Independence + Studies

[VivaTequila]

Is anyone completely independent and studying full time?

I'm really struggling to get stuff done, and I'm pretty much cruising through only knowing the bare essentials to pass my subjects and tests and pracs.

I do not have any time to study. I'm literally in the city for 50-60 hours per week because of work + uni, and I need to tutor for another 10 hours per week to supplement my income to afford rent, food, travel, and going out costs.

I don't qualify for youth allowance or rent assistance.

Anybody know of any good monetary help programs out there for people who just want to be independent for themselves and their lifestyle? I'm not going to get H1s this semester, much like it hurt me pretty bad last semester.

[Starlight]

I don't have a job at the moment, and i'm not going to lie- I probably get more stuff done.
However, this is because I have a terrible organization system and need as much free time as I can to do uni work.

My brother though worked like 15 hrs practically every week last semester and managed to get all H1s. It's just about prioritizing.

[Greatness]

Yeah I barely got by last semester :/ I worked a fair bit in patches most weeks 10 hours or so, some weeks 16-18hours and during semester break I worked everyday from memory :| That was a bad decision I needed to catch up with everything. I kind of relied on myself understanding what's happening immediately and being able to answer exam questions adequately without too much work, in hindsight, wtf was I thinking...
This semester I'm trying to keep up with everything while working 10 hours a week. I'm getting most of my readings and tute work done, I've planned to do extra study/revision but never have gotten around to do it haha I waste too much time procrastinating I'm supposed to be studying for a midsem exam today!.. Haven't even started xD

Maybe you need to manage your time better?
168 hours in a week, - 60 hours, -10 hours, -56 hours (assuming 8 hours sleep) = 42 hours - 25-30 hours for going out/friends/etc = 12-17 hours enough time to do a bit of study, assignments. That's just a wild stab tho you might have other commitments, but I know that I have plenty of time that I could use better... I still waste it tho haha

[Russ]

I was meant to be volunteering with Student Appeal but I forgot...nevertheless, what I did learn from the application process is that they give grants to students in need, so check them out?

[simpak]

I work like 10-12 hours a week, but now that I qualify for youth allowance I doubt I will be going back to work when I return home. If I do, I will do about five hours a week at most just to earn a little bit of extra cash - working and studying is very demanding.

Why is it that you're deemed ineligible for youth allowance if you're considered an independent?

[VivaTequila]

I work like 10-12 hours a week, but now that I qualify for youth allowance I doubt I will be going back to work when I return home. If I do, I will do about five hours a week at most just to earn a little bit of extra cash - working and studying is very demanding.

Why is it that you're deemed ineligible for youth allowance if you're considered an independent?

Being independent doesn't give you the qualifications for being "independent" under the law. My folks earn a mean salary (>150k/yr between them) which puts me over the threshold, because in the eyes of Youth Allowance the parents should support their children monetarily unless they actually can't [i.e. earn less than 150k/yr]. I don't see any of that money that they earn though.

TT the program doesn't give out grants to people in my situation unless they declare extreme family breakdown, because it's also assumed that the parents will just fork out to help - unless I declare some crazy whack shit which I'm never going to do, then I can't get the UoM grants either, because they run the risk of giving precious grant money to fraudulent con men who get supplemented by the uni + their parents.

[simpak]

Fair enough. I was under the impression that a parental means test was no longer required once a person is living away from home or over the age of 22, but perhaps I'm wrong!

[VivaTequila]

Fair enough. I was under the impression that a parental means test was no longer required once a person is living away from home or over the age of 22, but perhaps I'm wrong!

nah unfortunately it applies to both, in the eyes of the government too.

[jasrulz63]

You're considered independent if you're 22 and over, so parental income no longer matters. Living away from home is not enough for independence so the parental income test applies, unless you meet some other requirements.

You may be considered independent if:

    you are aged 22 or more and a full-time student or Australian apprentice

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/centrelink/youth-allowance/independence-test

Being independent means that your parents’ income and assets are not considered when determining whether you can get Youth Allowance or the amount you can get paid.

http://www.humanservices.gov.au/customer/enablers/centrelink/youth-allowance/income-assets-test

So if you decide to do something like MD after your initial bachelor's degree straight after high school, you'll qualify for youth allowance for 2-3 years as you'll be over 22.

[lilaznkev1n]

My folks earn a mean salary (>150k/yr between them) which puts me over the threshold, because in the eyes of Youth Allowance the parents should support their children monetarily unless they actually can't [i.e. earn less than 150k/yr]. I don't see any of that money that they earn though.

The government's Youth Allowance requirements really annoys me because of this. I believe that all local students should be able to get the opportunity to receive youth allowance. Even if some parents may earn alot, that doesn't mean that they spend that money to support their children. My parents earn ~42-44k each before tax and Centerlink still says that they earn too much for me to receive youth allowance.

Yet the government gives allowances to pensioners who do not even live in Australia. For example, my great-grandmother who is an australian citizen still receives like 1k per month from the government and she lives in Vietnam, only returning to Australia every few months to continue to receive the benefit and she has never paid any tax to the government. I could continue with various issues about unemployment benefits but i think ive said enough lol.