Important Domestic Fee Information

Information on this page is relevant to domestic students only.

On this page

Unit withdrawal impacts
Refund rules
Government loan schemes
Equivalent full-time study load (EFTSL)
Centrelink and the academic calendar

Unit withdrawal impacts

After certain principal dates have passed in the academic calendar, withdrawing from a unit may have a serious impact on your academic record and financial liability. As a student, it is your responsibility to know when your census date is and the consequences of withdrawing from a unit. To find out the census date for the units you are studying, you must log into My Enrolment and select “Current Enrolment” or see Census Dates page.

Timing of withdrawal Impact on academic record and financial liability
Unit withdrawal on or before Census Date for the relevant teaching period If you withdraw from a unit anytime on or before the Census Date you will receive a 100% refund for the withdrawn unit and no record of the withdrawn unit will appear on your academic transcript
Unit withdrawal after the Census Date but prior to, or on, the last date to withdraw without fail No academic penalty. A grade of Withdrawn will be recorded on your academic transcript, which does not impact on your overall grade point average (GPA)
Unit withdrawal after the last date to withdraw without fail Academic Penalty. A grade of Withdrawn Fail will be recorded on your academic transcript, which impacts on your overall GPA; a grade of '0' is recorded. You incur the full financial liability for the withdrawn unit.

See Teaching Calendar / Key dates for Census and Last Withdrawal Without Fail dates.

International students should refer to International Fee and Unit Withdrawal Information for onshore and offshore withdrawal dates.

Refund rules

All domestic students are covered by a single refund rule regardless of whether you pay a student contribution amount (Commonwealth supported students) or a domestic tuition fee (full fee paying students). Note that the same refund rule applies regardless of whether you choose to pay your fees upfront or defer them via the HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP loan scheme. More information can be viewed in the Refund Rules.

Requesting a remission or refund

Students requesting a remission or refund of fees after census date due to special circumstances (including remission of HELP debt or refund of upfront payment) should see

Application for Remission or Refund of Fees.

For students who have opted to defer their fees (including student contribution amounts for Commonwealth supported students) via the HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP loan schemes, debts will be automatically remitted once the refund has been approved. Postgraduate students should also note that once the teaching period has commenced, a $100.00 early withdrawal fee may apply.

Government loan schemes

Eligible students have access to deferred payment arrangements through the Higher Education Loan Programme (HELP). More information on HECS-HELP, FEE- HELP and SA-HELP can be found at Study Assist - HELP Paying My Fees.

Student can find out how to check their HELP debt on the Study Assist website using your myGov account.

Equivalent full-time study load (EFTSL)

An EFTSL is a measure of a students study load. At Southern Cross University a single unit is worth 12 credit points and double-weighted units are worth 24 credit points.

1 EFTSL = 96 credit points = 8 single-weighted units (8 units × 12 credit points) = A student’s full-time study load

Therefore, the EFTSL value of unit(s) of study at SCU is:

6 credit points = .0625 EFTSL (6 ÷ 96)
12 credit points = .125 EFTSL (12 ÷ 96)
24 credit points = .250 EFTSL (24 ÷ 96)

You can search for a Southern Cross University unit to learn the credit value of units which you have studied or plan to study.

Centrelink (income support) and the academic calendar

Centrelink considers you to be a full-time student if you are doing at least 75% of the full-time workload. A full-time workload is considered 8 units over a calendar year. Therefore, 75% HECS load is 6 single-weighted units over the year. When enrolments opens, you should enrol into the units you're planning for the entire year (at least 6 units).

Note: If you are enrolled in less than 3 units in Terms 1 and 2, Dual Term 1-2 or Tri Term 1, and receiving income support payments, Centrelink will write to you and ask if you intend to be enrolled as a full-time student over the remainder of the teaching year. To prove to Centrelink you will be a full-time student you will need to enrol in your units over the remainder of the year (at least 6 units) and send that study plan advice to Centrelink.

Centrelink requirements regarding full-time study can be found on the page Study Loads for Austudy.