Remitting a FEE-HELP Debt for Special Circumstances
If you have withdrawn late (after census) from a unit of study due to unforeseen and unavoidable circumstances which were outside of your control then you can apply to have your FEE-HELP debt remitted (cancelled) or your upfront fees re-credited to a later unit of study.
Generally, special circumstances apply if you withdraw from a unit after the census date because you become seriously ill or because of other special circumstances which you did not know about until after the census date. Changing your mind or failing a unit are not sufficient reasons to apply for special circumstances.
When you withdraw from the unit we can give you more information for your specific circumstances. You will normally need to write a letter to the Head of School advising the details of your situation and why you think you are eligible for a remission of debt. You will also need to provide sufficient externally verifiable evidence to support your request.
To remove a HELP debt, the Head of School must be satisfied that ‘special circumstances’ applied to you. For the Head of School to be satisfied that special circumstances apply, you need to demonstrate that the special circumstances:
- were beyond your control; and
- did not make their full impact on you until on or after the census date(s) of the unit(s) in question; and
- were such that they made it impracticable for you to complete the requirements for the unit(s).
The Head of School will assess your application in accordance with the requirements of HESA and its associated guidelines. You will need to provide independent supporting documentation to support your claim that special circumstances applied. It is important that the dates you were impacted are clearly shown by your evidence.
Note: You cannot apply to have your debt cancelled under special circumstances if you have successfully completed or formally failed the unit.
To apply for a late refund of FEE-HELP or tuition fees, please send your covering letter and relevant evidence to education@cairnmillar.edu.au
For more information see: studyassist.gov.au and Chapter 3 of the HESA Administration Guidelines (2012)
Refund or Deferral of Upfront Tuition Fees for Special Circumstances
In some cases a request for a late refund of upfront fees may also be considered under the same grounds as those above. Requests must be made in writing in the same manner but must be made no later than one month after the withdrawal.
In most cases a successful request will result in a deferral of fees to the next attempt unless the student has fully withdrawn from all programs of study at the Institute.
Will my LWD fail result be removed?
No. Even if you are granted a remission or a refund for special circumstances the late withdrawal is still part of your official reported records and the LWD fail result will remain on your transcript. See also: Late Withdrawals
Appeals and Review (remissions and refunds)
The following is an extract from SSP011-Tuition Fees Policy and Procedure
5.5 Review Procedure: FEE-HELP
This procedure covers requests for a review of certain decisions made by the Institute relating to applications by students to re-credit their FEE-HELP balance or Student Learning Entitlement (SLE). Such decisions refer to unsuccessful applications by a student to re-credit their FEE- HELP balance. Review means formal reconsideration of a decision.
These procedures are to be published in the Student handbook (myCMI) and on the Institute website (https://www.cairnmillar.org.au/policies) so that students have up to date information publicly available to them in regard to these procedures.
Where a student is not satisfied with the decision made by the Institute, they may apply for a review of the decision. At the Institute, the review officer is the Executive Director or his or her delegate.
Reviewable decisions include:
- Refusal to re-credit a student’s FEE-HELP balance for special circumstances.
If the applicant is not satisfied with the outcome of their request for a re-credit of their FEE-HELP balance, the applicant may appeal, in writing, to the Registrar within 28 days from the date that they first receive notice of the outcome. The request must specify the reasons for seeking the review. The request must be forwarded to the reviewer (the Executive Director or delegate). The review officer reserves the right to consult with other areas of the Institute as part of the review process.
The Institute must acknowledge receipt of an application for review of a reviewable decision in writing, and inform the applicant that they must be advised in writing of a decision within 45 days.
Written notice of the outcome of a reviewed decision relating to FEE-HELP must be communicated to an applicant for review. If the application for review of the decision is successful, the Notice of Decision letter will include the reasons for the decision to refund the applicant’s paid tuition fees and/or re-credit the applicant’s FEE-HELP balance; the FEE-HELP balance that is to be re- credited and the FEE-HELP debt reduced (if applicable); the upfront payment amount that must be refunded if such a payment has been made; and who to contact for further questions.
5.6 Appeals Procedure: FEE-HELP
If a student’s application for review of the decision is unsuccessful, the Notice of Decision letter must include the reasons for the decision not to refund the applicant’s paid tuition fees and/or recredit the applicant’s FEE-HELP balance. The notice must also inform the applicant of their right of appeal to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) and provide details about contacting the AAT and the approximate costs of making an application.
To contact the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, select the state from the AAT website or contact the AAT via email at aatweb@aat.gov.au. Information on the cost of lodging an appeal with the AAT is provided on the Tribunal’s website at http://www.aat.gov.au/FormsAndFees/Fees.htm
See also: