To get paid boarding instalments directly each term, you must enter into an ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement with us, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia. You must renew this Agreement every 3 years.
What an ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement is
An ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement is a contractual agreement between boarding hostels and us, on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia. It outlines your obligations to get ABSTUDY payments for eligible secondary students living in your boarding hostel.
If you’re a signatory to the Agreement, ABSTUDY payments can be paid directly to you in 2 instalments each school term. We call these ABSTUDY boarding instalments.
If you’re not signed to the Agreement, you can’t get ABSTUDY payments.
An Agreement is valid for 3 years. To keep getting ABSTUDY boarding instalments for your boarding students, you must renew your Agreement each period.
If you don’t offer accommodation to students over the weekend, your hostel may still be eligible. However, you must make sure your students and their families are aware ABSTUDY can’t help with travel home each weekend.
If you’re a private board provider, we’ll consider you a student hostel if you accommodate 5 or more students on your premises. This doesn’t include your own children.
How to enter and renew an Agreement
To enter into an active ABSTUDY Standard Hostels Agreement, you can:
- call the National Business Gateway
- email the National Business Gateway.
We can only start paying ABSTUDY boarding instalment payments once the Agreement has been signed by yourself and us.
When the Agreement is approved, it’ll be valid for 3 years.
Before the 3 years ends, we’ll contact you to initiate the renewal process. You don’t need to do anything.
Your agreement should always be active so you can keep getting correct payments.
Learn more about what else you can do to manage your ABSTUDY secondary student payments.