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Schools tell us what their fees are each year. Some charge different fees for each student. If you know what the fees are, tell us when you claim this or another ABSTUDY payment.
Rates per year
There are 2 different parts of the allowance:
- up to $9,960 that isn’t income tested
- up to $2,856 that is income tested.
Income tested means parental income affects how much we can pay for the student. Read more about what the parental means test is.
If you’re eligible, we’ll pay both parts of the allowance.
If the school fees are less than the amount of the allowance you’re entitled to, we’ll pay enough to cover them. If the fees are more than the amount of the allowance you’re entitled to, you’ll have to pay the difference. We only pay the maximum rate per year.
How we pay
We’ll pay the allowance to the school or board provider unless you choose to pay the fees yourself. We’ll pay it in instalments, by the term, or annually, depending on where the student is boarding. Find out more about how we pay the allowance.