If you need to drop a course after the census date, you may be eligible to apply for a Late Withdrawal.
Late Withdrawals may be granted to students who encounter unavoidable and unexpected extenuating circumstances that impede their successful completion of a course where the circumstances occur or are exacerbated after the census date. Each application will be examined and determined on its merits.
To discuss your Application for Late Withdrawal, please contact Student Central, where our staff can provide guidance on the application process. Please note we cannot comment on the likelihood of your application being successful.
What extenuating circumstances are considered for late withdrawal?
As a general guide, you will need to demonstrate that the circumstances you experienced meet these criteria:
1. Circumstances beyond your control
- i.e., a situation occurs which a reasonable person would consider is not due to the person's action or inaction, either direct or indirect and for which the person is not responsible. This situation must be unusual, uncommon or abnormal. A lack of knowledge of ANU administrative processes or how HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP work is not considered beyond a person's control;
2. Did not make their full impact on you until on or after the census date
-
i.e., your circumstances occurred:
- before the census date, but worsened after that day;
- before the census date, but the full effect or magnitude did not become apparent until on or after that day; or
- on or after the census date.
3. Made it impracticable for you to complete the course requirements
-
i.e.,
- undertake the necessary private study required, attend sufficient lectures or tutorials or meet other compulsory attendance requirements to meet your compulsory course requirements;
- complete the required assessable work;
- sit the required examinations; or
- complete any other course requirements
Examples of extenuating circumstances that may be considered for late withdrawal include:
• Medical reasons
-
Where your medical condition existed prior to the census date, continued past that date and deteriorated to the extent that you are unable to continue your studies OR your medical condition only became known after the census date.
- Example 1: You contract an illness prior to the census date. Your illness continues past the census date and deteriorates to the extent that you are unable to continue with your studies.
- Example 2: Your medical condition only becomes apparent after the census date and the effects are sufficiently serious that it is impracticable for you to complete the course requirements and continue with your studies.
• Family/personal reasons
-
Due to unforeseen personal/family reasons that are beyond your control you are unable to continue with your studies.
- Example 1: A member of your family suffers from a severe medical condition that requires you to provide full-time care and as a result, you are unable to continue with your studies.
- Example 2: A member of your family or close friend dies, and you are affected to the extent that you are unable to continue with your studies.
• Employment related reasons
-
Where your employment status or employment arrangements change unexpectedly due to circumstances beyond your control and you are unable to complete your studies.
- Example 1: You are engaged in employment out of necessity and studying. Your employer unexpectedly increases your hours of employment in circumstances where you are unable to object. As a result, you are unable to continue with your studies or complete your course requirements.
- Example 2: You are engaged in employment out of necessity and studying. After the census date, your employer directs that you be transferred to a different state. Your institution does not offer distance education and as a result, you are unable to continue with your studies or complete your course requirements.
• Course related reasons
-
Where ANU changes the arrangements for your unit or course and as a result, you are disadvantaged to the extent that you are unable to complete the requirements of the course and continue with your studies.
- Example 1: ANU cancels your unit or course after the census date and as a result, you are unable to complete the requirements of the unit or course.
- Example 2: You enrol in a unit having applied for credit towards the units previously undertaken at another institution, and are not advised of the decision for credit by ANU until after the census date.
What evidence will I need to provide?
You must provide independent evidence to support your application. It is not sufficient to provide only a personal statement outlining your special circumstances, a statutory declaration or an affidavit.
Requirements for independent supporting evidence:
- 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.
- An Education Access Plan (EAP) application form, Health Practitioner report or the EAP itself cannot be used as evidence for Late Withdrawal applications. These documents are a request and agreement regarding academic adjustments to enable a student to complete studies, not evidence of a student's circumstances or condition impeding their ability to complete a course.
- 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.
- Documentation must be in English or an official translation must be provided. You should submit copies of the original documentation and the English translation of these documents.
Examples of independent supporting evidence include:
• For medical reasons - a statement from a doctor stating:
- the date your medical condition began or changed;
- how your condition affected your ability to study; and
- when it became apparent that you could not continue with your studies.
Please Note: You should inform your doctor that the statement will be sent to ANU in support of your application
• For family/personal reasons - a statement from a doctor or counsellor stating:
- the date your personal circumstance began or changed;
- how your circumstance affected your ability to study; and
- when it became apparent you could not continue your studies.
• For employment-related reasons - a statement from your employer stating:
- your previous work hours and location;
- your current work hours and location; and
- the reason for changed hours and location.
• For course related reasons - a statement from your College stating:
- that you have been disadvantaged by changed arrangements to your unit(s) of study and that it was impossible for you to undertake an alternative unit(s).
What will appear on my academic record?
What will appear on your academic record (transcript) will depend on the outcome of the application for late withdrawal or when the application was submitted.
If the Late Withdrawal is successful the course will be assigned a result of WD (Withdrawal without failure).
If the Late Withdrawal is unsuccessful the course will be dropped according to when the application was submitted. If the application is submitted after the last teaching day, the original grade will remain.
Dropping courses in First and Second Semester
|
Application is Submitted |
Result on Transcript |
|---|---|
|
On or before the Friday of the ninth week of semester |
WD (Withdrawal without failure)* |
* Please note: The Withdrawal without Failure (WD) date for Semester 2, 2022 is Friday 7 October, 2022.
For more information on census dates, please visit this webpage.
Dropping courses in Summer, Autumn, Winter or Spring Session
|
Application is Submitted |
Result on Transcript |
|---|---|
|
On or before the last teaching day of course |
WD (Withdrawal without failure) |
Information for students receiving Centrelink payments
If you're getting a student payment from Centrelink, you also need to notify them within 14 days of any changes. Report your change of circumstances to avoid getting an overpayment.
Step 1
Prepare your application
Applications are submitted using the Manage My Degree eForm, via ISIS (Navbar (Compass Icon) > ISIS > Degree Management > Manage My Degree > Select "MMD - Coursework - Manage My Degree - Coursework")
The eForm will prompt you to provide the following:
- a personal statement explaining how your circumstances meet the criteria for late withdrawal.
- independent evidence to support your personal statement.
Please note: To be eligible for consideration for late withdrawal, you must lodge your application within 12 months of the date of withdrawal, or if you have not withdrawn, within 12 months of the end of the session in which the unit(s) was, or were to be undertaken. You are only permitted to apply for late withdrawal once per course.
If you are submitting your late withdrawal application more than 12 months after completing the relevant course(s), you must include independent evidence which demonstrates that your circumstances prevented you from submitting within the 12-month timeframe.
Step 2
Notification of decision & opportunity for appeal
You will be notified of the outcome of your application and reasons for the decision by email within 28 business days of the receipt of your application with all supporting documentation.
If your application for late withdrawal is unsuccessful, you have the right of appeal.
What should I include in an appeal?
If you wish to appeal a late withdrawal application decision you must submit a written appeal to the University Registrar, Division of Student Administration and Academic Services.
Your submission should outline the grounds for the appeal and address the reason(s) for the decision not to approve the application. You may provide additional supporting evidence with your submission.
Appeal submission
Your appeal can be submitted by email to appeals@anu.edu.au.
Appeals must be submitted within 20 working days of the date of the letter advising the outcome of your late withdrawal application.
Appeal outcome
The University Registrar (or delegate) will consider the request and advise you of the outcome in writing by email.
Step 3
Refund or remission of fees
Fee Refunds
If you are a student that has paid your fees up-front to ANU and your application for late withdrawal has been successful you will be eligible to apply for a fee refund. Refer to the Fee Refund page for details on how to apply for a refund and processing timeframes.
Student Amenities Fee (SA-Fee)
As per the Student Refunds Procedure (27), students who, after the census date of their course(s), voluntarily withdraw from their program, or withdraw from all their courses in a session of study, remain liable for the SA-Fee in that session of study and are not be refunded their SA-Fee where paid upfront or remitted their SA-HELP debt where this has been deferred.
Students remain liable for the SA-Fee whether or not they are approved for a late withdrawal and qualify for a refund or remission of some or all tuition fees.
HELP Remissions
If you are a domestic student that has elected to defer your fees to your HELP loan and your application for late withdrawal has been successful, you cannot apply for a refund of these fees. The ANU will initiate having the debt removed from your HELP loan. Advice of revised debts are submitted by ANU to the Department of Education and Training at scheduled times during the year. The management of this is then between the Department of Education and Training and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO).
The Department of Education and Training processes the revised debt advices and then sends the reports to the ATO four times a year. These scheduled reporting times may mean some months delay before the ATO revises its record of your debt.
You may contact the ATO's Higher Education Loans Account (HELA) Unit and advise them that the amount of your debt has been revised. The HELA Unit will then investigate the impact of any revisions still to be brought to account and if considered necessary they will contact ANU directly to request specific advice of the revision. If you wish to contact the ATO/HELA Unit for specific queries on your account please phone 1300 650 225 or refer to the ATO website.
Please note ANU is NOT able to initiate this process as it requires your direct approach to the HELA Unit. This is because the ATO consider the circumstances of each case and where they find that there will be no impact on your compulsory HELP repayment, the HELA Unit will not request specific advices of the revision. If this is the case these revisions will continue to be processed in accordance with the established reporting mechanisms to the ATO via the Department of Education and Training.
Principal dates
31
Mar
2023
Semester 1 census date
05
May
2023
Last day to drop Semester 1 courses without failure (WD)
31
Aug
2023
Semester 2 Census Date
06
Oct
2023
Last day to drop Semester 2 courses without failure (WD)
Advisory information
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