Hometown to campus: what you need to know before you make the move

Finished school and ready for what’s next? For youth in the Rural City of Wangaratta, leaving your hometown to move closer to university or TAFE for future study is a big deal. Knowing what financial support is out there can help you decide if that step is right for you or can help make it a reality. My key tip – claim earlier to get paid earlier: If you’re planning on going straight from school to further full-time study in 2027, you can claim a payment like Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY Living Allowance from Services Australia as soon as you finish your Year 12 exams. Claiming early means you might be able to be paid over the Christmas break, before your course or training begins. If you’re planning to take a gap year and work, take a few moments to find out about how you could qualify for Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY in the future, if you choose to come back to study. There are rules that make it easier for young students from regional or remote areas to be considered independent, so we don't take your parent's income into account, if you take a working gap year after you finish year 12. My second tip - Can’t get Youth Allowance? You could still get a one-off cash boost to help you move: The Tertiary Access Payment (TAP) is up to $5000 to help students from regional, rural or remote areas with the cost of moving for study. It can help cover things like rent, textbooks, public transport or helping furnish your new place. You might be able to get this cash boost even if you’re not eligible for Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY payments due to things like parental income. It’s not a loan and you don’t need to pay it back. My third tip – there’s more financial support specifically for students moving to, or from, regional or remote areas: You can get the Relocation Scholarship if you’re eligible for Youth Allowance or ABSTUDY Living Allowance, and you are required to live away from your family home to study. It’s support that keeps coming while you’re enrolled, paid once a year, with the amount depending on your circumstances. In the first year you could be getting an extra $5707 to help with all the costs of moving, living independently and settling into your new home. There’s also the Student Start Up loan, a voluntary $1349 loan students can get up to twice per year. It’s a loan so you’ll need to pay this one back, plus indexation. When you’re ready to visit home, Fares Allowance helps cover the cost of travel between your permanent home and your place of tertiary study in Australia. If you’re getting a payment from Services Australia, we may also pay Rent Assistance to help with cost of rent. This is an extra payment that’s automatically added to your regular payment if you pay rent. It's up to $223.80 a fortnight if you’re single, depending on how much rent you pay. Don’t rule yourself out. Go to servicesaustalia.gov.au/moveforstudy to see what financial help you may be able to get as you begin to navigate life post-school.

Hometown to campus: what you need to know before you make the move

Wangaratta Chronicle, Wednesday, 11 November, 2026

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