Access to financial assistance for rural teenagers preparing to move to attend university is set to become simpler thanks to legislation passed in the Senate.
The Social Services Legislation Amendment (More Generous Means Testing for Youth Payments) Bill 2015 was introduced in the House of Representatives on September 10 and passed in the Senate on Thursday.
The Isolated Children’s Parents’ Association has been campaigning for the change for years and the group’s social media account went into melt down following the news.
ICPA federal president Wendy Hick said the monumental development would benefit many rural and remote ambitious students who are currently sitting their final year 12 exams.
“Parents are jumping for joy and many are overcome with emotion as they pass on the news to their year 12 graduates, that their dreams of a tertiary education will now come true!,” Ms Hick said.
After many, many years of lobbying by ICPA Australia the Family Assets Test for Youth Allowance has been lifted!!
“We anticipate many more of these students, who are underrepresented at university will now fulfill their ambitions, knowing they do not have to overcome the complex parental means tests for Youth Allowance when they are apply for financial support.
“Simplifying the parental means tests for these payments will provide additional assistance for working families to support their children to make the transition from school to further study.”
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