As universities across the country release their first-round offers to prospective students, the Australian Scholarships Group (ASG) and expert tertiary student services adviser, Mr Vince Callaghan, have issued a warning to both prospective and continuing university and TA FE students to approach their higher education decision-making with caution in the face of possible changes to student support arrangements within the higher education sector.

Each year across the country, hundreds of thousands of
anxious students await the results of their higher
education applications poised to make potentially lifechanging
decisions that will significantly affect their future
education opportunities and careers.
This year, uncertainty is the catch-cry. The situation came
about when changes to the Australian Government’s
Income Support for Students Bill stalled in the Senate in
December last year, leaving an uncertain and confusing
set of circumstances for students and their parents to
navigate.
Where the confusion lies:
The Australian Government has proposed possible
changes, which if ratified would result in major differences
in the current policies and criteria. The Australian
Government plans to reintroduce the Income Support
for Students Bill into Parliament in February 2010, and if
passed such changes could include:
• The abolishing of the so called ‘gap year’ independent
criterion that has allowed students to claim
‘independent’ allowance if they earn a nominated
amount of income ($19,532 in 2009) within an 18-month
period since leaving secondary school. It is very
important for students to be aware that although this
provision will assist those students who took a gap year
in 2009, it may be unwise to rely on this criterion
continuing to exist as the legislation could be abolished
in the next Australian Government parliamentary
session in 2010.
• Introducing ‘relocation’ and ‘start-up’ scholarships.
These could become available in early 2010 should the
proposed government changes pass through
parliament.
• Setting a higher parent-income cut-off test, which
should assist more students, particularly rural and
regional students to access Centrelink benefits.
• Exempting equity and merit scholarships from being
considered by Centrelink as personal income.
However, there would be a ‘cap’ to the amount that
would be exempt.
ASG’s Community Adviser, Ms Michelle Hunder said the
organisation’s first priority was to ensure students and
their parents were aware of the issues so they could
make the most informed decisions possible in the
circumstances.She said it was unfortunate that such
uncertainty had arisen when students faced such big
decisions, not only about their future education, but also
their long-term future employment and earning
capacities.
Ms Hunder said: “University and TAFE studies are the
pathways for young people to gain a complete education.
We want to encourage their participation.”
To help students and their parents through this difficult
period, ASG commissioned tertiary student services
expert, Mr Vince Callaghan to write two free e-guides
designed to provide comprehensive and plain language
information detailing the costs and entitlements,
scholarship opportunities, and cautions, entitled ASG’s
Get Smart Guide and ASG’s Get Smart Scholarships
Guide. Both guides are available for download from
ASG’s website -- www.asg.com.au/resources under
Guides.
Author of the guides, Mr Callaghan said that there was
often a lot of “misinformation” passed around to students
and their parents about university and TAFE studies,
costs and entitlements, and in the current situation, he
believed the need for the guides had only increased.
“My experience indicates most parents want to
understand the post-secondary or higher education
sector as much as their student children,” Mr Callaghan
said. “ASG’s Get Smart Guides fill this need and aim to
provide resources that encourage planning, investigate
options, and provides a host of tips, checks, and
resources for post-secondary students to explore with
their parents, as well as cautions where possible changes
may occur.”
Ms Hunder said, “ASG is committed to supporting
children’s education and helping its Members provide
education opportunities for their children”. Research
indicates that relatively small amounts, as little as $500
-- $1,000, can make the difference for some students in
accessing a university or TAFE education and enables
them to improve the experience and the benefits gained
from studying to complete their education. Mr Callaghan
said that regional and rural students were at a distinct
disadvantage because they are more likely to have to
relocate to pursue their studies than their metropolitanbased
colleagues. “It’s no coincidence that young people
today are living with their parents for longer periods than
ever before, especially if they’re students,” Mr Callaghan
said. “Unfortunately, many regional and rural students
just don’t have that luxury.”
/ASG’s Get Smart Guide and ASG’s Get Smart Scholarships
Guide/ have been updated for 2010. The E-guides
are available for free download from ASG’s website:
www.asg.com.au/resources - under Guides.
ASG is Australia’s leading friendly society specialising
in education benefits. ASG’s Education Program^(TM)
offers a unique, convenient, and proven way for families
to plan for their children or grandchildren’s future education.
The program can be tailored to suit the needs and
budgets of most families. For further information about
ASG and ASG’s Education Program^(TM), visit www.asg.
com.au or phone: 1800 648 945.
• Images available (low and high-resolutions) are
available at: www.asg.com.au/_images_asggsg*
• Front cover image of ASG’s Get Smart Guide
• Front cover image of ASG’s Get Smart Scholarships
Guide
• Mr Vince Callaghan -- expert tertiary student services
adviser and author of ASG’s Get Smart Guide and
ASG’s Get Smart Scholarships Guide
• Ms Michelle Hunder, ASG’s Community Adviser

For more information, please contact:
Janet Thomas, Public Relations, Australian
Scholarships Group
Ph: 03-9276 7758 Mobile: 0402 837 758
Email: publicrelations@asg.com.au
Web: www.asg.com.au