News

More accessible than ever

By Contributed

Jul 15, 2025

Decided to defer your university or TAFE course and take a gap year after finishing high-school?

Hold tight - we’re checking permissions before loading more content

The Federal Government has recently changed its rules around who is eligible for its Tertiary Access Payment.

“Previously, if you had taken a gap year between school and university, then you likely missed out on the $5000 Tertiary Access Payment,” Services Australia general manager Hank Jongen said.

“But now, the ‘syllabus’ has been revised, and the rules have changed — making more students eligible for this one-off payment, delivered by Services Australia.”

The TAP is a payment from the Federal Government to support young people making the move to further study away from home.

Before, only students who went straight to university or TAFE after graduating high school were eligible for the payment.

Now, the payment is available to students who decide to take a gap year before hitting the books.

To apply for the TAP, sign into your Centrelink account and chose ‘Apply for the Tertiary Access Payment’ to begin.

Eligibility criteria

To qualify for the payment, you must:

Be an Australian resident meeting residence rules
Come from an inner regional, outer regional, remote or very remote area
Move to study at a tertiary education provider that’s at least 90 minutes away from your family home location by public transport
Have completed Year 12 or equivalent
Studying your first year of a tertiary course at certificate IV or above, since completing Year 12 or equivalent
Be 22 or younger on the day you start your tertiary course
If you are dependent, have parents or guardians whose income is under the current combined parental income limit of $250,000