Participants who are undertaking an approved short course may be eligible for a range of supplementary income support payments to help them with the costs of undertaking education and training.
The following supplementary payments provide incentives and financial assistance for Participants to improve their employment prospects through study. This advice is provided for information purposes only. Centrelink is responsible for determining individual Participants’ eligibility for these payments. Participants who are participating in an approved short course should be advised to test their eligibility for payment by contacting Centrelink on 13 28 50 or by visiting their local Centrelink
Customer Service Centre.
Please note: While the below payments are designed to provide assistance to undertake study and training, the job seeker has the discretion to decide how they spend any education-related supplementary payments that they receive. Providers cannot require job seekers to use these payments for a specific purpose.
The Education Entry Payment is designed to provide an incentive for eligible recipients to improve their skills and qualifications through education by helping to offset the costs of commencing approved study. The Education Entry Payment is payable as a lump-sum of $208 once per annum.
People who have been receiving income support for 12 months and are receiving one of the following payments immediately before commencing an approved course of study may be eligible for Education Entry Payment:

Newstart Allowance

Parenting Payment Partnered

Partner Allowance

Wife Pension

Widow Allowance.
Note: for Newstart Allowance recipients to qualify for the Education Entry Payment they must be undertaking full-time study in order to satisfy the activity test or meet the terms of their
Employment Pathway Plan.
Recipients of Parenting Payment Single, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment, Special Benefit
(as a single parent) and Widow B Pension are automatically paid the Education Entry Payment once each calendar year if they are receiving the Pensioner Education Supplement.
Recipients of the Education Entry Payment during the period from 1 January 2009 to 30 June 2010 were also entitled to receive the Training and Learning Bonus of $950. The Training and Learning
Bonus was a time-limited payment and is no longer available.
The Training Supplement was a time-limited payment of $41.60 per fortnight available for eligible
Newstart Allowance and Parenting Payment recipients who commenced approved training between
1 July 2009 and 30 June 2011. The Training Supplement ceased to be available for new claimants commencing an approved course on or after 1 July 2011.
Additional Financial Assistance for Participants who are Undertaking Approved Study Advice
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To be eligible for the Training Supplement, recipients must have been:
 in receipt of Newstart Allowance or Parenting Payment, and
 meeting their activity test or participation requirements by undertaking an approved course of relevant training at the Certificate I to IV level.
The Pensioner Education Supplement provides assistance for eligible income support recipients in meeting the costs of study to help them gain an initial qualification that will make them competitive in the labour market. The Pensioner Education Supplement is not income and assets tested and is paid a rate of $62.40 per fortnight (a part rate of $31.20 is payable to certain recipients undertaking a concessional study load of at least 25 per cent).
To qualify for the Pensioner Education Supplement, a person must be undertaking approved full-time or part-time study and be receiving one of the following:

Parenting Payment Single

Disability Support Pension

Carer Payment

Special Benefit (as a single parent)

Widow B Pension

Widow Allowance

Wife Pension (if the partner receives a Disability Support Pension)
 certain payments from the Department of Veterans’ Affairs

Newstart Allowance or Parenting Payment Partnered (in limited circumstances).
Further information about any of the above supplementary payments is available from Centrelink on
13 28 50.
Additional Financial Assistance for Participants who are Undertaking Approved Study Advice
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