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Deferring Your Offer

 

If you have just been made an offer of admission to an undergraduate or graduate coursework program, you may be eligible to defer your enrolment for one or two semesters. Current students who have completed one or more semesters at The Australian National University must apply for program leave NOT deferment. Please contact the Enrolments Office for information on program leave.

Returning from Deferment? See information below

Undergraduate Students

Eligibility

You can defer your enrolment if you meet the following conditions:

1. You apply on or before the census date for the relevant semester (31 March for First Semester; 31 August for Second Semester).

• note that it's preferable to apply for deferment before semester begins. You do not need to accept your offer first.

2. Your program is one that can be deferred:

• all undergraduate programs except Music
• note that if you wish to defer until Second Semester, there may be restrictions on what courses you can commence in Second Semester (especially languages and those courses which have First Semester pre-requisites).

3. You have a valid reason for wishing to defer. These include:

• wanting to take a break between school and university
• wanting to travel or undertake a 'gap year'
• needing to work before commencing study
• health reasons

4. You do not undertake any other study while deferred. This is because ANU considers the full academic record of its applicants, so if you undertake additional study while deferred we would need to re-assess your qualifications against any new entrance requirements.
   
   There are some exceptions:
• undertaking an exchange year in a secondary school
• undertaking TAFE / AQF studies at Certificate level

If you intend undertaking any other study, please explain your intentions fully when you apply for deferment and be aware that deferment may be refused. You would then need to re-apply for admission via UAC for the following year.

Remember

• Deferment is a concession granted by the University, not a right.
• We try to process applications for deferment quickly, but this is not always possible.
• If your application is granted, you will be advised of the correct procedures to confirm that you will be returning after deferment. You must follow these procedures, otherwise your place will be re-assigned to a new applicant.
• We strongly recommend that you appoint an agent to act on your behalf if you will be away from home and that you give that agent full access to your e-mail account and any paperwork that we have sent you.
• The excuse that you failed to meet the deadline to confirm your intention to return from deferment because you were travelling in a remote region, had been sick, or because your agent did not act as you instructed will not be accepted except under extreme circumstances and with properly verified documentation. Such appeals against the cancellation of your deferment will not be entertained after 31 December (for Semester 1 commencement) or 30 June (for Semester 2 commencement).

Procedures

Applying for deferment:

Applying for deferment is simple - click here to apply online [applications will be open from 9pm Wednesday 20 January 2010 until midnight Wednesday 31 March 2010 for defering a Semester One 2010 offer]. Please note that this form is not fully interactive - it allows you to provide information to ANU. You will not receive an immediate decision, nor will you be able to log in and check the progress of your application. We will contact you when a decision has been made. Please follow the instructions on the final page of the form about keeping a copy of that page. It will be your only record of lodging an application.

Enquiries should be directed to deferment@anu.edu.au

If you are not able to apply online, you may write to:

The Admissions Office
Student Administration Services
The Australian National University
CANBERRA ACT 0200

 

 

RETURNING FROM DEFERMENT Before the period of your approved deferment is over, you need to confirm that you intend to commence study. For students who are returning in First Semester 2011, an online form will be available later in 2010. Check back here regularly. You must complete the form by 30 November 2010 or your deferment will no longer be valid and your offer will lapse. For instructions on how to enrol once you have confirmed your return, please see http://www.anu.edu.au/sas/enrolments/instructions/ Questions about enrolment should be directed to the Enrolments Office on (02) 6125 3339 or enrolments@anu.edu.au

 

Graduate Students

Contact your academic area to check on their policies and procedures. You cannot apply online to defer a graduate offer. To return to study after graduate deferment, please contact your academic area.