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What help you can get
ABSTUDY is a group of payments and support. Watch this video to learn how ABSTUDY can help when you’re in higher education.
Main payments
The main payment is ABSTUDY Living Allowance. We pay it each fortnight to help with living costs while you’re studying.
Otherwise, you may be eligible for ABSTUDY Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) if you meet study rules and get certain payments from us or the Department of Veterans’ Affairs.
To help with the costs of starting or continuing study, we also pay ABSTUDY Incidentals Allowance. You get this once a year to help buy study materials.
If you get Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES, you may also be eligible for Assistance with ABSTUDY masters and doctorate compulsory course fees.
If you get Living Allowance you may also be eligible for Additional Assistance if you’re in severe financial stress and at risk of dropping out of your course.
Extra payments
If you have high essential course costs, we pay Additional Incidentals Allowance. This helps with costs like union fees, library fees, laboratory fees and textbook costs.
You may also be eligible for all the following:
- ABSTUDY Relocation Allowance for the costs of moving for your masters or doctorate study
- ABSTUDY Fares Allowance for travel costs if you live away from home to study, and don’t get Relocation Allowance
- ABSTUDY Thesis Allowance for the costs of producing your thesis or similar course requirements.
How to get started
Before you claim, read about your eligibility for each ABSTUDY payment.
You can claim ABSTUDY Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES online up to 13 weeks before you start your course. If you claim Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES, you don’t need to claim Incidentals Allowance separately. We’ll pay it automatically.
If you’re not eligible for Living Allowance or ABSTUDY PES, you can claim ABSTUDY Incidentals Allowance on its own. You can claim up to 13 weeks before the start of each course.
Find out more about what you need to do to:
- claim Assistance with ABSTUDY masters and doctorate compulsory course fees
- claim Additional Assistance
- claim Additional Incidentals Allowance
- claim ABSTUDY Relocation Allowance
- claim ABSTUDY Fares Allowance
- claim ABSTUDY Thesis Allowance.
If you need help or can’t claim online because of a medical condition or special circumstances, call the ABSTUDY line.
Contact numbers available on this page.
Centrelink ABSTUDY line
Use this line if you get or are claiming ABSTUDY. Help for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and apprentices with ABSTUDY, Health Care Card or Pensioner Concession Card.
There are other ways you may want to contact us.