Education & Training
Centrelink income support for students
The government provides income support to students (meeting specific eligibility criteria) through Centrelink. The following describes some of the payments, allowances and concessions that you may be entitled to. For more information click on the hyperlink to the Centrelink webpage for each income support option described below.
You may be entitled to one or more types of income support while you are studying. Which payments and how much you may receive depend on your individual circumstances. It is very important to contact Centrelink directly to get advice based on your own personal details.
Austudy is paid to students 25 years or over.
Disability Support Pension is paid to people with disability (meeting particular medical criteria defining long-term disability) including those studying full or part-time at university. The Disability Support Pension is currently a higher payment that the Youth Allowance or Austudy.
Youth Allowance helps if you are a young person who is studying, undertaking training or an Australian Apprenticeship, looking for work, or sick. If you are living away from the family home you may be entitled to a higher amount of Youth Allowance.
Education Entry Payment is a one-off payment available once per calendar year to assist with start-up study costs. It is paid to those entitled to the Pensioner Education Supplement (see below).
Fares Allowance is paid to university students living away from your permanent home to study, to help cover the costs of travelling between your permanent home and university.
Mobility Allowance is a regular payment paid to people with disability who are in paid employment or some form of training and are unable to use public transport without substantial assistance.
Pensioner Education Supplement is paid to assist with ongoing study costs. To be eligible you must have been in continuous receipt of income support payment for 12 months and be commencing in an approved course of education.
Rent Assistance is a regular payment paid to assist with paying private rent (or lodging). You may be entitled to Rent Assistance if you pay rent that is over $92.60 a week and qualify as living away from home.
Telephone Allowance is a regular payment paid to those with a Pensioner Concession Card who have a telephone connected.
Health Care Card is issued to low income earners and those receiving certain income support payments (including Youth Allowance). The card entitles you to cheaper medications and also other concessions including health services, transport and education.
Pensioner Concession Card is issued to those receiving the Disability Support Pension (and other types of pensions). This card entitles you to cheaper medications and other concessions including energy bill discounts, reduced public transport fares, discounted motor vehicle registration and one or more free rail journeys within the state each year.
Advance Payment involves you receiving a loan of between $250-500 from Centrelink no more than once per 12 months. This advance payment must be repaid by fortnightly deductions from your regular Centrelink income support
