In late 2012, I was unemployed and living in Tasmania. The employment agency that I was assigned to by Centrelink recommended that I undertake further study and explored my strengths. I already have a teaching degree that I obtained in 2010, but could only get the odd casual relief.
As I had worked as an assistant nurse in a previous life, I headed down the path of completing a bachelor of nursing which I commenced in 2014. The course was approved for Austudy by Centrelink and a HECS loan was also approved.
In mid 2015, I relocated to Melbourne and transferred my course. This was approved by Centrelink as was a one year extension of my course due to different course requirements and some practical catch-up due to bilateral knee surgery. That was over a year ago. I am just about to finish the equivalent of my second year and I have one year to go.
I am a distinction level student and I have never failed any units. It is now October, 2016, and Centrelink just requested that I confirm my study details and I discovered that the end-date was not extended to 2017. I called to find out why this occurred and I was informed that my Austudy should never have been approved in the first place because I have a previous degree (I did receive Austudy for two years of my previous degree, 2009-2010) .
They promptly cancelled all payments today and said I now have to apply for Newstart allowance and look for a job. I have been receiving Austudy for this course for almost 3 years now and apparently I cannot continue studying full-time at university level and be on Newstart. My problem is, I now have a huge 3 year HECS debt and no prospect of completing the course that they approved. I am also left high and dry with no income until Newstart allowance is approved.
Where do I stand from a legal perspective in relation to payments being ceased after prior approval and paying back a debt for a course that I am not able to complete due to their incompetence? If I was not approved in the first place, I would not be in this situation. Courses are generally extended on medical grounds and due to course relocation.
As I had worked as an assistant nurse in a previous life, I headed down the path of completing a bachelor of nursing which I commenced in 2014. The course was approved for Austudy by Centrelink and a HECS loan was also approved.
In mid 2015, I relocated to Melbourne and transferred my course. This was approved by Centrelink as was a one year extension of my course due to different course requirements and some practical catch-up due to bilateral knee surgery. That was over a year ago. I am just about to finish the equivalent of my second year and I have one year to go.
I am a distinction level student and I have never failed any units. It is now October, 2016, and Centrelink just requested that I confirm my study details and I discovered that the end-date was not extended to 2017. I called to find out why this occurred and I was informed that my Austudy should never have been approved in the first place because I have a previous degree (I did receive Austudy for two years of my previous degree, 2009-2010) .
They promptly cancelled all payments today and said I now have to apply for Newstart allowance and look for a job. I have been receiving Austudy for this course for almost 3 years now and apparently I cannot continue studying full-time at university level and be on Newstart. My problem is, I now have a huge 3 year HECS debt and no prospect of completing the course that they approved. I am also left high and dry with no income until Newstart allowance is approved.
Where do I stand from a legal perspective in relation to payments being ceased after prior approval and paying back a debt for a course that I am not able to complete due to their incompetence? If I was not approved in the first place, I would not be in this situation. Courses are generally extended on medical grounds and due to course relocation.
