Reducing your study load if you get ABSTUDY Living Allowance

If your study load reduces, you must tell us within 14 days. If you don’t tell us, you may end up getting a debt and having to pay money back.

You should inform us by using your Centrelink online account through myGov, or the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app. If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account you’ll need to create them.

You might change to a lower study load for any of the following reasons:

• you want to drop a subject
• your course changes and you don’t have a choice
• you have a disability
• you’re sick or injured.

If you need to understand how study load changes may impact your payment, you can call the ABSTUDY line.

If you choose to drop a subject

If your study load goes below 75% because you chose to study less, we’ll consider you a part time student and you won’t be eligible for ABSTUDY Living Allowance.

You may be eligible for the ABSTUDY Part Time Award or ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement.

If you don’t have a choice about it

You might not have a choice about reducing your study load. For example, you might:

• have a timetable clash
• fail a subject you need to pass to get into the one you want to do.

Your course provider might:

• cancel one of your subjects
• have no vacancies in one of your subjects
• reduce your study load for academic or vocational reasons.

If your study load goes below 75% and you didn’t have a choice about it, you may be able to stay on ABSTUDY.

You’ll need to do both of the following:

• give us a letter from your academic registrar or similar that includes one of the reasons above
• keep a study load of at least 66%.

You may be studying a 66% study load because your education provider recommended that you reduce your study.

If this is the case, you can only keep your payments for half the academic year. After this, you’ll need a study load of at least 75% to stay on ABSTUDY Living Allowance.

If you’re an ABSTUDY student living with disability

If you live with substantial physical, psychiatric or intellectual disability, you may not be able to either:

• study full time
• finish in reasonable time.

You may still be eligible for ABSTUDY if you do at least 25% of the full time study load.

You’ll need to give us a medical certificate or a statement from a practitioner who specialises in the area of your disability. It must show you’re unable to study full time.

If you’re sick or injured

You may be eligible for ABSTUDY Living Allowance if you can’t study full time temporarily because you’re either:

• sick
• injured.

If you’re a tertiary student, you’ll need to give us a medical certificate showing why you can’t study full time. You also need to remain enrolled in your course while you’re sick or injured.