Financial help for isolated students

The Department of Education and Training is committed to ensuring that all children residing in the Northern Territory (NT) have choices, access to quality education and are not disadvantaged by distance or geographical isolation.

You may be able to get financial assistance if:

• your family is geographically isolated
• your child lives away from home to attend school or university or distance education
• you live in a remote locality and your child travels more than 5km daily to attend school.

Financial schemes

Each scheme caters for the needs of different students.

These are:

• Distance education allowance – support for a student to study through an NT distance education school.
• Remote transit allowance – support for the cost of daily travel to and from school in the NT.
• Boarding allowance – financial assistance for students required to live away from home in the NT or interstate to attend school.
• Tertiary fares reimbursement – support for travel costs to study in an NT or interstate tertiary institution.
• Isolated students’ education allowance – paid directly to boarding facilities to give students access to well-supervised educational opportunities.

Read more about the eligibility criteria and conditions on the Department of Education and Training website.

More information and contact

For further information on eligibility and conditions, read the Student assistance schemes - policy, application and claim procedures PDF (699.4 KB).

The Distance education allowance aims to provide financial assistance towards the costs of a preschool, primary or secondary student attending a recognised NT distance education school.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you and your child must be NT residents.

Your child must also be:

• enrolled in and attending one of the following NT distance education schools:
  • Alice Springs School of the Air
  • Katherine School of the Air
  • NT School of Distance Education.
• approved for the Distance education allowance under the Australian Government’s Services Australia  Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme

Preschool students must:

• be enrolled with a recognised NT School of the Air
• meet the requirements of the Distance education allowance under the AIC scheme, besides the minimum age for preschool students.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted by 30 June of each year that you are trying to claim.

To apply, complete the student assistance scheme application form on the GrantsNT website.

You must provide the following supporting documents with each application:

• a copy of your child’s current AIC Distance education allowance statement
• evidence of your primary residential address.

Payment information

If approved, the allowance will be paid as a one-off payment at the beginning of semester 2.

To receive the allowance, you must show you continue to be eligible and meet the conditions of the allowance scheme.

Payment will be based on the Distance education allowance zones outlined in table 1 of section 11 of Student assistance schemes – policy, application and claim procedures PDF (699.4 KB).

Internet subsidy

The Internet subsidy aims to assist households living in a remote locality with their monthly internet plan costs for the purpose of accessing distance education.

The internet subsidy is part of the Distance education allowance application process.

Eligibility

To apply, you must be approved for the NT Government’s Distance education allowance.

Your child must be using household internet to access distance education in the NT.

Your name must be the same name shown on the internet tax invoice. This cannot be a business name.

The service line or equivalent must show the primary residential address.

How to apply

Complete the student assistance scheme application form for the Distance education allowance in GrantsNT. During this process, you can choose to also apply for the internet subsidy.

You must provide a copy of the most recent household internet plan tax invoice with each application.

Payment information

If approved, the subsidy will be paid as a one-off payment at the beginning of semester 2.

The payment will match your internet plan tax invoice of up to $195 per month, inclusive of Goods and Services Tax (GST), in the calendar year.

To receive the subsidy, you must show you continue to be eligible and meet the conditions of the scheme.

More information and contact

The Remote transit allowance aims to provide financial assistance with the cost of daily travel to and from school where travel in a remote locality is more than 5 km from their primary residential address to the nearest NT primary or comprehensive high school, public transport or a school pick up point.

Eligibility

To be eligible, you and your child must be NT residents and considered as living in a remote locality.

To see if you live in a remote locality, read schedule 2 of the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment (OCPE) Determination 8 of 2015 Remote Locality Provisions PDF (481.2 KB).

Your child must also:

• be studying full-time in an NT primary or comprehensive high school
• maintain a minimum attendance rate of 70% each term.

How to apply

You must apply before 30 June for each year you are trying to claim.

The daily trips you are claiming must only be for travelling to and from school.

To apply, complete the student assistance scheme application form on the GrantsNT website.

Attach the following supporting documents, which all must show the primary residential address:

• a copy of your current NT driver’s licence covering the intended claim period of at least one full semester
• a copy of the nominated vehicle NT MVR certificate covering the intended claim period of at least one full semester
• if your child attends a non-government school, you must provide proof of enrolment.

Payment information

If approved, the allowance will be paid twice yearly.

The first payment will be made at the beginning of semester 2.

The second payment will be made at the end of semester 2 once you send an end-of-year declaration that confirms details have remained unchanged and that you still meet the eligibility and conditions.

The payment will be based on the Remote transit allowance zones outlined in section 11 of the Student assistance schemes - policy, application and claim procedures PDF (699.4 KB).

More information and contact

For further information on eligibility and conditions, read the Student assistance schemes - policy, application and claim procedures PDF (699.4 KB).

The Boarding allowance aims to provide some financial assistance for geographically isolated students who must live away from home in a boarding facility in order to attend an NT primary or comprehensive high school on a daily basis.

Eligibility

You and your child must be residents of the NT and living in a remote locality.

Your child must also be:

• studying full-time study at an NT primary or comprehensive high school
• living away from home at an NT boarding facility to attend school on a daily basis
• approved for Basic boarding allowance under the Australian Government’s Services Australia Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted by June 30 of each year that you are trying to claim.

Complete the student assistance scheme application form on the GrantsNT website.

You must provide the following with each application:

• a copy of your child’s current AIC Basic boarding allowance statement
• a tax invoice or statement of boarding fees that proves enrolment
  • fee schedules are not accepted

• evidence of your primary residential address.

Payment information

If approved, the allowance will be paid at the beginning of semester 2 as a one-off payment.

The allowance is determined by identifying the most direct route travelled from the primary residential address to the boarding facility or the nearest point of access to public transport.

The zones for Boarding allowance within the NT are outlined in table 1 of section 11 of the Student assistance schemes - policy, application and claim procedures PDF (699.4 KB).

To receive the payment, you must maintain eligibility and meet the conditions of the allowance.

More information and contact

For further information on eligibility and conditions, read the Student assistance schemes - policy, application and claim procedures PDF (699.4 KB).

The Boarding allowance aims to provide some financial assistance for geographically isolated students who must live away from home in an interstate boarding facility to attend an interstate primary or secondary school on a daily basis.

Eligibility

You and your child must be residents of the NT and living in a remote locality.

Your child must also be:

• doing full-time study at an interstate primary or secondary school
• living away from home at an interstate boarding facility to attend school on a daily basis
• approved for Basic boarding allowance under the Australian Government’s Services Australia Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme.

How to apply

Before June 30 in the relevant school year, complete the student assistance scheme application form on the GrantsNT website.

You must provide the following with each application:

• a copy of your child's current AIC Basic boarding allowance statement
• a tax invoice or statement of boarding fees to prove enrolment
  • fee schedules are not accepted

• evidence of your primary residential address.

Payment information

If approved, the allowance will be paid at the beginning of semester 2 as a one-off payment.

The allowance is determined by identifying the most direct route travelled from the primary residential address to the boarding facility or the nearest point of access to public transport.

The zones for Boarding allowance within the NT are outlined in table 1 of section 11 of the Student assistance schemes - policy, application and claim procedures PDF (699.4 KB).

To receive the payment, you must maintain eligibility and meet the conditions of the allowance.

More information and contact

For further information on eligibility and conditions, read the Student assistance schemes - policy, application and claim procedures PDF (699.4 KB).

The Tertiary fares reimbursement schemes provide financial assistance with the cost of travel for NT students living away from home and studying full-time in an NT or interstate tertiary institution.

Find out more about the:

• Tertiary fares reimbursement scheme - within NT or
• Tertiary fares reimbursement scheme - interstate.

The Isolated students’ education allowance is paid directly to boarding facilities and aims to assist with:

• increasing families’ access to well-supervised educational opportunities including homework supervision
• recreational and social development.

Eligibility

To be eligible, the students must be:

• a resident of the NT
• living away from home at an NT boarding facility to attend school daily
• have been approved for Basic Boarding Allowance under the Australian Government’s Services Australia Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) Scheme.

How to claim

For each student, boarding facilities must submit the Isolated students’ education allowance claim form provided by the Department of Education and Training during:

• July for semester 1 claims
• December for semester 2 claims.

With each claim, boarding facilities must include the following supporting information:

• the student’s current AIC Basic boarding allowance statement
• attendance details for each student from their school.

Payment information

The maximum allowance paid per year to the boarding facility is detailed in table 1 of section 11 of the Student assistance schemes – policy, application and claim procedures PDF (699.4 KB).

More information and contact

For further information on eligibility and conditions, read the Student assistance schemes - policy, application and claim procedures PDF (699.4 KB).