How to claim

Complete the steps on this page to claim ABSTUDY School Term Allowance. Before you start, check if you can get it.

If you’ve claimed ABSTUDY School Fees Allowance, we’ll assess you for School Term Allowance at the same time. You won’t need to claim for this separately.

If you haven’t claimed yet, there are 2 ways to claim School Term Allowance. You can either:

You must apply by 31 December in the school year you want School Term Allowance for.

Steps to claim ABSTUDY School Term Allowance

  1.  

    1. 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.

  2.  

    2. Make your claim

    If you call the ABSTUDY line, we’ll help you make your claim.

    To claim using the 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 in one of the following ways:

  3.  

    3. Wait for the result of your claim

    We’ll let you know the following:

    • if we accept your claim
    • when you’ll get your first payment
    • how much you’ll get.

    If we need more details we’ll contact you.

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

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.

Monday to Friday 8 am to 5 pm

If your payment has stopped, it may be because we need your parents’ or guardians’ income information. Read more about how they can update their income details online.

If you need help with another student payment call the Youth and Students line.

There are other ways you may want to contact us.

Page last updated: 6 January 2025.
QC 53287