Claiming as a tertiary student or Australian Apprentice

When tertiary students need to claim

You can claim up to 13 weeks before you start your course. If you’re studying a course for:

• 30 weeks or more, you must complete and submit your claim before 31 December in that year
• less than 30 weeks, you’ll need to submit your claim before the last day of your course.

When Australian Apprentices need to claim

You can claim up to 13 weeks before you start your Australian Apprenticeship. You must complete and submit your claim by the start date of your apprenticeship. If you submit your claim after your apprenticeship starts, we will still accept it. However, we may only pay you from the date you submitted your claim.

If a medical condition or special circumstances stop you from doing so, call us on our ABSTUDY line.

Steps to claim ABSTUDY Living Allowance as a tertiary student or Australian Apprentice

1.  

   1. Get ready to claim

   The easiest way to claim is online.

   To claim online, you need a Centrelink online account linked to myGov. If you don’t have a myGov account or a Centrelink online account you’ll need to set them up.

   You’ll need a Customer Reference Number (CRN) to link your Centrelink online account to myGov.

   If you ever got a payment from us you’ll still have a CRN, CRNs don’t change.

   If you don’t have a CRN, you’ll need to prove your identity online through myGov to get one.

   If you can’t get a CRN online, you can call us on the ABSTUDY line.

2.  

   2. Get your documents ready to claim

   You’ll need to get some supporting documents ready to help answer some of the questions in the claim.

3.  

   3. Make your claim

   You can claim the allowance:

   • online
   • on the phone by calling us on the ABSTUDY line and we’ll help you claim
   • by printing and completing the claim for ABSTUDY form.

   If you can claim online

   If your Centrelink online account is linked to myGov, sign in now and select Apply for ABSTUDY to start your claim.

   Sign in to myGov

   There’s help on each screen, including how to submit your supporting documents and other forms.

   If you can’t claim online

   To claim using a paper form, follow these steps:

   1. Check you’ve answered all questions.
   2. Sign and date the claim form.
   3. Attach any supporting documents.
   4. Submit your claim to us.

   You can submit your claim form either:

   • online by uploading your documents online
   • by post to:

   Services Australia
   Student Services
   Reply Paid 7804
   Canberra BC ACT 2610
4.  

   4. Track your claim

   If you submit your claim online or over the phone you’ll get a receipt telling you:

   • your claim was submitted
   • the ID number of your claim
   • an estimated completion date
   • a link to track its progress.

   You can track the progress of your claim using either:

   • your Centrelink online account through myGov
   • the Express Plus Centrelink mobile app.

   Outcome of your claim

   We’ll let you know the result of your application. We’ll send a message to your myGov Inbox.

   If you don’t get electronic letters, we’ll send you a letter in the mail.

   If we need more details we’ll ask you for them.

   If you think we’ve made a mistake you can ask us to review our decision.