropriate remedial teaching facilities have been utilised by the student (through the institution or another source), or that such facilities have not achieved the desired result. Additional tuition funding is intended to be utilised in addition to assistance available through the institution, not instead of that assistance.
In cases where students have identified learning difficulties which may be of longer term duration, additional tuition can be provided where it is shown that academic improvements can be made. In such cases, a professional assessment may be required to establish the student's intellectual potential and determine what assistance can be provided or adapted to best target their learning difficulties. It is recommended that students with long-term learning difficulties be monitored by the Board to establish if any other education based assistance can be offered to the student.
The Board or Commission does not arrange the additional tuition, but can allocate funding for that tuition. Tutors are located and engaged by the student, their parent, guardian, or the school.
Tutors are required to provide a brief report on the work covered by the student and an assessment of the student's progress during the tuition period. Tutors may invoice directly for payment. However they are also required to submit the VCES/MRCAETS Claim for payment which includes the parent's/guardian's signature confirming that the service has been received.
Last amended: 2 May 2011
Where a Board or the Commission considers that exceptional circumstances, beyond the control of the student, have hindered or will hinder a student's progress:
(a)the Board may recommend payment of Special Financial Assistance in respect of that student; or
(b)the Commission may approve payment of Special Financial Assistance in respect of that student.
The Commission may approve payment of Special Financial Assistance recommended by the Board under paragraph 5.3.1. Under Volume 1/04/06 this power was delegated to the National Manager Veterans' Compensation Group (SES Band 1). This position is currently the Assistant Secretary, Rehabilitation and Entitlements Policy Branch.
For “exceptional circumstances” to exist there must be external factors that impact on a student's educational progress. Examples of circumstances that may be considered “exceptional” for the payment of Special Financial Assistance include:
Assistance towards the cost of computers is generally precluded, except in very exceptional circumstances such as in the case of students who have a disability which necessitates that they have a computer in order to undertake their studies.
Special Financial Assistance should not be granted for the payment of school fees, unless “exceptional circumstances” exist, as this is provided for in the payment of education allowance.
Applications for this benefit should include full details of the circumstances necessitating a grant of Special Financial Assistance, and should be made on the Special Financial Assistance claim form.
Applications for minor amounts of Special Financial Assistance are generally decided by the Education Scheme Secretary, however requests for large grants, as well as applications likely to be declined, should be referred to the relevant Board for consideration and advice.
The amount of assistance which the Secretary may approve for a student is limited to a maximum of $2,000.00 per annum (see Departmental Instruction C16/2 — 007 [5]). If assistance above this amount is being requested, the matter is referred to the Assistant Secretary, Rehabilitation and Entitlements Policy Branch, via the Policy Officer Children's Education Schemes. Up to an additional $2,000.00 can be granted per annum. Assistance in excess of this requires approval by Commission.
Such applications should be accompanied by supporting documentation and the recommendation of the Board. *
If an application is declined, the applicant must be notified, in writing, of the reasons for the decision and informed of their right of review.
* As from 1 May 2012, all applications for Special Financial Assistance are to be determined by the First Assistant Secretary, Rehabilitation and Support, via the Policy Officer – Education Schemes. This is a temporary measure for approximately six months. Please see Departmental Instruction C06/2012 [6] for further information.
Subject to paragraph 5.5.2, a student who has been granted education allowance at a 'living away from home', 'double orphan' or homeless rate may be entitled to the payment of rent assistance. Rent assistance for students under the education schemes is not subjected to a means test. To be eligible to receive rent assistance a student must be 16 years of age or older.
Rent assistance payable under the Scheme, whether to a student in or outside Australia, is only payable in the same circumstances that rent assistance would have been payable to the student under the Social Security Act 1991 if the student had not been a student receiving benefits under the Scheme but had been a person receiving youth allowance under that Act.
Note – as at 1 April 2003, rent assistance must, among other things, be only for premises in Australia and the maximum period that rent assistance is payable, while a student is outside Australia, is 26 weeks.
Departmental Instruction C36/1998 [9] provides guidance on assessing Rent Assistance for VCES beneficiaries.
Rent Assistance cannot be paid:
(a)in advance (except for secondary students in boarding schools where the 'living away from home' rate is paid a term in advance; or
(b)while a student is resident overseas; or
(c)when a student who receives Rent Assistance returns to their parental or family home at the end of the educational year (A student who has a requirement to maintain accommodation until the following educational year may continue to receive rent assistance; or
(d)to a student who is a home owner; or
(e)to a student who is a tenant of a state or territory housing authority.
The formula to be used for the provision of rent assistance is:
(fortnightly rent – current rent threshold) x 75%.
The amount of Rent Assistance payable is the lower of the calculated amount or the maximum Rent Assistance amount. The rent threshold and the maximum rate of Rent Assistance are indexed twice annually with any increase taking effect from the first payday on or after the 20 — th March and the 20 — th September indexation dates each year.
Board is the provision of meals on a regular basis in connection with the provision of lodging. It is not counted as rent for Rent Assistance purposes. Only the amount paid for lodging in a “board and lodging” situation is counted as rent for Rent Assistance purposes. The student's estimate or statement of the amount paid for lodging should generally be accepted without further investigation, provided it is within the guidelines. If the amount paid for lodging is not able to be identified, two-thirds of the total amount will be considered as the rent component.
The maximum rate of Rent Assistance for single people who are sharers is two-thirds of the maximum rate for singles living independently. A student is to be assessed as a sharer if:
A major area of accommodation is defined as: a bathroom, a kitchen or a bedroom. Sharers are subject to a lower maximum rate of Rent Assistance.
Students at boarding schools are to be treated as single students. They are not to be considered as sharers. Students living in university halls of residence could be either boarders and lodgers, or sharers (if meals are not included in accommodation costs).
A student living in a housing authority property and who pays lodgings to the tenant is eligible to receive Rent Assistance. If the student is the tenant of the housing authority property that student is not eligible for Rent Assistance as they are already receiving Government assistance.
If the student receiving the “living away from home” rate lives in a home that is owned by the parents but is not the parents' principal home, the student is eligible for rent assistance.
Rent verification procedures define acceptable proof of the amount of rent paid to include:
Rent receipts, letters or statements provided in verification must show the name of the person issuing the receipt or letter, the name of the person to whom it is issued, the amount, the date and the address of the property for which rent was or is payable.
Rent is to be verified at least annually and before granting assistance.
Rent assistance is payable, where a student is eligible, from the first payday after 1 July 1998. Secretaries must ensure that all students aged 16 and over who are currently receiving the living away from home rate of education allowance are individually advised of their possible entitlement to rent assistance and invited to submit an application. Provided that an amount of rent is payable by the student, there is no requirement that the student must actually make that payment before rent assistance can start (eg at the beginning of a new lease).
Some examples of whether a student is to be classed as a sharer:
Category |
Sharer (Yes/No) |
a single student residing alone in a flat, apartment, or house |
No |
a single student in a flat, apartment, or house sharing one or more major areas of accommodation with at least one other person |
Yes |
a single student living in a boarding house or house who receives regular meals as part of the board and lodging arrangements and does not pay extra for the meals |
No |
a single student living in a boarding house or house who has to pay extra for meals |
Yes |
a single student living in a university hall of residence and who receives meals without having to pay extra |
No |
a single student living in a university hall of residence who has to pay extra for meals |
Yes |
a student at a boarding school |
No |
Notes:
Students are to complete a rent assistance application form and provide supporting documentation as evidence of the amount of their rent, e.g. copy of lease or a rental receipt.
Students are obliged to advise VCES if they change address/ accommodation and to provide new evidence of rent or board being paid. A new Rent Assistance application should then be submitted and VCES / MRCAETS Secretaries adjust the amount accordingly.
Links
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[5] https://clik.dva.gov.au/compensation-and-support-reference-library/departmental-instructions/2007/c162007-veterans-children-education-scheme-vces-limits-additional-tuition-and-special-financial-assistance-effective-1-january-2007
[6] https://clik.dva.gov.au/compensation-and-support-reference-library/departmental-instructions/2012/c062012-changes-arrangements-regarding-special-financial-assistance-determinations-under-veterans-children-education-scheme-vces-and-military-rehabilitation-and-compensation-act
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[9] https://clik.dva.gov.au/compensation-and-support-reference-library/departmental-instructions/1998/c361998-veterans-children-education-scheme-rent-assistance-ra
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