3.2.7.30 YA full-time students

Basic requirements

To satisfy the requirement as a full-time student a young person must meet ALL of the following criteria:

• be enrolled in an approved course (1.1.A.210)
• be undertaking at least three-quarters (75%) of a normal amount of full-time study for the course
• make satisfactory progress (1.1.S.30) in the course.

Each of these is explained in other topics in this section.

Continuing students

Continuing students who are moving from one course to another, or who are on vacation from the course they are undertaking, can be regarded as full-time students if they were enrolled in a course and intend to enrol in the same, or another course when enrolments are next accepted (1.1.I.180). This also applies to students who were studying on a part-time basis in the previous study period and who intend to re-enrol on a full-time basis from the start of the next study period.

Generally, full-time students who discontinued halfway through their studies but intend to commence a new course in the next study period are not considered to be a continuing student and only qualify for payment of YA as a full-time student from the commencement of the new course. Where a student has discontinued their studies or reduced their study load due to temporary incapacity, special circumstances, or a reasonable excuse, the person may continue to receive YA in certain circumstances. Please see 3.2.7.40.

Full-time study exemptions

Where a student has discontinued their studies or reduced their study load due to temporary incapacity, special circumstances, or a reasonable excuse, the person may continue to receive YA in certain circumstances. Please see 1.1.T.70, and 3.2.7.40.

From 20 March 2020, YA claimants and recipients can access a bereavement full-time study exemption when their partner dies subject to satisfying eligibility conditions. The exemption is up to 14 weeks from the date of death of their partner (period can be extended until the end of the pregnancy if the widow is pregnant when their partner died).

Act Reference: SSAct section 542EA Exemption from undertaking full-time study - death of person's partner

Honours courses

For information on Honours courses, see 3.2.7.100.

Students who have discontinued studies or reduced their study load

Generally, full-time students who discontinue halfway through their studies but intend to commence a new course in the next study period are not considered to be a continuing student and only qualify for payment of YA as a full-time student from the commencement of the new course.

However, if a person discontinues studies or reduces their study load to less than full-time, because they are temporarily incapacitated, there are special circumstances beyond their control, or they have a reasonable excuse, the person may continue to receive YA in certain circumstances.

Temporary incapacity

For further information on temporary incapacity, please see 1.1.T.70 and 3.11.5.10.

Special circumstances

Examples of special circumstances beyond the person's control include:

• where a major disruptive event (such as a fire, flood, earthquake, vandalism, or burglary) affects the person's home, and the event has a major disruptive consequence for the person
  • Examples of major disruptive circumstances for a person include needing to arrange alternative accommodation, having to replace significant household items, organising major home repairs, or making insurance claims.
• where a person is experiencing a major personal crisis (such as the death of a family member, the breakdown of a relationship, domestic violence, or a person has become homeless and is unable to find accommodation), and the experience has a major disruptive consequence for the person
  • Examples of major disruptive consequences for a person include arranging funerals, arranging care for his or her child, attending counselling, or arranging alternative accommodation.
• when a person has full-time carer's duties due to a family member becoming temporarily incapacitated due to illness or accident, and the person does not qualify for a carer payment
• where a person is serving on a jury
• if the person is a refugee, or
• when a person is subject to a community service order requiring them to complete more than 20 hours per week.

Generally, the maximum exemption period for special circumstances is 13 weeks, however:

• a 2-week exemption period applies where a major disruptive event occurs, or a major personal crisis occurs (not including where a person is homeless), and
• a 4-week exemption period applies where the major personal crisis (not including where a person is homeless) is extremely traumatic.

For the person to remain qualified for YA as a student, the person must:

• intend to return to full-time study once their special circumstances have been resolved, or once the exemption period from full-time study expires (whichever occurs first), and
• remain enrolled in their course of study, or registered for the relevant award, regardless of whether they are undertaking any of the course subjects or units during their special circumstances exemption period.

Reasonable excuse

Matters that are to be considered in deciding whether a person has a reasonable excuse include:

• not having access to safe, secure and adequate housing, or being in emergency accommodation or a refuge at the time
• the person's language and literacy ability
• an illness, impairment or condition requiring treatment (whether episodic or unpredictable)
• a person's cognitive, neurological, psychiatric, psychological impairment or mental illness
• a person's drug or alcohol dependency
• unforeseen family or caring responsibilities (including being adversely affected by the death of an immediate or close relative)
• a person's subjection to criminal violence (including domestic violence and sexual assault)
• if the person is, or was, a member of a couple, the breakdown of that relationship
• jury service
• certain instances of imprisonment or release from imprisonment, where
  • the person has been imprisoned for a continuous period of more than 14 days
  • the person has been released
  • the person was released not more than 28 days before the failure was committed

• the person is, or was, a refugee, and
• the person is, or was, subject to a community service order requiring the person to perform more than 20 hours of community service for each week the order has effect.

For the person to remain qualified for YA as a student, the person must:

• intend to return to full-time study once their reasonable excuse circumstances have been resolved, and
• remain enrolled in their course of study, or registered for the relevant award, regardless of whether they are undertaking any of the course subjects or units during the period.