Current Students Fees & Financial Support Withdrawal without penalty (special circumstances)

Withdrawal without Financial and/or Academic Penalty due to Special Circumstances

In the instance where special circumstances arise which prevent you from withdrawing from a subject before census date, you may be eligible to withdraw without incurring a financial or academic penalty.

You are financially liable for any subject you are enrolled in after census date. You can apply to have the subject fee remitted (where the fees have been deferred to HELP or refunded where upfront payment has been made) if, due to special circumstances, you:

  • have withdrawn from a subject after the census date, and
  • have not successfully completed the requirements for the subject.

Where a withdrawal without financial penalty is approved, any academic penalty will also be removed and the subject will be set to Withdrawn.

Important Notes:

  • You are NOT eligible to apply for withdrawal without penalty if you have successfully completed the unit of study.
  • There is no refund or remission of HELP relating to SSA Fees for special circumstances after census date.

Complete the online application form for withdrawal without financial and academic penalty and include the following to support your application:

  1. A detailed student statement; AND
  2. Third-party independent supporting documentation.

Applications submitted without supporting documentation will NOT be considered as the application is assessed based on the evidence provided.

Supporting documentary evidence must:

  • Be independent
  • Identify the circumstances
  • Include dates and/or the period of the circumstances that did not make their full impact until on or after census date
  • Explain the severity and impact of the circumstances
  • Describe how the circumstances have adversely affected your capacity for effective study to which an assessment/examination relates.

If you know your JCU login please click on the above link to access the secure online form. If you do not remember your JCU login details, please contact the Student IT Helpdesk on +61 7 4781 5500.

If you require further assistance please contact [email protected]

Students have up to 12 months after the date of withdrawal, or, if not withdrawn, 12 months after the end of the study period or trimester of the subject to make their request and provide appropriate evidence to support their case.

JCU has the discretion to waive the 12 month time requirements if they are satisfied that the applicant has supplied sufficient evidence to determine that the application could not be made within the time limits.

A lack of knowledge or understanding of requirements for applying for withdrawal without financial and academic penalty is not a valid reason fro applying outside of the 12 month timeframe.

We recommend  you read the following to clearly understand what is considered a Special Circumstance:

View a list of recommended supporting documentation here.

  1. Once the application is lodged, you will receive an acknowledgment email via your JCU student email address (if you are a current student) or the email address supplied on the application form (if you no longer study at JCU).
  2. You may receive a request by email to supply further supporting documentation to assist with the assessment of your application.
  3. A fully completed application will be assessed by the Student Finance team for withdrawal without financial and academic penalty.
  4. The application will be considered with the third party independent supporting documentation provided. You will be notified of the outcome within eight weeks of receipt of the application that is considered fully complete.

If approved:

  • The HECS/FEE-HELP debt you have incurred for the subject will be remitted/removed from your HELP debt and/or any amount you paid up-front will be refunded.
  • The grade that you have received for the subject will be removed and the subject changed to Withdrawn (WD).

If declined:

  • The reason for the decision will be provided in the Notice of Decision letter. Your subject fee will not be remitted/refunded and there will be no change to your academic result. Details on how to request a review of the decision will be provided in this letter.

A JCU Student Association Student Advocate , who provides a free and confidential service that is independent of JCU, can support you with completing the application. Contact the JCU Student Association by email [email protected], or by freecall on 1800 330 021.

Please see the Student Support webpage for all the support services available at JCU.