# Austudy or Youth Allowance: Which One Applies to You > How age decides between Austudy and Youth Allowance, what happens if you turn 25 mid-course, and where the two payments differ on rates, parents' income and extra help. Canonical HTML: https://getclova.com/blog/austudy-vs-youth-allowance Clova is an Australian budgeting app. [Join the waitlist](https://getclova.com/) [Home](https://getclova.com/) → [Guides](https://getclova.com/blog) → [Budgeting](https://getclova.com/blog/topic/budgeting) → [Austudy or Youth Allowance: Which One Applies to You](https://getclova.com/blog/austudy-vs-youth-allowance) - Author: Marnix - Published: 2026-09-29 Maybe you're 24 and starting a degree next year, or you're going back to study after a few years of work. You open Centrelink's Payment Finder and two student payments come up, Austudy and Youth Allowance, and you're not sure which one to claim. You don't have to pick. One rule sorts it, and once you know which payment is yours, the differences that matter for your budget are few. ## Your age decides which one you claim Both payments cover approved full-time study and Australian Apprenticeships. Your age when you claim decides the payment (full-time students): | Your situation | Payment | | --- | --- | | 18 to 24 (16 and 17 in some cases) | Youth Allowance | | On Youth Allowance when you turn 25 | Stay on Youth Allowance until your current course ends | | Claiming at 25 or older | Austudy | From 22 you're always treated as independent on Youth Allowance, so your parents' income no longer counts. There's one exception, at 25. If you're on Youth Allowance when you turn 25, you don't switch to Austudy on your birthday. You keep Youth Allowance until you finish the course or apprenticeship you're doing, so a 23-year-old starting a three-year degree can stay on it to the end. If you start a different course later, check with Centrelink which payment applies before you enrol. ## The basic rates match away from home For a single student with no children who lives away from home, both payments have the same basic maximum rate. The difference shows up when you live with your parents. Austudy doesn't drop if you live at home. Maximum a fortnight, single with no children, from 1 January 2026: | Payment | Maximum a fortnight | | --- | ---: | | Youth Allowance, 18 or older, living at home | $482.40 | | Youth Allowance, living away from home | $677.20 | | Austudy, wherever you live | $677.20 | Youth Allowance has a lower rate for students who live in their parents' home. Austudy has one rate wherever you live, so a 26-year-old who moves back home to study gets the same maximum as one who rents. Both rates change on 1 January each year, and what you're actually paid can be lower than the maximum once your income and assets are counted. ## Your parents' income can count on Youth Allowance On Youth Allowance, Centrelink first decides whether you're **dependent** or **independent**. If you're 21 or younger, you're treated as dependent unless you meet one of the independence rules, such as having supported yourself through work for long enough. From 22, you're always treated as independent. When you're dependent, your parents' income counts. In 2026, Centrelink uses their 2024–25 income, including some tax-free income and benefits. Above $66,722, the annual reduction is 20 cents per extra dollar, shared across eligible children. Moving out doesn't make you independent on its own. Our guide to [independent Youth Allowance](/blog/independent-youth-allowance) explains the rules, including the test based on how much you've worked. Austudy never looks at your parents' income. It only counts your own income and assets, and your partner's if you have one. ## Earnings, rent and extra help Once you're receiving a payment, most of the rules are shared. The main difference is one extra payment for moving away to study. | For a single student | Youth Allowance (student) | Austudy | | -------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | | Earn before your payment reduces | $539 a fortnight, with Income Bank | $539 a fortnight, with Income Bank | | Rent Assistance | Yes, with extra rules if you're 24 or younger | Yes | | Student Start-up Loan | Yes | Yes | | Relocation Scholarship | Some students, such as those moving to or from a regional area | No | Earning less than $539 before tax builds Income Bank credits for a busier fortnight. Our guide to [Centrelink Income Bank](/blog/centrelink-income-bank) shows how that plays out over a few fortnights of casual shifts. [Rent Assistance](/blog/rent-assistance) is extra money paid with your payment when you rent. A **Student Start-up Loan** is an optional loan of up to $1,349, available twice a year, and our [Student Start-up Loan guide](/blog/student-start-up-loan) covers whether it's worth taking. The **Relocation Scholarship** is a payment towards the cost of moving away from home to study. ## Budgeting on either payment Whichever payment you get, it arrives every fortnight and has rent, food and bills to cover before anything else. Our guide to [living on Youth Allowance](/blog/living-on-youth-allowance) works through one fortnight in a share house, and the same planning works on Austudy. The [student budget guide](/blog/student-budget) helps with the costs that come once a semester, such as textbooks. If you work casual shifts too, your wages and the payment often land on different days. Clova gives each payment a plan, including the next rent. Clova is an Australian budgeting app. Join the waitlist and we’ll be in touch. [Join the waitlist](https://getclova.com/) When you're ready, you [claim through your Centrelink online account in myGov](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-to-claim-austudy). Knowing which payment is yours, and why, takes one question off a form that already asks plenty. ## A note from us We are building Clova to help you plan the amount that arrives each fortnight, whichever student payment you receive. ## Common questions ### Is Austudy better than Youth Allowance? Neither is better, and you can't pick between them: your age when you claim decides which one you get. Away from home, the basic maximum rate for a single student is the same on both. Austudy can work out higher for someone 25 or older who lives with their parents, because it has no lower at-home rate. ### Can I get Austudy if I study part time? Usually not. Austudy and Youth Allowance are for full-time students, though a reduced study load can count as full time in some situations, such as a disability or illness. Your education provider and Centrelink can tell you whether your study load qualifies. ### Do I get more on Austudy if I've been on JobSeeker? You can. Austudy has a higher rate, up to $799.70 a fortnight for a single student, if you got another income support payment such as JobSeeker for at least 26 of the 39 weeks before your course started, began the course after turning 21 and don't have a dependent child. ### Can I get Austudy and JobSeeker at the same time? No. Austudy is an income support payment, so any other income support payment you get stops when Austudy starts. ### Are Austudy and Youth Allowance taxable? Yes. Both count as taxable income and go on your tax return. Many students still pay little or no tax, because Australian residents generally have a tax-free threshold of $18,200 a year. ## Sources 1. [Austudy: who can get it](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-austudy) · Services Australia 2. [Austudy: how much you can get, from 1 January 2026](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-austudy-you-can-get) · Services Australia 3. [Income tests for Austudy](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/income-tests-for-austudy) · Services Australia 4. [Youth Allowance for students and Australian Apprentices: who can get it](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-youth-allowance-for-students-and-apprentices) · Services Australia 5. [Youth Allowance for students and Australian Apprentices: how much you can get, from 1 January 2026](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/how-much-youth-allowance-for-students-and-apprentices-you-can-get) · Services Australia 6. [Dependent or independent for Youth Allowance](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/dependent-or-independent-for-youth-allowance-student-or-australian-apprentice) · Services Australia 7. [Parental income test for Youth Allowance](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/what-parental-income-test-for-youth-allowance-students-and-australian-apprentices) · Services Australia 8. [Social security rates list, 1 January 2026](https://www.dss.gov.au/system/files/documents/2025-12/rates-list-1-january-2026.pdf) · Department of Social Services 9. [Rent Assistance: who can get it](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-rent-assistance) · Services Australia 10. [Relocation Scholarship: who can get it](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-relocation-scholarship) · Services Australia 11. [Student Start-up Loan: who can get it](https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-student-start-up-loan) · Services Australia ## Related reading - [Living on Youth Allowance: A Fortnightly Budget](https://getclova.com/blog/living-on-youth-allowance) - [Centrelink Income Bank Explained for Students Working Casual Shifts](https://getclova.com/blog/centrelink-income-bank) - [Rent Assistance for Young Renters: What to Check Before Budgeting It](https://getclova.com/blog/rent-assistance) [Report a correction](https://getclova.com/contact) This guide explains a budgeting method in general terms; it doesn't consider your circumstances.