Enrolment process

General information

Detailed information about the particular enrolment dates and times and about the level of fees for which you will be liable will be provided by the faculty either in your letter of offer or subsequently. This section seeks to explain some of the procedures involved.

New postgraduate coursework students who receive an offer in time for on-time enrolment must complete enrolment during the specified enrolment period in January/February or June/July or the offer will lapse. If you miss or are unable to make your scheduled enrolment session, it is essential that you contact the faculty to see if alternative arrangements can be made.

In exceptional circumstances and on the recommendation of the appropriate dean, a new coursework student may enrol on a scheduled late enrolment day usually no later than the end of the second week of lectures for the appropriate semester, and certainly before 31 March or 31 August, on payment of a late fee of $100.

After the census date each semester (31 March for Semester 1 and 31 August for Semester 2), you cannot discontinue, vary or withdraw your candidature for that semester without incurring a substantial financial liability. This has particular significance for those paying their fees either upfront or via FEE-HELP. For further information, see below under 'Changing your enrolment'.

Re-enrolment

You must be enrolled in each semester in order to remain a candidate for the degree/diploma/certificate. In October you will receive advice about re-enrolment for the following academic year. Re-enrolment is activated by pre-enrolling, a web-based activity, and the advice you receive in October will guide you through this process.

If you do not expect to complete your program in Semester 1, you will generally be expected to pre-enrol for both semesters during the pre-enrolment period. In late January, you will receive confirmation of your pre-enrolment (or advice on appropriate action if your pre-enrolment has been unsuccessful) and will be informed of the procedure for completing enrolment for Semester 1.

Note: there is another enrolment period at the beginning of Semester 2 during which enrolment details for this semester are finalised.

If you have been absent from the University on an approved suspension of candidature, you will have to notify your faculty that you intend to recommence study, allowing the faculty an adequate time for the paperwork to be processed. If possible, try to notify the faculty by 30 November for recommencement in Semester 1 and by 30 April for recommencement in Semester 2.

Your notification will allow the faculty to create enrolment paperwork to enable you to re-enrol in one of the two semester enrolment periods. Information about this process will generally be sent by the faculty when your suspension of candidature has been approved.

International students note: the following information may not apply to you. Please contact the International Office for more information regarding fees and charges.

Postgraduate coursework and fees

Most postgraduate coursework degrees offer only domestic fee paying places however there may be Commonwealth supported places offered in some degrees. You can check this and obtain more information on course costs by finding your course online sydney.edu.au/future_students/course_search) and viewing Fees & Admission information or by contacting the relevant Faculty sydney.edu.au/about/faculties_schools

If your course is not Commonwealth supported, you may be eligible for a FEE-HELP loan which will allow you to defer the payment of your tuition fees to a later date.

All places offered to domestic students in postgraduate research degrees are exempt from tuition fees under the Australian Government’s Research Training Scheme. The Research Training Scheme does not apply for higher doctorates.

FEE-HELP assistance

FEE-HELP is a loan scheme that assists domestic fee paying students to pay their tuition fees. To be eligible for FEE-HELP you must be an Australian Citizen or holder of a Permanent Humanitarian Visa (excluding other permanent visa types). FEE-HELP allows you to defer all or part of your tuition fees to the Australian Taxation Office. The loan is then repaid once your annual income reaches the minimum threshold for compulsory repayment.

Further information can be found at www.goingtouni.gov.au or by visiting the Student Centre.

Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP

A small number of places in postgraduate courses may be Commonwealth supported rather than requiring the payment of tuition fees. A Commonwealth supported place (CSP) is a higher education place for which the Australian Government pays much of the cost of your education by providing funding to the University. You will also generally be required to make a contribution toward your tuition costs, and the amount you pay will depend on your course of study and the year that you commence.

Eligible Australian citizens and holders of Permanent Humanitarian Visas (excluding other permanent visas) may access a Commonwealth loan (HECS-HELP) to help pay your student contribution.

Further information can be found at www.goingtouni.gov.au or by visiting the Student Centre.

Refunds

The census date is the last date you can withdraw from a unit of study without incurring a financial penalty. If you withdraw from an award course or a unit of study on or before the relevant census date you will be refunded 100 percent of tuition fees or student contribution paid. If you withdraw after the census dates relevant to that enrolment you are not eligible for any refund. For information on potential exemptions to the above rules please contact the HECS and Domestic Fee office of the Student Centre.

Changing your enrolment

Changes to your Semester 1 enrolment may be made, with permission, up to 5pm on the census date that applies to any unit of study for which change is required. In most cases this will be 5 pm on the last working day in March (see your faculty or college office opening hours).

Changes to Semester 2 enrolment may likewise be made, with permission, up to 5pm on the last working day in August, but again check with your faculty or college office. The University is offering increasing numbers of units in 'intensive mode' and it is important that you be aware of the census dates of any such units, as the census dates for 'intensive mode' units may be different.

Students who vary their enrolment (including withdrawal or deferral) up to the relevant census date will be entitled to an appropriate adjustment to HECS or fees. No adjustments or refunds will be made after census dates except in the special circumstances explained in the official Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) booklets. Ensure you obtain these at enrolment.

Shortly after the census dates, notices will be sent to all students stating clearly their course load including any re-calculation of their HECS or fee liability as a result of the agreed unit of study changes since enrolment.

Arrangements will be made to answer questions and to investigate claimed factual errors arising from these notices, but it is your responsibility to check that the information is correct. If you enrolled for the full year at the commencement of Semester 1, you should check particularly your Semester 2 notice to see that this still accurately reflects the units of study you are taking.