The Living Away From Home Allowances Scheme (LAFHAS) supports eligible Queensland families whose children need to live away from home to attend a state school or an accredited non-state school.

This may be because the students home is geographically isolated and/or the nearest school is a bypass school.

What support is available?

The scheme provides financial support through 4 allowances:

• Remote Area Tuition Allowance (RATuA)—helps pay tuition fees charged by non-state boarding schools
• Remote Area Travel Allowance (RATrA)—helps pay a student's travel costs between home and boarding school during holidays
• Remote Area Allowance (RAA)—contributes to the cost of boarding at a Queensland Australian Agricultural College campus or a state high school campus
• Remote Area Disability Supplement (RADS)—helps with additional boarding costs for students with disability.

Use the 2024 LAFHAS rates list for information on the monetary support available.

Half of the LAFHAS annual entitlements are paid in Semester 1 and the other half in Semester 2.

Please note that between December and February, applicants may experience a delay in processing times. All efforts will be made to process applications within the month of receipt, however, at this time, this is not guaranteed and delays may occur.

Who can apply for LAFHAS benefits?

Parents or guardians who believe they are geographically isolated from local Queensland Government schools with the required year level for a student and who:

• reside in Queensland;
• have students enrolled in Years 1 to 12 at approved schools in Queensland or New South Wales (primary, secondary, special or agricultural colleges); and
• have students who are geographically isolated and board away from home to attend approved schools with the required year levels.

• Phone: 1800 248 997
• Fax: 13 74 68
• Email: lafhas@qed.qld.gov.au