Fee remission

Find out if remission applies to your circumstances and what evidence you’ll need to apply.

What is fee remission?

Fee remission means that your HELP debt is cancelled, or your fee is reversed and credited back to your student account. Any resulting credit can be refunded or used towards future fees.

You can apply if you were unable to complete a subject’s requirements due to special circumstances. This includes late withdrawal and failing a subject.

Am I eligible for fee remission?

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 are outlined below.

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 have received your final grade for the relevant subject and have circumstances that meet all the following criteria.

Circumstances 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.

Circumstances 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.

Circumstances 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.

Eligible and non-eligible circumstances

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

    • 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 special consideration
    • Anything considered to be in your control.

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.

Document examples

Recommended (but not required) document examples for each category of special circumstances are provided below.

  • Ask a health professional to complete the Fee Remission Special Medical Circumstances form and submit it with your application.

    Include any additional independent supporting documents from the relevant period to strengthen your application.

    The health professional must have consulted with you, either in person or via telehealth.

  • 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).

  • 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.

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