When payments start

Compulsory course fees

This is paid directly to your education provider.

Course-related costs

This can be paid 2 weeks before your study starts.

You'll need to apply/claim for this in MyStudyLink once you've returned your Student Loan contract to us.

You can currently borrow up to $2,000 in course-related costs as part of your Student Loan. This is temporarily increased by $1,000 in response to COVID-19.

The extra amount is only available if you’re studying during 2020. This means you:

• are already studying in 2020, or
• will begin studying in 2020.

The extra amount available is a maximum of $1,000, even if you have more than one Student Loan during 2020. You don't have to borrow the full amount. You also don't need to claim it all at once.

Living costs

• The earliest we can pay you is in the second week of your course, unless your application's approved after your course starts
• You’ll get paid weekly.
• You can’t get a benefit from Work and Income for the period you get living costs.

• Student Allowance payments start in the second week of your course.
• If you apply after your course starts, you'll get a back payment to when you submitted your application.
• You’ll get paid weekly.
• You can’t get a benefit from Work and Income for the period you get Student Allowance.
• You’ll still get your Student Allowance payments over your study breaks if your break is 3 weeks or less.
• If you’ve been approved for Accommodation Benefit, this is paid automatically with your Student Allowance.

Any other payments (eg Disability Allowance) start either:

• the week after you apply
• when your costs start
• when you start study, whichever is later.