Family Tax Benefit when your child is 16 to 19 or stops studying - Family Tax Benefit

When your child is 16 to 19

In most cases, we’ll still pay FTB for your child after they turn 16. But both you and your child must continue to meet all the requirements for it.

You can keep getting FTB for your child if they’re 16 to 19 and they either:

are in full time secondary study
have an acceptable adjusted study load
are exempt from study requirements.

Your child must also not get either of the following:

an income support payment in their own right
a payment from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA).

Payments from DVA include:

Veterans’ Children Education Scheme
Military Rehabilitation and Compensation Act Education and Training Scheme payment.

You usually can’t get FTB for a child over 16 who gets a means tested ABSTUDY payment. We can only pay both if your child gets ABSTUDY Living Allowance or School Fees Allowance higher rate, and they are all of the following:

doing full time secondary study
approved to live away from home to study
boarding to attend school.

We may pay FTB Part A until the end of the calendar year in which your child turns 19. This is if your child’s in full time secondary study or is exempt from the study requirements.

We may pay FTB Part B until the end of the calendar year in which your child turns 18. This is if both of the following apply:

you’re a single parent or non parent carer, or a grandparent carer
your child is in full time secondary study or is exempt from the study requirements.

If you can’t get FTB, read about payments your child can get if your FTB stops.

When your child stops studying before completing year 12

To get FTB for your child after they turn 16, they must be either:

studying fulltime and working towards completing year 12
participating in an equivalent qualification.

If your child is 16 or older and stops studying, you need to update their study end date to stop FTB being paid for them.

You need to notify us of this change, or you could get overpaid.

When your child completes year 12 or equivalent qualification

When your child completes year 12 or an equivalent qualification, your FTB for that child will stop. When it stops depends on when they completed their study.

If they complete year 12 or an equivalent qualification:

before November, your FTB will stop 28 days after your child completes their studies
in November or December, your FTB will stop on 31 December.

You may not need to update your child’s study end date to reflect the actual date they complete their studies. This is if both of the following apply:

we have their study end date recorded as November or December
they complete year 12 or equivalent qualification on or after 1 November.

If these don’t apply, you need to update their study end date. It should reflect the actual date they complete their studies.

What full time secondary study for FTB is

Full time secondary study can include any of the following:

study leading towards a year 12 qualification
an accredited secondary course through a secondary school, TAFE, higher education institution, or special school
an Australian Qualification Framework Certificate II or higher qualification issued by a Registered Training Organisation or higher education institution
Certificate II, III or IV of General Education, the International Baccalaureate or other higher education pre-entry course.

Study exemptions may apply

If your child can’t study full time, they may be exempt from the study requirements. This may mean you can continue to get FTB.

The exemption can be permanent or temporary. Temporary exemptions can be for up to 12 months. We review these before the exemption period ends.

To check if your child is exempt, call the Families line.

How to update your child’s education details

If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov you can update your child’s education details online.

Read the guide to update your child’s education details for FTB.

What other payments you or your child can get

Depending on your circumstances you or your child may be eligible for other payments.

Payments your child can get if your FTB stops

If you stop getting FTB, your child may get a payment in their own right. They may be able to get payments from us to help with any of the following:

studying
training
looking for work
working as an apprentice.

Read more about leaving school and looking for work.

Payments if your child has a medical condition or disability

If your child has a medical condition or disability you may be able to get payments from us.

Your child is 16 to 19 or stops studying

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