Comments on: My (changing) Writing Efforts in January. https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january Writer, blogger, and dreamer. Mon, 02 Dec 2024 05:19:03 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.6.4 By: Graham Clements https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1067 Sat, 13 Feb 2016 06:01:29 +0000 https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1067 Anthony, good to hear you thought well of your open universities course. I tried ringing a welfare officer there to discuss my situation last week and I just ended up with an Indian call centre, who gave me a useless link to a free tuition scholarship offered by them. I need my living expenses paid. Since my last comment above, I have had three more encounters with Centrelink. None has given me a definitive answer yet, and none suggested I wouldn't get Austudy, but who knows.

]]> By: Anthony J. Langford https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1068 Fri, 12 Feb 2016 09:53:35 +0000 https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1068 Good luck with Centrelink.. sounds messy.

I did a course last year with Open Universities. Worked out pretty good in the end, not alot of online help though.
Anyway, sorry about Divine, but at least you did get all those articles out there, which is awesome.

]]> By: Graham Clements https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1069 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 05:46:57 +0000 https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1069 Received a message from Hank Jongen who runs a Department of Human Services facebook page: Hello Graham, I'm sorry to hear you have received conflicting information about whether you're eligibile for Austudy. I'm unable to access your customer record, but can provide some general information that may help clarify this for you. You will not qualify for Austudy if you have previously completed a Doctorate level course. Masters level courses will not impact your claim in the same way, but are assessed when determining eligibility for other payments e.g. Pensioner Education Supplement.
Your previous study (at both undergraduate and masters level) will impact on your allowable time for Austudy. You can read more about allowable time here: https://www.humanservices.gov.au/…/allowable-time-while…

So things are looking up.

]]> By: Graham Clements https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1070 Wed, 10 Feb 2016 03:09:05 +0000 https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1070 I was just about in tears in Centrelink, my eyes were watering up. But this time from joy. Seems I am now back to being eligible for Austudy. She was conversing online with an Austudy expert and I told her everything. And just as well I took all the documents with me as she said that she could see no indication that the documents I had spent hours trying to upload on the Centrelink site and then app had been received. So I am a happy chappy. But I wont be surprised if I my application is rejected. Even if it is, I will be doing the course part-time.

]]> By: Graham Clements https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1071 Tue, 09 Feb 2016 00:41:41 +0000 https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1071 Unfortunately everything has gone pear-shaped. Got to the end of the application process for Austudy, spent hours trying to upload documents, even downloaded the Centrelink app, which had me taking pictures of each individual page of 20 pages of documents. But I succeeded in uploading the documents. Then clicked onto the final page, and it suggested I read a document called "Information you need to know about your claim." I downloaded it. On page eight it says "A customer who has already completed a Masters or Doctorate degree, whether in or outside Australia, is not eligible for assistance under Austudy. I had mentioned my masters to a customer service officer when I rang Centrelink about Austudy. They said it was no problem as it was on a different level than the degree. I had read a document that mentioned those who had a doctorate degree or equivalent could not get Austudy. Is a masters the equivalent of a doctorate degree? Rang Centrelink and this customer service officer says I was not eligible for a Austudy due to my masters. She then said she would put me through to some section where I could appeal the legislation. I waited in a queue for about 15 minutes and then it just went silent. But what is the point of contacting them, highly unlikely any appeal would work. So I am devastated. I won't be doing the course.

]]> By: Graham Clements https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1072 Mon, 08 Feb 2016 06:16:17 +0000 https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1072 Thanks Graham, I will.

]]> By: graywave https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1073 Mon, 08 Feb 2016 04:03:53 +0000 https://grahamclements.com/my-changing-writing-efforts-in-january/#comment-1073 Sounds like the start of a whole new chapter about to open. If you do the course, drop me a line. I used to run part of the Australian Web development group for a multinational IT company called Logica, then the Asia Pacific Web development group for IBM. Later, I freelanced as a Web designer in Brisbane. It's been eight years since I worked on anything, so my technology knowledge will be rusty, but if I can ever help with more general topics, I'd be glad to.

Good luck!

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