Capacity Building Supports budget: Improved Learning (Lifelong Learning)

Improved Learning can be a very valuable resource in your National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) bucket. You may also see this category referred to as Lifelong Learning. It’s part of your Capacity Building Supports Budget, which helps you to develop skills, and become more confident and independent. 

Improved Learning in particular focuses on helping you reach your educational goals. This might be through learning a new skill or trade, or achieving a qualification. Your Capacity Building Supports funding can’t be moved across categories, so if you have Improved Learning funding, you can only use it for Improved Learning supports. 

What does Improved Learning help with? 

It’s a pathway to help you live the life you want. Specifically, it helps to further your education by providing supports to assist you in moving from school to further education or doing some study to help get you into a certain job or career. 

What ‘further education’ looks like can be quite different for each person, as everyone has different goals, talents, and interests. This might be higher education like university, a vocational pathway like TAFE, or work experience to learn on the job. Whatever feels right and true to what you want to do, is what you should include in your NDIS plan goals. 

This support can open up new and exciting employment opportunities for you, and builds your confidence as you take on skills, challenges, and knowledge. 

What does Improved Learning funding cover? 

Improved Learning funds supports that enable you to attend and complete your learning. This can include assistance with: 

• Completing course applications 

• Orientation support to help you get around campus 

• The management and planning of your study workload 

• Specialised transport (if needed due to a disability) 

• Student budgeting 
• Sorting student accommodation or living arrangements 

You may be able to purchase other supports to help you while you are learning, such as:  

• A support worker to accompany you to class 

• Specialised training for teachers and staff to help them support your needs 

• Help with anxiety, stress or social skills 

• Assistance to link you with the appropriate mainstream support services. 

What exactly your funding covers depends on your NDIS plan goals, as these will determine what the NDIS finds reasonable and necessary in your case. 

Related: Reasonable and Necessary Supports under the NDIS 

What the NDIS will not cover: 

The NDIS won’t cover school or uni fees. This includes supplies like textbooks, phone calls or photocopying, any membership fees, meals, stationery supplies, or direct employment assistance like job search activities. These are education-related costs everyone must pay regardless of ability.  

There are other items the NDIS won’t cover because they are supports that are the responsibility of your school, university or TAFE. This includes: 

• Fixed or non-transportable assistive products (such as hoists, specially adapted furniture) 

• Building modifications (for classrooms, lecture halls, vocational education training settings). This includes things like ramps, lifts, hearing loops – reasonable adjustments that your school would make. 

• Teaching aids or textbooks, including in alternative formats such as braille or Easy English. 

• Personalised learning or supports for students relating to their educational attainment (not to specific disability needs) 

• Any events, camps, or excursion fees. 
• Any supports (including assistive technologies) for students primarily relating to their education and training. 

However, you may be able to secure extra help if there is an increased cost in accessing your course materials as a result of your disability. 

The latest list of supports that are not NDIS supports is always a helpful resource if you’re unsure what counts as necessary services. 

What if you need more support than the NDIS covers? 

You might be surprised by the services that your university, TAFE or vocational school has available to support you! You should get in touch with the Student Services Department at your place of study before your course starts, to discuss adjustments or accommodations for your disability. 

Knowing your rights 

Under the Disability Standards for Education Act 2005, your education or training service provider is legally required to take steps to assist you to participate in education on the same basis as students without disability. This means they must consult with you, make reasonable adjustments for accessibility and assistance, and eliminate any harassment or victimisation. 

Leveraging your informal support network 

Your informal support network is your friends, family, and community connections. Supports to help you with further learning might look like:  

• Your sibling, who could drive you to class on their way to work 

• A classmate willing to share their notes with you, so you can focus more on the course itself 
• Your parent, who can help you stay organised and on-task with any applications, study, or coursework 

Related: What are Informal Supports under the NDIS? 

Who can use Improved Learning funding? 

To access NDIS Improved Learning supports, you must be an active NDIS participant with Improved Learning funding under your Capacity Building budget. 

This funding is typically for school leavers, or people looking to build their skills through further study or training.  

Your NDIS plan must include goals related to learning, independence or employment, and you must be able to justify to the NDIA how your chosen education or expanded skills would help you reach these specific goals. 

Making the most of your funding 

With any NDIS funding, you don’t want to be over or underspending.  

Overspending means you may have invoices rejected by the NDIA, or that you may not have sufficient funding to last the duration of your plan (or the particular funding period, depending on your plan). Underspending may result in the NDIS deciding you don’t actually need that support upon review, because you didn’t use the funding. 

“Making the most of your funding” means using your funds to their fullest, getting the most value from them, and finding providers who will put you first while helping you reach your goals. 

There are various areas of your NDIS planning life cycle where you can act to make the most of your funding: 

When setting goals 

For Improved Learning, you’ll need to include clear goals around further education or training. What do you want to achieve, and how will this support help? 

Be specific about your goals, do your research, and have any necessary documentation ready to go for your review meeting. You can also bring an advocate or support person (your support coordinator, a family member, or a trusted mate) to the meeting, to help explain your goals. 

If you feel you need a change to your plan and don’t have an upcoming review anytime soon, you can request a review with the NDIS by contacting your Local Area Coordinator (LAC) or support coordinator. 

When choosing your supports 

If you are plan-managed, you have more flexibility in choosing providers than someone who is agency-managed (directly managed by the NDIA).  

For example, you may be looking to purchase the services of a support worker to accompany you to class; as a plan-managed participant, you could choose from both NDIS-registered and non-NDIS-registered options. This gives you a wider pool to pick the right support for your needs – though their services still need to be compliant with the latest NDIS Pricing Arrangements and Price Limits. 

When managing your plan 

Keeping an eye on your budget yourself is always a good idea (just so you know where you’re at), but the right plan manager can help you to identify potential stumbling blocks like overspending or underspending before they become an issue.  

Related: Capacity Building Supports Budget: Choice and Control

How NDSP Plan Managers can help 

NDSP offers our clients a live view of their budgets at any time of day through our easy-to-use Nappa Portal, plus monthly reporting to make sure you’re always getting the most out of your funding. Our team is easy to contact, and highly knowledgeable about everything NDIS. 

We empower NDIS participants across Australia by providing comprehensive, friendly and accessible plan management services – so you can focus on living life (and using your plan) to the fullest. 

That means you have more time to focus on what’s really important to you. Further learning can be full-on enough without having to worry about NDIS plan management!  

If you’re looking for a plan management provider, why not contact NDSP today to find out how we can help you simplify your NDIS journey.