Changes in Student Allowances in 2008

Personal income

It is not mandatory for students to declare their personal income unless it is over the personal income test threshold.  About 35 percent of students declared their personal income over the years from 2005 to 2008.

In 2007, the average declared personal income increased by 5 percent to $5,000, and it increased by a further 3 percent in 2008 to $5,200.

The average personal income of the 23,100 students who declared their personal income in 2008 was about:

• $1,100 higher for students aged 25 years and over than for those under the age of 25 years;
• $100 higher for male students than for female;
• $700 higher for non-single students than for single recipients; and
• $1,000 higher for students with children than for students without children.
  

 

  Table 6: Average annual allowance of recipients with declared personal income by allowance type, 2008 

Allowance type	Allowance recipients	Average personal income	Average annual allowance
16-24 year-olds, parental income tested	13,600	4,700	5,300
Independent circumstances allowances for 16-24 year-olds	700	5,000	6,200
Single, aged 25years and over	6,000	5,800	6,700
Student with an earning spouse	300	5,900	2,700
Single student with child(ren)	600	6,600	9,300
Couple, one eligible	100	5,200	7,400
Couple, both eligible	300	6,400	5,800
Student with a dependent partner	1,500	5,600	10,700
All	23,100	5,200	6,100