Where it sits in your plan
Improved Learning is support category 13, part of your Capacity Building budget. Plans made in the NDIA's PACE system call it Lifelong Learning. Not everyone has it: it is usually included when you have a goal about further study and need disability related support to get there.
What it pays for
The main support is called transition through school and to further education. It covers:
- Skills training for study, such as organising your time, using a timetable or getting around a campus
- Advice about courses and pathways that suit your disability and goals
- Help with arrangements, such as working out what disability support the TAFE or university offers and how to register for it
- Orientation, for example visiting a campus with a support worker before your course starts
What it does not pay for
Schools, TAFEs, universities and training providers are responsible for teaching and for making their courses accessible, including reasonable adjustments that let you take part on the same basis as other students. The NDIS does not pay for:
- Tuition, course fees, textbooks or uniforms
- Teachers, tutors or education aides for the learning itself
- Adjustments the education provider must make, such as extra exam time or accessible materials
- Accredited courses run by an employment provider, which are funded through the vocational education system
Cost and price limits
Transition through school and to further education is usually delivered by a skilled support worker. The 2026/27 price limit is $83.87 an hour in most of Australia, with higher limits in remote and very remote areas. It can be delivered one to one or in a group, where the price for each person is divided by the number in the group.
Providers can also claim some travel and short notice cancellations under the Pricing Arrangements. Ask for a service agreement that sets out the hours and goals.
How it fits with other supports
Improved Learning is about getting into and settling into further education. Other parts of your plan may support you while you study:
- Finding and keeping a job, if your goal is work. Since 1 July 2024 school leaver employment supports can be claimed as employment assistance, which can include travel training and work skills
- Improved daily living skills, for therapy or skills training such as travel training to get to class
- Core supports, for personal care or support worker hours that relate to your disability rather than the learning itself
- Assistive technology, such as software or a device you need because of your disability
How to get it in your plan
- Write a clear goal about further education, such as starting a TAFE certificate next year
- Explain what disability related help you need to make the move, and why the education provider will not provide it
- Ask your school, careers adviser or therapist to put the plan in writing
- Raise it well before you leave school, ideally at the reassessment before your final year