HIGHER EDUCATION

Inquiry into Student Income Support
Terms of Reference

The committee will inquire into the living costs of students enrolled in full-time and part-time courses, with particular reference to the following:

1. Current measures for student income support, including Youth Allowance, Austudy and Abstudy, with particular reference to:
   • the adequacy of these payments;
   • the age of independence;
   • the parental income test threshold; and
   • the ineligibility of Austudy recipients for Rent Assistance.

2. The effect of these income support measures on students and their families, with particular reference to:
   • the increasing costs of higher education;
   • students being forced to work longer hours to support themselves; and,
   • the closure of the Student Financial Supplement Scheme.

3. The importance of adequate income support measures in achieving equitable access to education, with particular reference to:
   • students from disadvantaged backgrounds; and,
   • improving access to education.

4. Alternative student income support measures.