All international students are required to undertake a full-time study load. This is to ensure that you complete your studies within the completion date as specified on your CoE.
For most courses, a full-time study load is 40 credit points per compulsory semester in a Higher Education course or 20 contact hours in a TAFE course. We recommend that you refer to your study plan to see what this looks like for your course as it may involve enrolment in different study periods (e.g. intensive blocks) or a different enrolment pattern if you commenced in Summer Semester (e.g. 20 credit points in Summer Semester and 30 credit points in the following two semesters).
If you cannot study the full-time load requirements of your course you must apply for a Reduced Study Load (RSL).
If you are still able to complete your course by the completion date on your CoE, you do not need to apply for an RSL. You may be able to do this by studying units in the Summer Semester, completing cross-institutional studies, or through granted advanced standing. An RSL is only required if you will be unable to complete your course by the completion date on your CoE, and will therefore need a CoE extension. This approved RSL will be used as evidence in your CoE extension application.
Please note that if do not follow your study plan or you under-enroll without approval will not be eligible for a CoE extension if required. For this reason, it is very important to remain enrolled on a full-time basis as per your approved study plan or have an approved Reduced Study Load.
Application criteria
Applications for RSL are assessed per the National Code requirements and can only be approved in certain circumstances. These are:
| Compassionate or Compelling circumstances | Please refer to the information on Compassionate or Compelling circumstances to see what is included under this criteria. |
|---|---|
| Academic progress |
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| Course structure requirements |
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Please note that applications for reduced study load are not approved in all circumstances. When applying for a RSL you’ll need to provide documentation to support your claim. Please provide a copy of your most recent study plan to show your current situation and to help verify your claims.
Each application for RSL is assessed on a case-by-case basis by International Student Support and we aim to have an outcome available to you within ten (10) working days. Please note that if you do not supply a study plan your outcome may be delayed.
Applications for RSL can be submitted one month before the semester starts and until the census date of each semester.
How to apply - Higher Education
All international students are required to undertake a full-time study load of 80 credit points per academic year. This is usually done by completing 40 credit points in each of the two compulsory study periods - Semester 1 and Semester 2, unless otherwise instructed by your study plan or approved by the Retention and Progression team or the International Compliance team.
You do not need permission to reduce your study load for Summer Semester as it is an optional study period, unless it is your first semester. Your first semester is a compulsory study period no matter when you commence.
If you are studying in your last semester, you do not need to obtain permission to reduce your study load.
How to apply - TAFE
TAFE courses will be considered for a Reduced Study Load on a case-by-case basis. Please discuss this with your Course Coordinator.