Any changes to your study may affect your student payment paid by Centrelink. If there’s been a change, or you’re thinking of making a change, here are 4 situations you need to tell them about.
1. You’ve dropped a subject or two
Business statistics not really your thing? If you’ve dropped a subject you may need to let Centrelink know.
To get Youth Allowance as a student or Austudy, you generally need to be studying full time. For your student payment, full time means you’re studying at least 75% of the equivalent full time study load (EFTSL).
Your place of study can tell you what your EFTSL is. Better yet, if you’ve got an online student portal your enrolment info may be there.
If you’ve changed your enrolment and are no longer considered full time, you need to update your study details using your Centrelink online account through myGov by editing your study load.
There are some exceptions to full time study like if you’re temporarily sick or injured. If this is you, call Centrelink on 132 490 to discuss.
2. You’ve stopped studying completely
Perhaps your course wasn’t right for you, or you’ve decided to take a leave of absence. Stopping study affects your eligibility, so tell Centrelink as soon as you’ve stopped.
You must be studying (or doing an Australian Apprenticeship or traineeship) to qualify for Youth Allowance as a student, Austudy or ABSTUDY. If you’re not studying, update your study details using your Centrelink online account through myGov. All you have to do is add the date you stopped studying to the ‘end date’ field.
3. You’ve changed courses
After a couple of weeks you decided your course wasn’t right for you and you’re now enrolled in the perfect one. Don’t wait, tell Centrelink now.
Even if your level of study, educational institution, course end date and student ID are the same, it’s considered a new course.
There are 3 steps you need to follow:
- Update your study details in your Centrelink online account through myGov by ending your course that’s currently recorded. To do this, add the date you stopped your previous course to the ‘end date’ field.
- Add a new course by adding new study details.
- Click submit.
Austudy and Youth Allowance aren’t paid forever. Changes to your course can affect how long you can get a student payment from Centrelink. This is known as allowable time for Austudy and Youth Allowance.
4. You’ve changed where you study
You got a late offer to the uni of your dreams (and this is different to what Centrelink has recorded) or you just decided you wanted to change institution? Make sure you update your details.
Even if your course has the same name and the only change is your educational institution, you still need to let Centrelink know.
Follow these 3 steps:
- Update your study details in your Centrelink online account through myGov by ending your course that’s currently recorded. To do this, add the date you stopped your previous course to the ‘end date’ field.
- Add a new course by adding new study details.
- Click submit.
A change in circumstances
If there’s been a change in your circumstances, you must let Centrelink know within 14 days. If you don’t tell them, it may affect your payment and you may need to pay back money already paid to you.
Changes to your study may affect your eligibility to the Student Start-up Loan.
If you have any questions about changes to your study ask Centrelink at Student Update on Facebook or tweet @StudentUpdateAU. Just make sure you don’t share any personal info.
