When we talk about supports while studying, we mean the extra support you need because of your disability to participate in:
- study at school. School means primary and secondary education that everyone needs to do
- study at a tertiary education provider. Tertiary education means higher education at a university, TAFE or Registered Training Organisation. This can include traineeships and apprenticeships.
Most people can get the help they need through their school, or tertiary education provider.
Talk to your school or tertiary education provider if you need support while studying or need help to work out what you want to study.
We can fund the NDIS supports you need to study because of your disability if they meet all the NDIS funding criteria.
These are the extra supports that aren’t directly related to your education and learning and are more than what the school or tertiary education provider is responsible for.
NDIS supports while you’re at school
Your school should provide all that is part of your education and learning.
They must also make reasonable adjustments so that school is accessible for you.
This is to help you take part in education the same as someone without a disability.
For example, the school is responsible for:
- adjusting your study resources so you can understand the information
- making sure you can get into and around your school safely
- making sure you have the same opportunities as other students to fully participate in class and other school activities.
What can we fund?
We can fund additional specialist training for your teachers about your individual disability support needs. We can also fund NDIS supports you need at school due to your disability.
You might have personal care in school included in your plan.
This is for things like helping you go to the toilet, eating or drinking when you’re at school.
These NDIS supports are funded differently. Providers are paid a lump sum and then deliver the pre-paid supports to NDIS participants.
You’ll see the supports on your plan, but you won’t buy them with funds from your plan. We refer to this as in-kind support.
We might be able to fund transport to and from school if you can’t catch the bus because of your disability, or if we wouldn’t expect your family to take you.
You don’t need to pay for transport costs out of your plan.
Your pre-paid transport supports will appear on your plan to show that you get that support.
Student transport is also funded through in-kind arrangements and provided by your state or territory government.
What can’t we fund?
Some examples of things we don’t fund are:
- fees and payments for outside school hours care. This includes out of school hours care, vacation and school holiday programs
- education and tuition fees across all education settings
- standard school uniforms, shoes, lunchboxes, drink bottles, or other school equipment
- personalised learning or supports for students that primarily relate to their educational achievement
- aids and equipment for educational purposes. For example, modified computer hardware, education software, textbooks in alternative formats
- assistive products which are fixed or non-transportable in schools that allow a student access to education. For example, hoists and specially adapted furniture
- reasonable adjustment to education campuses that allow a student access to education, including capital works. For example, ramps, lifts, or hearing loops
- services from a person employed at the participant’s school by the Department of Education or other relevant authority
- tutors and scribes
- educational supports for home schooling
- school refusal programs
- school camp, incursion and excursion fees
- transport between school activities including excursions and sporting carnivals
- work experience provided as part of the school curriculum.
Work experience
Work experience as part of your school curriculum is the responsibility of your school.
We may be able to help if you need NDIS supports because of your disability to:
- be able to participate in work experience
- take part in additional work experience outside of the school curriculum.
School-based traineeship
You might have an opportunity to do a school-based traineeship.
This is where you combine school, study and work.
We can’t fund supports that are the responsibility of your employer, school or traineeship provider.
But if there are NDIS supports you need to help you successfully complete your traineeship, we can fund those.
There’s more information on the support available to help students build skills for work at NDIS supports while preparing for work.
NDIS supports while at a tertiary education provider
Your tertiary education provider must provide reasonable adjustments or changes to your study resources so that information is provided in a way that you’ll understand.
They’re also responsible for making sure you can get into and around your campus.
This is to help you take part in education the same as someone without a disability.
What can we fund?
We can consider funding the NDIS supports you need because of your disability at your tertiary education provider, during an apprenticeship or other training.
The NDIS supports should allow you to go about your daily activities.
This might include:
- help to connect to the learning supports available through the tertiary education provider
- personal care while you’re undertaking tertiary education, approved placements, or taking part in specific projects run by the tertiary education provider
- transport to and from tertiary education if you can’t drive or use public transport because of your disability
- training of university lecturers, trainers or host employers (during placements) about your individual disability support needs.
What can’t we fund?
Some examples of things we can’t fund include:
- education or tuition fees across all tertiary education settings
- supports (including assistive products) for students that primarily relate to their education and training
- building modifications to tertiary education settings
- services from a person employed for educational purposes by the participant’s tertiary education provider
- personalised learning or supports for students that primarily relate to their educational achievement
- assistive products which are fixed or non-transportable in tertiary education settings that enable a student or trainee to access education or training, including hoists and specially adapted furniture
- textbooks and teaching aids, including in alternative formats such as braille or Easy English
- education and training to facilitate transition to employment generally provided in tertiary education settings.
We also can’t fund NDIS supports where:
- you’re not likely to benefit or get an outcome from the support
- you withdraw from the course or are expelled due to misconduct.
There are lots of different support programs available at tertiary education providers.
For example, mentors and other help for students with disability. For more information, go to Our Guideline – Mainstream and community supports, or talk to your my NDIS contact, support coordinator or recovery coach.
We may be able to provide NDIS supports if you need additional assistance finding employment when you finish a qualification or to connect with a mainstream employment service.
There’s more information available at NDIS supports while preparing for work.
Example
Anton has just finished school and is excited to start studying at university.
Anton isn’t familiar with the university or what it’s like to be a university student.
He uses a wheelchair and is not familiar with accessible transport routes.
He has been talking with his local area coordinator about what supports he may need.
Anton thinks he’ll need help to go over the information in lectures more than once and extra time to do exams.
Anton’s planner includes NDIS supports to help him to explore accessible transport routes to get to university and connect with the Disability Services Team at the university.
The Disability Services Team at his university will work with Anton to understand his learning support needs.
They’ll make sure the appropriate assistance is in place to help with recordings of lectures and extra time to complete exams.
They’ll also check the campus and learning environment is physically accessible for Anton.
When Anton is further into his course, he decides he would benefit from work experience in his chosen area of study, in addition to the formal practical experience arranged by the university.
He is hoping this could allow him to understand any impacts his disability may have on his future employment, and adjustments or supports he may need in his chosen field.
He also hopes it leads to part-time employment while he completes his studies and gains his qualification.
Anton speaks to his my NDIS contact to work out what NDIS supports he'll need to complete more work experience.