What proof you need to give us

To get a higher rate of ABSTUDY Living Allowance you may need to prove you need to live away from home. To do this you’ll need to give us documentation.

The documents you may need to provide depend on your situation.

Travel and access proof

Your situationDocuments you need to give us
It takes more than 90 minutes to travel from home to your place of study or work.A written statement of the travel time by public transport, including waiting and walking time.
Road or weather conditions make it hard to get from home to your place of study or work.

A letter from your local council describing both the:

  • conditions
  • number of times in the past year travel between your home and place of study or work was affected.
Secondary school student whose home is at least 56 km from a suitable school.A written statement of the km between your home and school.

Secondary school student whose home is at least:

  • 4.5 km from the nearest transport service
  • 16 km from a suitable school.

A written statement of the km between your home and both the:

  • transport service
  • school.

School situation proof

Your situationDocuments you need to give us
Primary school student needing to repeat final year of primary school.A letter from your school telling us you need to repeat the final year of primary school.
Local government school has a limited program or facilities.If it isn’t on our list of limited program schools, a letter from the local education authority confirming the school can’t give you the right level of schooling.
Excluded from all local government schools.A letter from the local education authority telling us you’ve been excluded from all local government schools.
Racial discrimination at all local government schools.

Written statements saying discrimination disrupted your study and the problem couldn’t be fixed from the following:

  • your parent or guardian
  • all government schools where you faced racial discrimination
  • an Indigenous education organisation or an incorporated Indigenous organisation.
Compulsory to live at your education institution.

A letter from the education institution confirming both of the following:

  • it’s compulsory to live on campus
  • the dates you need to live on campus.

Special courses proof

Your situationDocuments you need to give us
Special course in drama, art, music, sport, technology, Indigenous studies or agriculture.

If it isn’t on our approved special course, a letter from the state or territory education authority telling us the:

  • school meets the special course requirements
  • course isn’t available at government schools in your area.
Special course that gives you a specialist qualification.

A letter from the state or territory education authority telling us both of the following:

  • it's a specialist course not generally available at secondary schools
  • the completion certificate is a formal qualification.
Special course that’s an essential prerequisite for a tertiary course.

You need to provide both of the following:

  • a statement with details of the tertiary course
  • a letter from the school telling us you have potential to get into the tertiary course and are enrolled in the prerequisite subjects.

Health proof

Your situationDocuments you need to give us
Can’t travel to school daily due to disability or a health condition.

A letter from a medical authority telling us both of the following:

  • what your disability is
  • you couldn’t live at home and travel to school daily.
Need regular medical treatment.

You need to provide both of the following:

  • a written statement with full details of travel required for treatment if you were living at home
  • a letter from a medical authority at the treatment centre telling us you need regular treatment.
Need to live in a different climate.

A letter from a medical authority saying both of the following:

  • your medical condition and how the local environment affects it
  • the area you’re going to school in is less likely to cause your medical condition.

Family conditions proof

Your situationDocuments you need to give us
Home conditions make it hard to study.A written statement from an independent authority with firsthand knowledge of your situation.
Parents move a lot because of work.

A written statement of both of the following:

  • dates and locations the family has moved to in the past 12 months
  • expected dates and locations of moves in the next 12 months.
Parents are away a lot because of work.

A written statement of both of the following:

  • the type of work
  • the times they are away from home.

Scholarship proof

Your situationDocuments you need to give us
Independent boarding school scholarship.

A letter from your school telling us:

  • you were awarded the scholarship
  • your scholarship will cover $7,096 or 25% of your tuition and boarding fees, whichever is greater.
Scholarship to a Highly Effective or High Expectation school.

A letter from your school telling us both of the following:

  • the scholarship or program you’ve been granted
  • what percentage of your tuition and boarding fees the scholarship will cover.
Transition School Scholarship.A letter from Melbourne Indigenous Transition School telling us about the placement at the partner school.
Page last updated: 20 September 2024.
QC 44311