Orientation and open day travel

ABSTUDY Fares Allowance can pay for new students to visit boarding schools and hostels before choosing where to enrol.

Who can get help

Prospective secondary school students can get help with travel when one of the following apply:

  • they’re required to attend an interview or other selection process before they’re accepted at the boarding school or hostel
  • they’re boarding away from home for the first time, and from a remote community or location

There’s no limit to how many orientation trips a student and their parent or guardian can get help with. They can go to multiple orientations at different schools.

When they’ve chosen a school, ABSTUDY can pay for more visits to the same school. This is only if the student is moving away from a remote town or community for the first time. This could also be to take part in a transition program.

Other approved travellers, like a family member or supervisor, can also get help if they travel with the student.

How to book travel

To get ABSTUDY Fares Allowance for orientation travel, the student needs to have already claimed and be eligible for ABSTUDY.

If they haven’t done so already, the parents or guardians should claim ABSTUDY by calling the ABSTUDY line. Learn more about helping families claim ABSTUDY.

We’ll let the family know when we’ve assessed them for ABSTUDY. We’ll let you know once we’ve assessed their claim. Then you can request orientation travel on their behalf.

You’ll need to both:

Once we approve the request we’ll:

  • make the travel and accommodation bookings
  • send the itinerary and booking details to you to pass onto the student’s family.

Learn more about the important role you play in arranging ABSTUDY’s help with orientation visits.

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: 3 December 2024.
QC 63018