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How to return Abstudy credits to Centrelink for students no longer enrolled

← Finance - NSW Department of Education
To return Abstudy credits to Centrelink, refer to the following instructions from the Department of Education

The instructions from the Department of Education include the following:
  • "Email Centrelink (via nbg.notifications@servicesaustralia.gov.au) from your school email account with:
    • Details of the student who has not returned to your school
    • The amount of funds received from Centrelink
    • Your school's Customer Reference Number (if available)
    Upon receipt of your email, Centrelink will 'End Date the Education Status' on the student's record, which will raise a debt against your school.
    Your school should then receive an invoice from Centrelink via email so the ABSTUDY funds can be returned according to the instructions in this guide"
When you receive the invoice from Centrelink, you can process the return of the Abstudy funds in Sentral.

To do this in Sentral:
  • Create a fee for the student with the following details:
    • Description = "ABSTUDY return"
    • Fee Category = 3RDPARTY
    • Internal Order = 2007000160 (Abstudy Returns)
    • Cost Centre = Education Delivery
    • Amount = Amount of funds to be returned for the student
    If the Abstudy funds for the student have already been created as a subsidy in Sentral, allocate the amount to be returned from the subsidy funds to the above fee. To do this:
    • Select Actions > Receive a Payment for the fee on the Fee Register, then select Pay > Via Abstudy on the Receive a Payment screen
    If the Abstudy funds for the student have not yet been created as a subsidy in Sentral, you can receipt a Third Party payment directly against the above fee (i.e. you do not need to create a subsidy first). To do this:
    • Select Actions > Receive a Payment on the fee in the Fee Register, then select Pay > via Third Party.  
    • Enter "Abstudy return" as the Payment Description
The Department of Education have stressed that it is very important that schools do not process the return of the Abstudy funds in Sentral before they have received an invoice from Centrelink.

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