Meet some of our students - student profiles

Josh: partner income

Josh is 26, married and has always aspired to be Indiana Jones. He’s now studying archaeology full time at university on a scholarship.

He hasn’t been getting Austudy because his partner’s income was too high.

We take into account Josh’s partner’s income as it affects whether Josh gets a payment and how much he gets. There’s a maximum amount his partner can earn before we reduce Josh’s payment.

Josh’s partner lost one of his jobs as a restaurant manager due to the restaurant closing. His income has decreased substantially. When Josh applies for Austudy, we use his partner’s current income to work out if Josh can get a payment.

Josh will need to declare his partner’s income each fortnight. This will determine how much his Austudy payments will be. He will also need to include if his partner got JobKeeper Payment.

If your situation is like Josh’s and you want to know more, ask us on the Services Australia Facebook page. Keep in mind, you shouldn't share personal details in a public space like social media.

Andy: apprentice living at home

Andy is 17 and finished school last year. He had a short break after his year 12 exams. Then he applied for an Australian Apprenticeship. He is now training in building and construction.

Andy lives at home with his mum and 2 younger siblings. Andy’s dad pays maintenance for Andy and his 2 siblings.

Andy made a claim for Youth Allowance, as he lives with his mum, and we consider him dependent. This means we used his mum’s income and the maintenance his dad pays when we worked out Andy’s eligibility.

If your situation is like Andy's and you want to know more, ask us on the Services Australia Facebook page. Keep in mind, you shouldn't share personal details in a public space like social media.

Amy: relocating to study

Amy is 18 and from a small country town in Queensland. She’s finished school and is moving from her town to the city to study food and nutrition. She’s going to live with her aunt near her uni campus. Amy’s applying for Youth Allowance.

Even though she doesn’t live with her parents, we consider Amy to be dependent. This means we’ll use Amy’s parents’ income when working out her eligibility. As a dependant, Amy is eligible for the away from home rate. This is because her parents live more than 90 minutes from her place of study. Amy is also eligible for Fares Allowance. She’ll also get the Relocation Scholarship because she needs to move from a rural area to the city for study.

If your situation is like Amy's and you want to know more, ask us on the Services Australia Facebook page. Keep in mind, you shouldn't share personal details in a public space like social media.

Sally: working gap year

Sally is 19 and excited about her first year at uni studying International Business. When Sally finished Year 12, she took time off for a working holiday. Up until then she was living with her parents. She enjoyed seeing so many places around the world! She also worked hard and earned good money. We assessed Sally as independent for Youth Allowance because she had supported herself through paid work. When she started her study, Sally moved onto campus at uni in Brisbane.

Next semester, Sally’s moving back in with her family to study by distance. Sally will get the at home rate of Youth Allowance when she's living with her parents.

If your situation is like Sally’s and you want to know more, ask us on the Services Australia Facebook page. Keep in mind, you shouldn't share personal details in a public space like social media.

Liz: mature-aged student

At 29, Liz has worked as a live in nanny for the last 8 years. She’s loved her job and enjoyed watching the children grow but she’s ready for a career change. She’s moved into an apartment with her partner who works part-time.

Liz is starting TAFE and studying for the first time. Given her interest with kids she’s going to study early childhood. Because she’s over 25 Liz is eligible for Austudy. Her partner’s income affects how much payment she gets.

If your situation is like Liz's and you want to know more, ask us on the Services Australia Facebook page. Keep in mind, you shouldn't share personal details in a public space like social media.

Jack: Indigenous Australian living at home

19 year old Jack finished school last year and is living at home with his parents. We consider him dependent. He’s now enrolled to study Urban and Regional Town Planning at his local university.

As Jack identifies as a Torres Strait Islander, he'll get ABSTUDY Living Allowance. We use Jack’s parents’ income when assessing the amount of the allowance he’ll get. Jack will also be eligible for Incidentals Allowance.

If your situation is like Jack's and you want to know more, ask us on the Services Australia Facebook page. Keep in mind, you shouldn't share personal details in a public space like social media.

David: student in a share house

After 18 year old David finished school, he enrolled with TAFE to study Graphic Design.

David applied for Youth Allowance. After that, he moved out of his parents' place into shared accommodation with 2 friends. David has started a casual job, working as a waiter. Even though he’s not living at home, he’s still considered dependent. This means we’ll use his parents’ income to assess his eligibility for Youth Allowance. We'll also use his personal income when assessing the amount of Youth Allowance he’ll get.

If your situation is like David's and you want to know more, ask us on the Services Australia Facebook page. Keep in mind, you shouldn't share personal details in a public space like social media.