Application for Removal of Financial Liability and/or Academic Penalty in Special Circumstances - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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Application for Removal of Financial Liability and/or Academic Penalty in Special Circumstances

This form is to apply for removal of financial liability and academic penalty where special circumstances have affected your ability to complete your studies.

Reasons for applying
Removal of Financial Liability

This is to request that one of the following actions occur due to your inability to complete the identified course(s):

  • FEE-HELP debt remitted and FEE-HELP balance re-credited
    The Department of Education and Training (DET) will be advised of this remission of your debt and re-credit to your FEE-HELP balance.
  • HECS-HELP debt remitted
    The Department of Education and Training (DET) will be advised of this remission of your debt and you will receive confirmation on the annual statement issued by the Australian Taxation Office.
  • Up-front student contributions/tuition fees re-credited or refunded
    The amount will be re-credited to your USC Student Account to cover future fee liability or will be refunded to allocated bank account provided in Application for Refund in Special Circumstances form in the event that you do not intend to re-enrol.

Note: The University does not refund SSAF payments or remit SA-HELP loans.

Removal of Academic Penalty

If you:

  • withdrew from course(s) after week 9 and are given Withdrawn Fail (WF) final grade on your academic record
  • are given Fail (FL) final grade on your academic record after Grade Release date
  • are requesting your final grade on your academic record to be removed due to special circumstances

Note: In considering your application it may be determined that your final grade on your academic record be changed to Withdrawn without academic penalty (WN) for course(s). However, a change to WN does not automatically result in the removal of financial liability.
Eligibility requirements
Eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply for removal of Financial Liability and/or Academic Penalty due to special circumstances, the following criteria must be met:

  • you were unable to continue your study after the census date due to special circumstances
  • you were unable to successfully complete the requirements of the course(s)
  • the application is made within 12 months from your withdrawal date from the course(s), or if you have not withdrawn from your course(s), or have not given a notice of withdrawal from the University of the Sunshine Coast (USC) within 12 months from the last day you were enrolled in the course(s).

Note: You are not eligible to apply if you withdrew from the course(s) prior to census date. You are also not eligible if you passed the course/s.

Special Circumstances Criteria

You must meet all the special circumstances criteria listed below:

1. The special circumstances were beyond your control

A situation occurs that a reasonable person would consider is not due to the person’s action or inaction, either direct or indirect, and for which the person is not responsible.

2. Those special circumstances did not make their full impact until after the census date

Your circumstances occurred:

i.) before the census date, but worsened after that day; or

ii.) before the census date, but the full effect or magnitude does not become apparent until on or after that day; or

iii.) on or after the census date

3. Due to special circumstances, you were unable to complete your course requirements

You were unable to:

i.) undertake the necessary private study required, attend sufficient lectures or tutorials, or meet other compulsory attendance requirements in order to meet your compulsory course requirements; or

ii.) complete the required assessible work; or

iii.) sit the required examinations; or

iv.) complete any other course requirements because of your inability to meet i), ii) or iii) above.

Note: Census dates for sessions and semesters.

Examples of Special Circumstances

Medical reasons

Example: A detailed medical certificate signed by a medical practitioner to substantiate your claims.

Family/personal reasons

Due to unforeseen family/personal reasons that occur or worsen after the census date and that are beyond your control, you are unable to continue with your studies.

Example 1: A member of your family suffers from a severe medical condition and, after the census date, you are required to provide full time care. As a result, you are unable to continue with your studies.

Example 2: A member of your family or close friend dies and you are affected to the extent that, after the census date, you realise that you are unable to continue with your studies.

Example 3: You or your family’s financial circumstances change unexpectedly after the census date to the extent that you are unable to continue with your studies.

Employment related reasons

After the census date, your employment status or arrangements change unexpectedly due to circumstances beyond your control, and you are unable to complete your studies. Choosing to increase your hours of work or undertake additional employment is not regarded as circumstances beyond your control.

Example 1: You are employed out of necessity and studying. After the census date, your employer unexpectedly increases your hours of employment in circumstances where you are unable to object. As a result, you are unable to continue with your studies or complete your course requirements.

Example 2: You are employed out of necessity and studying. After the census date, your employer directs that you be transferred to a different state. Your institution USC does not offer distance education and, as a result, you are unable to continue with your studies or complete your course requirements.

Course related reasons

USC changes the arrangements for your course and, as a result, you are disadvantaged to the extent that you are unable to complete the requirements of the course.

Example 1: USC cancels your course after the census date and, as a result, you are unable to complete the requirements of the course.

Example 2: You enrol in a course, having applied for credit towards the courses previously undertaken at another institution, and are not advised of the decision for credit by USC until after the census date.

Special Circumstances DO NOT include
  • A lack of knowledge or understanding of withdrawal procedures and/or census dates.
  • Forgetting that you are enrolled in a course(s) or to drop a course(s).
  • A lack of knowledge or understanding of USC withdrawal procedures and/or census dates, or a lack of knowledge of other USC policies and procedures designed to support students with their study.

Application form

Allow 2-4 weeks for your application to be processed. USC will send the outcome to your student email address.

Personal details
Reason for application
Statement of special circumstances
Course details

Details of the course(s) for which you are applying to have Financial Liability and/or Academic Penalty removed.

Course 1
Course 2
Course 3
Course 4
Upload supporting documentation and evidence

Your application will not be assessed without supporting documentation.

Please provide independent supporting documentation to substantiate your claims which includes confirmation of the dates when your special circumstances occurred. You will need to ensure that your supporting documentation is on official letterhead (if relevant) and is signed and dated. A copy of the document must be certified by a Justice of the Peace.

Types of supporting documentation

Medical reasons

You are required to supply a detailed medical certificate to substantiate your claims.

Documentation must include:
i) full dates of illness/special circumstances;
ii) at what date the circumstances prevented you from studying; and
iii) potential implications on your USC studies.

Family/personal reasons

You will need to supply documentation from, for example, a medical practitioner or counsellor, to substantiate your claims.

Employment related reasons

You will need to supply a letter from your employer to substantiate your claims on official letterhead.

Course related reasons

You will need to supply supporting documentation to substantiate your claims.

If you have more documentation to provide, please send to studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Student declaration

I have read and understood the eligibility requirements to lodge this application.

I declare that the information I have given on this application is true, correct and complete. I understand that if I knowingly make any false or misleading statements, I may be liable for prosecution.

I understand that if I provide insufficient evidence and/or documentation with my application it may result in my application not being processed.

I authorise the University of the Sunshine Coast to provide information about my application to The Department of Education and Training (DET).

Privacy statement

The University of the Sunshine Coast collects and uses personal information about its students, staff and others in order to operate effectively, in compliance with Queensland’s Information Privacy Act (2009).

Personal information held by the University is collected and managed in a responsible, secure manner, and will not be released to third parties without your consent, unless required by law. Information on how the University manages personal information can be found in our Information Management Framework - Governing Policy at usc.edu.au/privacy