Student support changes 2018

New tertiary students who start study on or after 1 January 2018 may be eligible for fees-free study.

You can check if you're eligible for fees-free study using the tool on the fees-free website. It's a good idea to do this before applying for student support for 2018 so you know whether to ask for a loan for your fees.

If you're eligible, you still need to apply for a Student Loan if you want to borrow the course-related costs or living costs components.

We encourage you to apply by 16 December and provide your supporting documents promptly to ensure your applications are sorted for the start of your study.

From 1 January 2018, Student Allowance rates will increase by $50 a week.

Where the rate reflects the living costs of 2 adults, the increase will be $100 a week.

No changes are being made to eligibility rules for Student Allowances.

For example:

• single students aged under 24 and living away from home will go from $177.03 to $227.03 a week
• single students with children will go from $329.57 to $379.57 a week
• couples with children (where 1 partner is not enrolled in more than half of a full-time course) will go from $379.34 to $479.34 a week.

If you're getting a Student Allowance, you won't need to do anything to receive the increased rate.

The increase in the Student Allowance rates means some students who previously wouldn't have received an allowance due to personal or parental income will now be entitled.

The maximum amount you can borrow through a Student Loan to help pay for living costs will also rise by $50 a week - from $178.81 to $228.81 a week.

No changes are being made to eligibility rules for Student Loans.

If you're getting a Student Loan and want to check or change your living costs, you can do this in MyStudyLink by:

• going to the Loan Living Costs screen.
• changing your chosen amount.