AIC 2024 - Eligibility & Key Dates

The Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme (AIC) provides payments to parents and carers of children who are unable to attend a local school. Children may be unable to attend school for reasons associated with disability, special needs or geographical isolation.

To receive the payment, your child must meet a number of requirements.

The key requirements for homeschoolers are as follows:

• You child must be undertaking distance education or approved homeschooling. Approved homeschooling means that they must be registered with the relevant authority, for example VRQA if you live in Victoria.

• Your child must be studying full time at either primary or secondary level, or engaged in another form of approved study.

• Your child must be at least the minimum primary school entry age for your state or territory. They must be aged under 19 years on January 1 of the year you are claiming for. There are several exceptions to the age rules for children who are unwell, engaged in tertiary study and/or living away from home.

Children who meet the above requirements may be eligible for the AIC payment if one of the following conditions is also met.

The first is geographical isolation.

• This may not be as high a bar as it sounds, depending on where you live in Australia. Children are considered to be geographically isolated if they live more than 16km from their nearest school and 4.5km from the nearest transport to school. So if you live in a country town that does not have a school and the bus doesn’t come down your road, you may be surprised to find that you are eligible.

• Children are also considered to be geographically isolated if they live more than 56km from the nearest school, regardless of whether or not transport is available.

• The final category for geographical isolation is if your child is unable to attend school for 20 or more days per year due to circumstances outside of your control. This can be for reasons relating to weather, for example, if roads are often impassable.

The second category is special education need.

• This category is for children who can’t go to school because of issues including health problems, pregnancy, or other factors that would seriously disadvantage their education if they attended their local school.

• Children who qualify under this category can have issues including physical or intellectual disability, ASD, psychological, emotional or behavioral difficulties, including anxiety, severe medical conditions or learning difficulties.

There is a third category for children who have no reasonable access to school.

• This category is for children who are unable to attend school for more than 20 school days per year, due to no fault of your own. This can be for reasons including adverse weather conditions regularly making roads unusable and one or both parents or guardians having a job that requires relocation at least 5 times per year

Payment Rates

Homeschoolers who meet the requirements outlined above will receive the Distance Education Allowance. The maximum payment rate for 2024 is $4,980 per year. The payment is made at the beginning of each school term.

Parents who receive a Disability Support Pension or Parenting Payment (single) can apply for the Assistance for Isolated Children Pensioner Education Supplement, which is $62.40 per fortnight.

How to Apply

Applying for the AIC payment is very straightforward if your child is geographically isolated.

Applying on medical grounds is more complicated, but try not to feel overwhelmed. Evidence must be provided to establish the nature of your child’s condition. A statement outlining why your child needs to be homeschooled is also required. Information about any special facilities your child requires and their lack of availability at local schools may be necessary.

You can find out more information about your specific situation here.

If you are ready to apply, you can download the AIC claim form here.

Key Dates

You can apply for the AIC payment any time throughout the year. If you apply before 31 December and were eligible for the whole year, you will be back-paid the full amount. If you apply at the beginning of the year, you will be paid at the start of each school term.

Payment dates for 2024 are as follows:

• Victoria: January 24, April 11, July 11, October 3

• New South Wales: January 24, April 23, July 18, October 10

• Queensland: January 18, April 11, July 4, September 26

• Tasmania: February 1, April 23, July 18, October 10

• South Australia: January 24, April 23, July 18, October 10

• Northern Territory: January 24, April 11, July 11, October 3

• Western Australia: January 24, April 11, July 11, October 3

• Australian Capital Territory: January 24, April 23, July 18, October 10