Refunds and remission

• If you have paid your student contribution upfront you will be entitled to a 100% refund for unit withdrawals made prior to and including the census date for the applicable semester.
• If you have elected to defer your student contribution, you will not incur a HECS-HELP debt for unit withdrawals made prior to and including the census date for the applicable semester.
• No refund of any amounts paid will be given if you withdraw from a unit or course after the census date for the applicable semester.
• If you withdraw from a unit(s) after the census date and have elected to defer your student contribution, you will incur a HECS-HELP debt for that unit(s). 

• If you have paid your student tuition fees upfront you will be entitled to a 100% refund for unit or course withdrawals made prior to and including the census date for the applicable semester.
• If you have elected to defer your tuition fees through the tax system, you will not incur a FEE-HELP debt for unit or course withdrawals made prior to and including the census date for the applicable semester.
• You are not eligible for a refund of any amounts paid for a unit or course if you withdraw after the census date for the applicable semester.
• If you have elected to defer payment of your tuition fees you will incur a FEE-HELP debt for any units withdrawn after the census date for the applicable semester.

To receive a remission of debt, you must be able to demonstrate that special circumstances exist that:

• are beyond your control and
• did not make their full impact on you until on, or after, the census date for the unit of study; and
• made it impractical for you to complete the requirements for the unit during the period which you undertook, or was to undertake, the unit.

The circumstances must make their full impact after the census date of the unit concerned. If a situation that prevents you from continuing study occurs before the census date, you are expected to discontinue the unit/s before the census date. Thus, remission of debt is only applicable if you were not able to discontinue your study prior to the relevant census date and you were prevented from successfully completing the unit. A student cannot apply for remission if they have successfully completed the units of study.

The following are not considered special circumstances:

• A desire to change course  
• The course is challenging or not what was expected  
• Minor illnesses 
• Difficulties in adjusting to living in Australia or academic life  
• Failure to understand or seek clarification of key dates or withdrawal procedures  

Examples of appropriate documentation include: 

• Serious illness or injury  (a detailed medical statement from a physician or medical specialist)

• Pregnancy (Medical statement from a physician, medical specialist, or hospital statement with an expected due date that also demonstrates pregnancy-related complications)

   

• For bereavement or serious illness of close family members such as parents or grandparents 

  - death certificate or death notice and  

  - proof of relationship 

   

• Full-time carer 

  - Carer certificate or other independent document to confirm your carer duties. 

Please note that letters from friends and family members are not considered independent. 

• Natural disaster  

  - medical certificates 

  - police reports; or 

  - In the absence of sufficient documents, provide a statutory declaration explaining why additional documents aren't possible. 

   

• A traumatic experience, which could include involvement in or witnessing a serious accident or witnessing or being the victim of a serious crime 

  - any relevant documents such as police reports and/or a detailed medical statement.   

   

• Changes in your financial circumstances due to:

  - Notification of Redundancy 

For changes to employment conditions 

• Employer letter stating :

  - When employment conditions changed 

  - The length of time the changes were in place for 

  - What changes were made; and 

  - That your employer made these changes

   

  Employment letters must be on business letterhead and include the contact details of the person who wrote the document. 

  In the absence of sufficient documents, provide a Statutory Declaration explaining why additional documents aren't possible (for exceptional circumstances only). 

Medical documents should contain a detailed medical statement from a doctor, physician or medical specialist. They need to include: 

• confirmation that the doctor or medical specialist has consulted with you and the date of consultation; 
• the date your medical condition began or changed; 
• how your condition affects your ability to study; 
• indicate that you will be impacted for a substantial period of the semester or  
• have a clear duration of recommended time away from studies; and 
• include a treatment plan if applicable 

Please note that you should inform your physician that the statement will be sent to CDU to support your application. 

• Please ensure all documents are recently dated and/or confirm that circumstances are ongoing and relevant to the timeframe to be considered.   
• Documents issued in a language other than English must be translated into English by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) or an overseas notary department with a common seal. You must submit copies of both the original documentation and the English translation. 
• You must not submit photographs, audio files or videos with content that may be considered distressing or graphic. In addition, for any application where you are required to provide supporting evidence, photographs, audio files or videos are generally not considered appropriate evidence as their authenticity cannot be verified. 
• You are not required to provide certified copies of documents during the initial application process. However, the University reserves the right to require applicants to provide original documentation subsequently. Any document submitted may be audited and is subject to verification from the issuing body.