Reimbursing costs
Clients may be reimbursed through the Training Incentive Allowance for actual and reasonable one-off course-related costs needed for undertaking study.
Unless exceptional circumstances exist, the client cannot be reimbursed for costs paid more than 28 days before the:
- course start date or
- date they applied for Training Incentive Allowance (if client applied more than 28 days after the course start date)
Note one-off course-related costs (not including compulsory course fees) that have been covered by other government funded financial assistance (both recoverable and non-recoverable) will not be reimbursed. For more information on compulsory course fees see:
Ongoing costs can only be paid from the date the client's Training Incentive Allowance commences.
Example of exceptional circumstances
Ruth enrolled in study and paid for a laptop and the books needed for her course. However, just before Ruth's course started her youngest child developed a serious health condition and Ruth cancelled her enrolment.
Ruth re-enrolled in the same course the following semester. Ruth is granted Training Incentive Allowance for the following semester and is reimbursed for the course costs paid for initially, because the Ministry considers Ruth's child's health condition to be an exceptional circumstance.
Examples of non-exceptional circumstances
Example 1
Lucy gets Supported Living Payment. Lucy enrolled and purchased a laptop for her Level 4 computer science course commencing on 9 March 2026. On 5 April 2026 Lucy applies for the Training Incentive Allowance to cover the costs of her course, and requests to have the cost of her laptop reimbursed.
As the Ministry does not consider Lucy's circumstances exceptional, she will not be reimbursed for the cost of purchasing a laptop.
Example 2
Mana and his 4-year-old child moved into an apartment and purchased a new set of knives, a slow cooker, an air fryer and a cast iron pan.
Six months later, Mana enrolled in a culinary arts course and asked to be reimbursed for the cooking utensils as he would now use them for the course.
Mana cannot be reimbursed for the supplies because these were not paid for in order to undertake his course of study.
