Refunds and remissions

To be eligible, the special circumstances must have been:

• beyond your control; and
• did not make their full impact on you until on or after the census date of the unit; and
• made it impracticable for you to complete the requirements of the unit.

Special circumstances do not include:

• lack of knowledge or understanding the Higher Education Support Act (HESA) 2003
• requirements in the Higher Education Support Act
• an inability to repay a HELP debt

You are not eligible to receive a refund/remission if you successfully completed your unit(s) of study, regardless of the pass grade received.

Beyond your control

Circumstances are considered beyond a person’s control if 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.

Do not make their full impact on you until on, or after, the census date

Circumstances do not make their full impact on a person until on, or after, the census date for the unit if a person’s circumstances occur:

• before the census date, but worsen significantly after that day
• before the census date, but the full effect or magnitude does not become apparent until after that day
• on or after the census date

Impracticable to complete the requirements for a unit of study

Circumstances that make it impracticable for a person to complete the requirements of the unit of study may include:

• medical circumstances –for example, where a person’s medical condition has changed to such an extent that he or she is unable to continue studying
• family/personal circumstances – for example, death or severe medical problems within a family, or unforeseen family financial difficulties, so that it is unreasonable to expect a person to continue studies
• employment-related circumstances – for example, where a person’s employment status or arrangements have changed to such an extent that the person is unable to continue his or her studies, and this change is beyond the person’s control
• course-related circumstances – for example, where the University has changed the unit it had offered and the student is disadvantaged by either not being able to complete the unit or not being given credit towards other units or courses

A person is unable to complete the requirements for a unit if, for example, the person is unable to:

• undertake the necessary private study required to successfully complete the unit
• attend sufficient lectures or tutorials that make it impracticable to catch up on the missed material, or
• meet other compulsory attendance requirements in order to meet compulsory course requirements

Documentation must be supplied with your application. It is essential that you provide independent supporting documentation to support your application. It is not sufficient to provide only a personal statement or statutory declaration.

Medical reasons

If your medical condition occurred prior to your unit’s census date, your supporting documentation must certify a deterioration in your medical condition on or after census date which prevented you from completing the unit requirements. A medical certificate alone is not sufficient.

You will need a letter from your medical practitioner 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

You should inform your medical practitioner that the statement will be sent to the University in support of your Fee Remission application and the University may contact them to clarify information provided. You should authorise your medical practitioner to release information to UWA staff if contacted about your application.

Family/personal reasons

You will need a statement from a doctor or counsellor stating:

• the date your personal circumstances began or changed
• how your circumstances affected your ability to study, and
• when it became apparent that you could not continue with your studies

Employment-related reasons

You will need 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, and
• the date the changes took effect and when you were given notice of the change

Course-related reasons

You will need a statement from your Student Advising Office stating that you have been disadvantaged by changed arrangements to your unit or course and that it was impossible for you to undertake alternative units or courses prior to census.

Commonwealth legislation requires fee remission applications to be submitted within 12 months of the date of unit withdrawal or, if the unit was not withdrawn, within 12 months from the end of the teaching period in which the unit was undertaken.

The Higher Education Support Act 2003 (Cth) (HESA), 36-23 (b) provides for a waiver of the application period only on the ground that it would not be, or was not, possible for the application to be made before the end of that period.

Applications submitted outside the 12-month time limit will not be considered unless you can demonstrate, with evidence, that it was not possible for you to apply within this timeframe. Being unaware of fee remission is not accepted as a reason for not applying within the application period. Information on fee remission is published on the University website and is accessible to all students.

Applications for a waiver of the 12-month time limit should be submitted to the Fees Team via askUWA.

Complete the Application Form and submit it, along with your supporting documents, to the Fees Team via askUWA.

If approved, your HELP debt will be re-credited to your HELP balance. If you paid upfront, the money will be refunded to you. The University is not permitted to refund SA-HELP and has no discretion in this area.

To be eligible, the special circumstances must have been:

• beyond your control, and
• did not make their full impact on you until on or after the census date of the unit, and
• made it impracticable for you to complete the requirements of the unit

Special circumstances do not include:

• lack of knowledge or understanding the Higher Education Support Act (HESA) 2003
• Higher Education Support Act requirements
• an inability to repay a debt

You are not eligible to receive credit if you successfully completed your unit(s) of study, regardless of the pass grade received.

Beyond your control

Circumstances are considered beyond a person’s control if 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.

Do not make their full impact on you until on, or after, the census date

Circumstances do not make their full impact on a person until on, or after, the census date for the unit if the person’s circumstances occur:

• before the census date, but worsen significantly after that day
• before the census date, but the full effect or magnitude does not become apparent until after that day
• on or after the census date

Impracticable to complete the requirements for a unit of study

Circumstances that make it impracticable for a person to complete the requirements of the unit of study may include:

• medical circumstances – for example, where a person’s medical condition has changed to such an extent that he or she is unable to continue studying
• family/personal circumstances – for example, death or severe medical problems within a family, or unforeseen family financial difficulties, so that it is unreasonable to expect a person to continue studies
• employment-related circumstances – for example, where a person’s employment status or arrangements have changed to such an extent that the person is unable to continue his or her studies, and this change is beyond the person’s control
• course-related circumstances – for example, where the University has changed the unit it had offered and the student is disadvantaged by either not being able to complete the unit, or not being given credit towards other units or courses

A person is unable to complete the requirements for a unit if, for example, the person is unable to:

• undertake the necessary private study required to successfully complete the unit
• attend sufficient lectures or tutorials that make it impracticable to catch up on the missed material, or
• meet other compulsory attendance requirements in order to meet compulsory course requirements

Documentation must be supplied with your application. It is essential that you provide independent supporting documentation to support your application. It is not sufficient to provide only a personal statement or statutory declaration.

Medical reasons

If your medical condition occurred prior to your unit’s census date, your supporting documentation must certify a deterioration in your medical condition on or after census date which prevented you from completing the unit requirements. A medical certificate alone is not sufficient.

You will need a letter from your medical practitioner 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

You should inform your medical practitioner that the statement will be sent to the University in support of your Fee Remission application and the University may contact them to clarify information provided. You should authorise your medical practitioner to release information to UWA staff if contacted about your application.

Family/personal reasons

You will need a statement from a doctor or counsellor stating:

• the date your personal circumstances began or changed
• how your circumstances affected your ability to study, and
• when it became apparent that you could not continue with your studies

Employment-related reasons

You will need 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, and
• the date the changes took effect and when you were given notice of the change

Course-related reasons

You will need a statement from your faculty stating that you have been disadvantaged by changed arrangements to your unit or course and that it was impossible for you to undertake alternative units or courses prior to census.

Applications must be submitted within 12 months of the date of unit withdrawal or, if the unit was not withdrawn, within 12 months from the end of the teaching period in which the unit was undertaken.

A waiver of the application period can only be granted on the grounds that it would not be, or was not, possible for the application to be made before the end of that period.

Applications submitted outside the 12-month time limit will not be considered unless you can demonstrate, with evidence, that it was not possible for you to apply within this timeframe. Being unaware of the fee credit process is not accepted as a reason for not applying within the application period. Information on fee credit is published on the University website and is accessible to all students.

Applications for a waiver of the 12-month time limit should be submitted to the Fees team via askUWA.

Complete the Application Form and submit it, along with your supporting documents, to the Fees team via askUWA. If approved, the unit fee paid will be re-credited to your UWA fee balance to be offset against future enrolments.