ASG's Get Smart Guides

Going to University or TAFE in 2010? Get the facts

The Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) has commissioned tertiary student services expert, Mr Vince Callaghan to write two free e-guides that provide students and their parents with much-needed information about the costs, costs and entitlements, scholarship opportunities, and cautions associated with attending university or TAFE in 2010.

ASG’s Get Smart Guide and ASG’s Get Smart Scholarships Guide (updated for 2010) are designed to provide comprehensive and plain language information about higher education.

ASG and Mr Callaghan have issued a warning to both prospective and continuing university and TAFE students to approach their higher education decision-making with caution in the face of possible changes to student support arrangements within the higher education sector.

The Australian Government has proposed possible changes, which if ratified would result in major differences in the current policies and criteria. The Australian Government plans to reintroduce the Income Support for Students Bill into Parliament in February 2010, and if passed such changes could include:

• The abolishing of the so called 'gap year' independent criterion that has allowed students to claim 'independent' allowance if they earn a nominated amount of income ($19,532 in 2009) within an 18-month period since leaving secondary school. It is very important for students to be aware that although this provision will assist those students who took a gap year in 2009, it may be unwise to rely on this criterion continuing to exist as the legislation could be abolished in the next Australian Government parliamentary session in 2010.
• Introducing 'relocation' and 'start-up' scholarships. These could become available in early 2010 should the proposed government changes pass through parliament.
• Setting a higher parent-income cut-off test, which should assist more students, particularly rural and regional students to access Centrelink benefits.
• Exempting equity and merit scholarships from being considered by Centrelink as personal income. However, there would be a 'cap' to the amount that would be exempt.

ASG is committed to supporting children's education and helping parents provide education opportunities for their children so they can gain a complete education.

University and TAFE studies are the pathways for young people to gain a complete education and ASG wants to encourage young people's participation.

Mr Callaghan said that there was often a lot of "misinformation" passed around to students and their parents and ASG's Get Smart Guide and ASG's Get Smart Scholarships Guide aimed to provide the facts, and cautions where needed in the current circumstances.

Download ASG’s Get Smart Guides

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Refer to ASG’s Get Smart Guide and ASG’s Get Smart Scholarships Guide for a comprehensive list of links.

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