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Eligibility for the Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme

You may be eligible for Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme payments if:

• you meet residency requirements
• your family home is geographically isolated from an appropriate state school
• the student has a disability or a special health related or educational need that cannot be met at a local state school
• the student does not have reasonable daily access to state schooling for at least 20 school days in a year for reasons beyond the family’s control
• the student is not geographically isolated but they do not have reasonable daily access to state schooling, and
• the student:
  • boards away from home at a school or hostel or privately, or
  • can go to school daily because your family has a second home, or
  • lives at home and is undertaking distance education or approved home schooling

The student must normally be enrolled in approved full-time primary or secondary study. A school aged student who does not have access to a state secondary school can be enrolled in approved full-time tertiary vocational education and training, for example a TAFE course, instead.

Students must usually:

• have reached minimum school entry age
• be under 19 years of age at 1 January of the year of study
• be undertaking approved studies at an approved institution
• meet residency requirements

Tertiary students are eligible only until they either have met the minimum education level or age required by their state or territory education authority.

For more information about eligibility, get the Assistance for Isolated Children brochure by calling 132 318.