Fee remission in special circumstances

You can apply for a remission of fees and/or reversal of HELP debt if you were unable to complete a subject’s requirements due to special circumstances.

About fee remission

Fee remission means that your HELP debt is cancelled, or you receive a refund for your fees. This is for students who couldn’t finish a subject because of special circumstances.

Processing times

Standard fee remission applications

  • Average turnaround: 108 working days
  • We are currently assessing applications submitted from 27 December 2025.

Fee remission application review outcomes

  • Average turnaround: 100 working days
  • We are currently reviewing requests submitted from 14 January 2026.

Last updated 10 June 2026

Application process

1. Check your eligibility

Understand if you are likely to be eligible.

2. Prepare supporting documents

Collect the required documents that demonstrate you meet the eligibility criteria.

3. Submit your application

Apply within 12 months of your subject's withdrawal date. Or, if failed, the date your fail grade was applied.

Eligibility criteria

Per University policy, all applications for fee remission in special circumstances are assessed based on criteria set under Higher Education Support Act 2003 (Cth).

To be eligible for fee remission, you must:

  1. Have received your final grade for the relevant subject
  2. Have circumstances that meet all the following criteria:
    1. Were beyond your control. This refers to situations that:
      • Are not caused by your actions or decisions
      • You could not have reasonably prevented
      • Are generally considered abnormal, uncommon and unusual.
    2. Made it impracticable for you to complete the subject. This means:
      • It was not just hard or stressful – it was impossible or unreasonable for you to finish the subject
      • You couldn't realistically be expected to finish the subject requirements
      • The circumstances were not limited to the subject being challenging or difficult.
    3. Did not make their full impact until on or after the census date. If the circumstances began before the census date:
      • Supporting documentation must verify an exacerbation or that they made their full impact after census date
      • A personal statement and/or statutory declaration is not enough. You must provide third-party documentation.

Examples of eligible circumstances

  • Illness or serious accident
  • Hardship or trauma
  • Bereavement
  • Family violence
  • Victim of crime
  • Ongoing circumstances that worsened on or after census date.

Examples of non-eligible circumstances

  • Forgetting to withdraw
  • Finding the subject difficult or challenging
  • Overloading your enrolment
  • Submission issues where you did not leave enough time to submit
  • Celebratory events such as weddings or birthdays
  • Poor results
  • Work commitments
  • Travel plans (including exchange or study abroad)
  • Fail grade received due to Academic Misconduct
  • Being unaware of fee remission
  • Anything considered to be in your control.

Self-guided eligibility assessment tool

Use the self-guided assessment tool below to find out if you are eligible to apply for fee remission in special circumstances. The full eligibility criteria is outlined above.

Supporting documentation

You must provide supporting documents from an independent source, like a doctor, counsellor or employer.

Documentation must address the eligibility criteria and, where possible, be from the impacted period relevant to your application.

We may contact the signatory or organisation on your documents if we need to verify information.

Documentation issued in a language other than English must be translated by a NAATI-certified translator. NAATI stands for National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters.

Documentation examples

Recommended (but not required) forms of documentation can be found below for each category of special circumstances.

  • We suggest using the Fee Remission Special Medical Circumstances form. Also, add any relevant independent documents from that time. They should support your application and meet the eligibility criteria.

    Print the form, fill in page one, and get your medical practitioner to complete pages two and three.

  • A statement from a doctor or counsellor stating:

    • The date your personal circumstances began or changed
    • How your circumstances affected your ability to study
    • When it became clear that you could not continue with your studies.

  • A statement from your employer stating:

    • Your previous work hours and location
    • Your current work hours and location
    • The reason for changed hours and location.

    This statement must include the company masthead or be otherwise verifiable.

  • A statement from your faculty stating that you have been disadvantaged by changed arrangements to your subject or course and that it was impossible for you to undertake alternative subjects or courses.

  • Images of a sensitive nature (eg injury, hospitalisation, medication).

Special consideration and fee remission

If applying for fee remission based on a special consideration outcome, you must also provide additional supporting documentation, including:

  • Information about the dates of impact
  • An independent assessment or appraisal of your circumstances
  • Documents that show why your situation made it impracticable to finish the subject requirements.

Application deadlines

You need to submit fee remission applications within 12 months of the date you withdraw from a subject or, if you fail, from the date your fail grade was applied.

Waiver requests

The 12-month application period may only be waived if it’s shown that meeting the deadline was impossible. Not knowing about fee remission is not a valid reason for applying late. This information is available to all students. Supporting documentation must be from an independent source. It is not enough to provide only a personal statement or statutory declaration. Submit waiver application.

Submit your application

You need to fill in the form and attach your documentation to apply. Submit your application within the 12-month period using the online portal below. Please wait to submit your application until you get your final grade for the subject.

Apply for fee remission

Outcomes

We will notify you of the outcome in the fee remission application portal. Possible outcomes include:

  • Next steps:

    • For HELP debt: Your debt will be cancelled. This may take several months to reflect in your Australian Taxation Office record.
    • For upfront payments: We will credit your account. You can apply for a refund or use the credit for future fees.
    • For sponsor payments: If your fee was paid by your official sponsor, these funds will be credited back to them.
    • You will receive a notification email when the remission of funds has been finalised.

    If your fee remission application is approved for a failed subject, your grade will change to Withdrawn (WD). If you're a Commonwealth Supported student, this subject won't count as a fail for your Student Learning Entitlement.

  • Next steps:

    • You can ask for a review of this decision within 28 days if you have new documents to support your case.
    • If you do not apply for review within 28 days, this decision is final.

  • Please send us any key documents for your application that fit the eligibility criteria. We need these before we review it. In some cases, we may ask for more documents to evaluate your application, but this is not guaranteed.

    Next steps:

    • Log in to your fee remission application in the APEX portal
    • Select the 'Submitted applications' link in the top right-hand corner
    • Upload the requested additional documentation within 28 days.
    • If you don’t provide new documentation within 28 days, your application will be declined and you will be required to submit a review to add additional documentation.

Request a review

If your application is not approved and if you think the decision is wrong, you may apply for a review of the decision within 28 days. You need to explain why you want a review of your application. For example, you might have new documents that were not in your first application.

Before submitting a review application, please note that:

  • Submissions without new supporting documentation will likely be unsuccessful
  • We will not accept personal statements alone as new evidence.

To apply for a review, submit an application within 28 days of receiving your initial outcome. Please include your original fee remission application ID number.

Apply for review

Further review

After seeking a review of the decision internally, you may lodge a complaint with an appropriate body external to the University, including the relevant ombudsman or equivalent agency, depending on your fee type. You can find the details in the outcome sent to you following your review decision.

Ongoing support

If you have a long-term or ongoing condition that affects your studies, you may be eligible for ongoing support through an Academic Adjustment Plan. Visit the Student Equity and Disability Support page for more information.

If you require further information about applying for fee remission, please submit a general fee remission enquiry form. Please include your application reference number if applicable. For other enquiries, please contact Stop 1.

Privacy

Your personal information will be handled in accordance with the University's Privacy Policy. We collect and use this information solely for the purpose of assessing your fee remission application. For more details, please see our fee remission privacy notice.

Sensitive circumstances

We understand that some circumstances can be particularly difficult to discuss. If your application involves sensitive issues such as sexual assault, family violence, or severe mental health conditions, please be assured that your application will be handled with the utmost care and confidentiality. You may request to have your application reviewed by a specially trained staff member in the comment section of your application form.