That ICPA (Aust) advocate to Services Australia and the Federal Government for a review of the eligibility criteria for the Additional Boarding Allowance under the Geographically Isolated (GI) category of the Assistance for Isolated Children (AIC) scheme, so that entitlement is determined solely on the basis of actual boarding costs incurred as a family, without being subject to parental income testing.
The Additional Boarding Allowance, currently capped at $2,965 per student annually, is designed to support families whose boarding school expenses exceed the AIC Basic Boarding Allowance. However, access to this component is currently means-tested based on parental income, regardless of the actual financial burden incurred.
Boarding school fees for rural and remote students continue to rise significantly and often far exceed what the Basic Boarding Allowance covers. Many families who do not meet the income threshold for the Additional Boarding Allowance still struggle to meet the genuine and increasing cost of boarding. This income test unfairly penalises families who may appear ineligible on paper but are experiencing substantial financial stress due to high boarding costs and additional educational expenses.
The purpose of the AIC scheme is to provide equitable access to education for geographically isolated students. To uphold this principle, the Additional Boarding Allowance should be based on demonstrated boarding costs, not on parental income. Removing the means test would better reflect the true cost of accessing education for isolated families and ensure that the support provided meets their actual need.
