Essential study costs are what the student or Australian Apprentice usually needs to pay to do the course. They are costs which you, as the provider, don’t cover. These can include:
- stationery, art supplies, horticultural supplies, resources, workbooks and textbooks
- photocopying costs, ink cartridges and paper for computer printers
- education provider fees like union, sports or library fees
- compulsory equipment, if it’s unreasonable for the provider to provide them
- approved daily travel expenses to and from class or training sessions.
You, as the provider, must approve essential course costs. The person who approves it must be either:
- a senior representative of the relevant state or territory corrective services authority
- the education provider’s head of school or department.
Approved courses
We pay the allowance to help with the costs of approved courses. An approved course is one that would improve a person’s potential to do more study or find work once they’re released from custody.
Most courses overseen by a corrective service for people in lawful custody are approved courses.
Approved courses can include:
- a study programme approved by a corrective service, including Indigenous special courses
- some language, literacy and numeracy courses, including English as a second language
- an accredited secondary course through a secondary school or TAFE, higher education institution or special school
- pre-vocational or vocational education and training courses
- courses preparing a student for tertiary study
- school-based apprenticeship or traineeships
- TAFE, university, masters or doctorate courses.
If you’d like to check if your course is approved, call the National Business Gateway line.