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Student allowance : Contents

Living away from home rate

Single students not living in the parental home

A living away from home rate of Student Allowance is payable to a single student who is not living with a parent in the parental home.

Students sharing accommodation with a parent

A single student can receive the living away from home rate of Student Allowance where they are sharing accommodation with a parent, as the property is not the parental home.

Whether a student is sharing accommodation with a parent, as opposed to living with the parent in the parental home, will depend on the facts of the situation. Some situations will not be clear without further investigation.

The definition of parental home sets out several factors that need to be considered. In particular, any recent or planned change in the student's living situation need to be carefully considered, as it may suggest the student is attempting to organise their living arrangements to qualify for a higher rate of Student Allowance.

It is the reality of their living situation that needs to be established  to determine the correct rate of Student Allowance.

Self-contained residence on parent's property

When a single student is living on the same property as a parent, but in a self-contained residence, the student can get the living away from home rate of Student Allowance, as living in a self-contained residence is in effect the same as living away from home.

Student not living in the same home as their partner

A student who is in a recognised relationship and is eligible for the 'couple with a combined weekly income between $569.40 and $1,185.75 rate' (as at 1 April 2026) of Student Allowance, can only get the 'away from home' rate if they are not living in the same home as their partner.

Accommodation Benefit

The definition of 'parental home' used to assess eligibility to an Accommodation Benefit, includes the additional criteria where a student is not living with a parent, but is living in a home provided or maintained by a parent.

For more information see:

Accommodation Benefit
Student Allowance rates (current)

Legislation

  • parental home (definition) regulation 2 Student Allowances Regulations 1998
  • Amounts of certain grants schedule 2 Student Allowances Regulations 1998
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The parental home is the home where a student is living with a parent. They are not sharing accommodation with them.

There will be situations where even though a parent is living in the same home as the student, it is not the parental home.

There are a number of questions to consider when deciding if the home is the parental home.

Not all of the questions below will be applicable in every case. ...

A self-contained residence (whether attached or detached) is an additional residence on a property, which allows the occupant to live separately and without the need for access to the main residence on the property.

To determine if a student is living in a self-contained residence, MSD needs to consider the particular circumstances of the student’s living situation and how separate they are from their parent(s)’ main residence.

A self-contained residence will generally ...