Loans & Grants for Moving or Relocating

Have you considered moving away for school or relocating to get a new job that is not available in your current area? If you are, there are different possibilities to get government funding for this move, making it a much better option without causing such financial hardship.

Whether you are a student or a job seeker there are programs for you.

In addition to potential government assistance, there are other low interest options though different Centrelink loans and private organisations like Peer to Peer lending.

 
Student Relocation
It may be inevitable that for you to continue your post-secondary education that you will need to move away from your home town and your parent’s home. In order to do so the government provides a rent assistance program to help with rent during your study. This Rent Assistance is available to students at a maximum of $125 per fortnight or $80 if you are living in shared accommodation.

You may qualify for Rent Assistance automatically if you have already applied through Centrelink for Austudy, ABStudy, Youth Allowance or other government benefits. Essentially any full time student already receiving these benefit programs are immediately checked for eligibility through Centrelink for the student relocation benefits as well. Rent Assistance will be checked as well as a Relocation Scholarship that could enable you to receive up to $4000 more for “settling in” costs associated with your move.

Lastly, the government also provides a Fares Allowance for students that need help with travel between your permanent home and your accommodations where you stay during your studies. This allowance pays for a trip to and from your permanent home, once a year and is assessed after you travel. Make sure you keep your tickets and receipts in order to claim the expenses associated with the travel. These programs are generally available for students and apprenticeships for University, TAFE, CIT or a private institution.

Job Seeker Relocation
There are also relocation programs available for unemployed job seekers in certain situations. To be eligible for Relocation Assistance for the Take Up a Job programme you must be fully registered and eligible for the Job Seeker Allowance or participating in the disability employment services program. If you have been participating in the Newstart Allowance, Youth Allowance, or Parenting Payment for the last 12 months you would also qualify for this relocation program. All participants also would need activity tests or participation requirements as well.

 
The benefits for relocation are meant to help those that need help in relocating after securing employment in their new destination. This process needs to be done before you move and start work to be eligible for the assistance. Assistance is up to $3000 for a Capital City or $6000 to a regional area with an extra $3000 if you are relocating with dependent children. These amounts are pre-GST figures.

These benefits can be used for a wide range of relocation costs and can even be paid up front for those in a financial hardship scenario. The government also runs certain relocation programs for rural or regional areas in need of certain types of workers under certain circumstances. If addition to the above and depending on your situation, there are a few other loans for unemployed Australians.