Students from outer regional (which may include your residential address) can be assessed as independent if, since leaving secondary school, they have:
· earned at least 75% of the maximum rate of pay under Wage Level A of the Australian pay and classifications scale[2] in an 18-month period since leaving secondary school, or
- worked part-time (at least 15 hours each week) for at least 2 years since leaving secondary school.
To be assessed as independent under these arrangements, you must be a full-time student and need to move away from home to study because your parents’ home is in an area considered to be outer regional, remote or very remote.
It is also a requirement that your parents earned less than $150,000 in the base tax year (for example, in May 2011, the base tax year is the year ending 30 June 2010) or the current tax year if their income has changed substantially.
This may be of significant benefit if you are intending university study in 2012.
