There are various kinds of financial assistance packages that are provided by the government to support you financially while you're studying or undertaking training.
Centrelink offers various student allowances, including Austudy, ABSTUDY and the Youth Allowance (new windows).
In addition, various loans and payment schemes exist to help manage the cost of tertiary education.
Youth Allowance
If you are aged between 16 and 24 years of age and are a full-time student you are eligible to apply for the Youth Allowance (new window).
Austudy
If you are a full-time student and you are 25 years old or older, then you can apply for Austudy. Visit Centrelink's Austudy Payment page (new window) to find out how to apply for Austudy.
ABSTUDY
If you are an Indigenous person and are studying either full-time delayed or part-time at secondary or tertiary level, you can apply for ABSTUDY (new window) payments.
Pensioner Education Supplement (PES)
The Pensioner Education Supplement (PES) (new window) is provided to people who receive any of the various kinds of pensions (including disability support pensions, parenting payments, widow allowance and payments from the Department of Veterans' Affairs) and who are studying either full-time or part-time. The full criteria for the PES is set out on Centrelink's Pensioner Education Supplement page (new window).
If you are a primary, secondary or tertiary student and you can't go to an appropriate government school because you live too far away, your family may qualify for the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) scheme (new window). Find out if you qualify for the AIC allowance (new window).
Definition of full-time study
Please note that Centrelink's definition of full-time study is a little bit flexible. Special circumstances and unusual course structures can be taken into account - Centrelink's pages on what is considered full-time study for Austudy payment purposes (new window) and for Youth Allowance purposes (new window) will help you to find out more about whether you qualify as a full-time student.
Tertiary fees
For tertiary students, there are a number of programs that are designed to help you pay for your education.
The Higher Education Contribution Scheme (HECS) allows you to defer payment until you are earning enough money to be able to afford to pay your fees.
FEES-HELP is a scheme set up to assist TAFE students with payment of their school fees. If you are currently an Austudy or Youth Allowance recipient, you may also be eligible for a deduction in your TAFE fees - check with your TAFE institution to find out more.
For more information on assistance with paying for your education, visit the pages in our Loans & Financial Assistance section of this site.
Links for Government assistance
Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
The State Government's Department of Education and Early Childhood Development has loads of information on resources for students in Victoria.
Centrelink - Payments while you are studying or training
The gateway to information about Centrelink's various allowances for people who are currently studying.
