Secondary school students
You normally can’t get the allowance for interstate travel to get to your secondary school. However, you might if any of the following apply:
- you live near a state or territory border and attend a nearby interstate school
- it’s more cost effective for you to travel interstate to your place of study
- you have a sibling attending the same school who already has approval to travel interstate because it’s cost effective
- all boarding schools you could stay at are in another state or territory
- you’re studying an approved special course in another state or territory
- you’re at an interstate school and your situation has changed, but it’s important you continue at that school
- you don’t have reasonable access to a Special Assistance School in your state or territory.
If you get the higher away from home rate of ABSTUDY you might also get the allowance for interstate travel. You might get it if you attend an interstate school and you get 1 of the following:
- an approved Third-party Indigenous Scholarship
- an approved Boarding School Scholarship
- a Transition School Scholarship to attend the Melbourne Indigenous Transition School (MITS) or a MITS partner school.
Statement of Attainment, Certificate or Enabling courses
You normally can’t get the allowance for interstate travel to attend a Statement of Attainment, Certificate or Enabling course.
You can get it if:
- it’s cheaper for you to travel to your place of study across a border
- you have an offer of an interstate placement in the Indigenous Youth Mobility Pathways Project.
You can also can get it if a similar course isn’t available in your state or territory. For this to happen, your place of study will need an exemption from the Department of Social Services.
If you have questions about the allowance, call the ABSTUDY line.