Changes in Student Allowances in 2008

Student allowances by marital status

About 86 percent of student allowances recipients are single and 14 percent are living in relationships (married or de facto couples).  In 2008, the average annual allowance of non-single recipients was about $2,500 higher than that of single recipients ($8,200 for couples compared with $5,700 for single students).

Student allowances by parental status

From 2000 to 2004, the proportion of allowances recipients with children remained relatively stable at around 12 percent.  The proportion dropped to 11 percent in 2005, 9 percent in 2007 and 8 percent in 2008.  The number of recipients with children decreased from a maximum of 8,400 in 2001 to 5,000 in 2008.

In 2008, the average annual allowances of recipients with children and without children were about $9,000 and $5,800 respectively.  As a result the average annual allowance of recipients with children was about 50 percent higher than the overall average annual allowance of $6,000.