39Method by which the amount of grants under the program are determined for a provider

39 Method by which the amount of grants under the program are determined for a provider

Total grants funds available under Disability Support Programs (1) The total amounts available for the three Disability Support Programs (the Disability Support Fund, the Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training, and the Capacity Building Fund) for 2025, 2026 and future years are: (a) for 2025, $53,905,928; (b) for 2026, the amount that is determined by multiplying $53,490,328 with the indexation factor (within the meaning of subsection 198-15(1) of the Act) for 2026 (the 2026 DSP Grants Total); and (c) for all future years, the 2026 DSP Grants Total as indexed under section 40. (2) The total amount of funding available for the Disability Support Fund (the DSF yearly total) is: (a) for 2025, the amount in paragraph (1)(a), less the amount allocated to the Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training under section 45 (the ADCET amount) and the amount allocated to the Capacity Building Fund under section 45D (the CBF amount) for that year; (b) for 2026, the amount in paragraph (1)(b), less the ADCET amount and the CBF amount for that year; (c) for all future years, the 2026 DSP Grants Total, as indexed, less the ADCET amount and the CBF amount for that year. (3) Subject to subsection (7), a grant amount under the Disability Support Fund for a provider is calculated by adding: (a) the enrolments-based grant amount for a provider (mentioned in subsection (4)); and (b) the amount for students with disability with high cost needs for a provider (mentioned in subsection (6)).

Note: Under section 41-20 of the Act, grants are subject to approval by the Minister.

(4) The enrolments-based grant amount for a provider, for a year, subject to subsection (8), to be calculated by: (a) dividing: (i) the number of domestic students with disability enrolled at the provider in the most recent year for which data is available (based on data reported by the provider through TCSI during the second half of the preceding year for that year); by (ii) the number of domestic students with disability enrolled at all Table A providers in the most recent year for which data is available (based on data reported by all Table A providers through TCSI as at the last quarter of the year prior to the year to which the grant relates); and (b) multiplying the result of (a) by 55 percent of the DSF yearly total (as mentioned in subsection (2)) (the enrolments-based grant pool)). (5) For the purposes of subsection (6): (a) a student with disability and high cost needs is a domestic student enrolled with a provider, who has been assessed by the provider as having disability, and has received from the provider educational support and equipment related to that disability in a calendar year for an amount that exceeds $5,000 in 2024 (subject to indexation under section 40); (b) a claim for educational support and equipment means a claim made by a provider with the Department, in relation to the year preceding the year to which a grant relates, and which outlines expenses associated with educational support and equipment provided to a student with disability and high cost needs. (5A) For the purposes of paragraph (5)(b), a claim for educational support and equipment does not include a claim for amounts spent by the provider that have been sourced from grant amounts received under Part 3 of this instrument. (6) The amount for students with disability with high cost needs for a provider, for a year, subject to subsection (7), is to be calculated by: (a) dividing: (i) the sum of the claims for educational support and equipment submitted by the provider, as mentioned in subsection (5), that can be attributed to students with disability and high cost needs in the preceding year; by (ii) the total of all claims for educational support and equipment submitted by all Table A providers that can be attributed to students with disability and high cost needs in the preceding year; and (b) multiplying the result of (a) by 45 percent of the DSF yearly total (as mentioned in subsection (2)). (7) In any case where the amount for students with disability with high costs needs calculated for a provider in accordance is subsection (6) is higher than the expenses associated with the claims for educational support and equipment made by that provider (as mentioned in subparagraph (6)(a)(i)), the amount payable to the provider in respect of those claims is to be no more than the expenses associated with those claims. (8) In any year, if the sum of claims for educational support and equipment made by all providers is less than the total of the amounts for students with disability with high cost needs payable to all providers as calculated under subsection (6) (and, where applicable, subsection (7)), the difference is to be added to the enrolments based grant pool mentioned in subsection (4) when calculating the enrolments-based grant amount for a provider.