What is “Special Circumstances”?
If you find yourself dealing with major problems and you have to withdraw from your subjects, but census date has come and gone, you can consider applying for Special Circumstances. If you’re eligible, Special Circumstances helps with fee refunds, remissions of HELP loans, and overturning fail grades.
Special Circumstances is a government legislated process that recognises that serious events are sometimes beyond your control that can affect your ability to continue your studies. Reasons students apply for Special Circumstances include:
- Medical reasons – you might become aware of a medical condition or an existing condition might change or worsen.
- Employment conditions – there could be an increase in your employment hours or responsibilities which are beyond your control.
- Family or personal reasons – this might include a death in the family, severe medical problems or unforeseen financial difficulties.
Applications for Special Circumstances can only be assessed if the events that affected your ability to continue study happened within 12 months of the end date of the subject(s) impacted. OUA cannot assess a claim where the subject end date was more than 12 months ago.
How can Special Circumstances help?
So long as you submit your application with the information we need—don't worry, we'll let you know exactly what's required—approved applications may result in:
- A refund of subject fees – if you paid for your subjects up front and you had to stop studying after the census date.
- A remission of your FEE-HELP debt – if you deferred paying for your subjects fees through a FEE-HELP loan, then you had to stop studying after the census date.
- A grading of ‘Withdrawn without academic penalty’ (WS grade) – if you had to withdraw from your subject after the final date allowed by your university. Note that in this case, the approval is made by your uni.
Extra things to note: Special Circumstances cannot help with student loan repayment difficulties. You can contact the Australian Taxation Office to find out your options. And, you must submit your application for Special Circumstances no later than 12 months after the end date of the subject(s) affected by the circumstances which impacted your ability to complete them.
Make, or adjust, a Special Circumstances application
Start your Special Circumstances application now via the Student Hub. Alternatively, you can add further details to your existing application.
Alternatively, you can contact a student advisor for one-on-one support. We're here to help.
Answers to your questions about Special Circumstances
Should I apply for Special Circumstances?
If your circumstances affect your studies and relate to medical, family, personal, employment or financial hardship you may be eligible for Special Circumstances.
What documentation do I need for my Special Circumstances application?
We’ll ask you to provide documentation, or evidence, that shows details such as when your circumstances began or worsened, how they affected your ability to study, and when it became apparent you could no longer study. This documentation must be legally verifiable and independent—in other words it needs to be provided by a professional such as a doctor, counsellor, employer or a financial advisor. We cannot accept evidence from a family member or other student.
Extra things to note: It is your responsibility to collate and submit relevant items of evidence to support your claim. OUA cannot carry over items of evidence from previous applications for Special Circumstances. OUA can only assess documentation that meets the Commonwealth Department of Education standard for items of evidence.
How long will it take for my application to be assessed?
We’re committed to our official response time of 40 business days, but we’ll always try to provide you with a resolution sooner.
I passed my subject and I'm not happy with my final grade—can I apply for Special Circumstances?
You need to have failed or withdrawn from your subject, because of events or circumstances beyond your control, to be eligible to apply for Special Circumstances. If you passed your subject but you’re not happy with your final grade, there’s a different process you’ll need to follow—contact your university about their academic appeals process.
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