Austudy 2026: Eligibility, Payment Rates and How to Claim

Austudy is a Centrelink payment for full-time students and Australian Apprentices aged 25 or older. The maximum basic rate is $677.20 a fortnight for a single person with no children, and it reduces once your income goes above $539 a fortnight. You must be an Australian resident, and most newly arrived residents face a waiting period of up to four years, so international students on a student visa cannot claim it. Use the estimator below to see roughly how much you could get.

Austudy payment estimator

Choose your situation and enter your fortnightly income before tax. The tool applies the income test and tells you roughly what you would receive. It ignores assets, rent assistance, supplements, the Student Income Bank and your partner’s income, so treat it as a guide.

Who can get Austudy?

• Age. You must be 25 or older. If you already receive Youth Allowance as a student or Australian Apprentice when you turn 25, you keep it until you finish your current course or apprenticeship.
• Study. You must study full time in an approved course at an approved institution, or be an Australian Apprentice. Part-time study does not qualify.
• Residence. You must be living in Australia as an Australian resident and meet Services Australia’s residence rules on the day you claim.
• Income and assets. You must pass the income test and the assets test.
• Other payments. Austudy is an income support payment, and any other income support payment you receive stops when Austudy starts.

Austudy payment rates

These are the basic maximum rates Services Australia listed from 1 January 2026. Supplements such as the Pharmaceutical Allowance and Energy Supplement, and Rent Assistance, are separate. The higher rate applies to certain students or apprentices who have been on long-term income support, and to some English language students who meet the criteria.

How the Austudy income test works

Your Austudy is reduced by your income, and your partner’s income can count too. As reported by two Centrelink rate summaries in July 2026:

• You can earn up to $539 a fortnight and still receive your full rate.
• Between $539 and $646, your payment reduces by 50 cents for each dollar.
• Above $646, it reduces by 60 cents for each dollar.
• A Student Income Bank lets you save part of your unused free area in fortnights when you earn less, which can delay the reduction later.

There is no parental income test for Austudy, because students are 25 or over. Here is what a single person without children could receive, on the basic rate and the income test only:

The payment reaches zero at about $1,685 a fortnight for a single person on the basic rate, though supplements can extend it slightly.

Can international students get Austudy?

No. Austudy requires you to be an Australian resident, and students on a temporary student visa do not meet the residence rules. If you later become a permanent resident, you may face a Newly Arrived Residents Waiting Period. For Austudy this is generally four years (208 weeks of qualifying residence), and Services Australia says some people wait two years, while some visa holders such as refugees can be exempt. Check the residence rules with Services Australia for your own visa. In the meantime, see our guides to hardship funds for international students, student work rights and student budgets.

Austudy, Youth Allowance, ABSTUDY and JobSeeker

How to claim Austudy

1. Check you meet the age, study and residence rules, including any waiting period.
2. Enrol in an approved course and get confirmation of enrolment from your education provider.
3. Create a myGov account, link it to Centrelink, and choose to make a claim for Austudy.
4. Provide your income, assets, course and bank details, and upload any documents requested.
5. Claim as soon as you can, because backdating is limited.
6. Confirm your enrolment each study period and report changes in income and study load on time.

Common mistakes

• Assuming part-time study qualifies. Austudy needs a full-time load.
• Forgetting to report casual income, which can lead to debts if you are overpaid.
• Not claiming early, so you miss out on payments you could have had.
• Forgetting that your partner’s income can reduce your payment.
• Ignoring the waiting period when you first become a permanent resident.

Sources and further reading

• Services Australia, Austudy (official)
• Services Australia, how much Austudy you can get (official)
• Services Australia, residence rules for Austudy (official)
• Pay Calculator Australia, Centrelink payment rates from 20 September 2026
• FairWorkMate, Centrelink income limits 2026-27
• SettleAU, the Newly Arrived Residents Waiting Period explained

Last checked 26 October 2026. Basic rates are from Services Australia’s page for 1 January 2026 and the income test figures are from third-party summaries, because the Services Australia income test page could not be opened by our research tools. Rates are indexed each year and rules change, so confirm everything with Services Australia or your myGov account. The estimator is a guide only and is not advice.

Related guides

More on student money: student budget breakdown, student transport concessions, student discount cards and HECS-HELP repayment calculator.

Frequently Asked Questions