That ICPA (Aust) advocates to the Minister for Social Services to allow geographically isolated students access to seats on flights chartered by ABSTUDY through the Fares Allowance.
In many remote regions, flights chartered through the ABSTUDY Fares Allowance already operate to transport eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to and from boarding schools and places of study. Allowing other geographically isolated students to access vacant seats on these chartered flights would provide a practical and cost-effective way to improve equity in education access for all rural and remote students living away from home to study.
Examples of how Services Australia could facilitate this access;
1. Boarding Schools or hostels who pre-book travel for ABSTUDY students at the start and end of term could have the option to include other geographically isolated students going to the same destination on a charter flight as travelling companions or “linked travellers” with their own Safe Travel Plan.
2. Use the National Business Gateway line to have an ABSTUDY travel officer link geographically isolated students directly to corporate travel management to be able to secure available seats on ABSTUDY chartered flights.
