Refunds for student fees
If you withdraw from a unit or course, you might be eligible for a refund.
If you withdraw from one or more units (or your whole course), you might be able to get a refund for fees you've already paid. Your eligibility and the refund amount depends on whether you're doing a higher education or VET course, and the fee type of your course.
If you withdraw from one or more units (or your whole course) after the relevant date, you can only apply to have your debt cancelled or your upfront payment refunded if you can show that there were special circumstances. This is called a remission of debt.
Check refund eligibility by fee type
Higher education (domestic)
Eligibility
You'll only get a fee refund for withdrawn units if:
- you've removed the unit(s) from your enrolment
- the enrolment change was made on or before the relevant census date
- the payment has not been allocated to any outstanding fees or assessed for the following semester. Credit in your account will be applied to other debts before a refund is issued.
Refund details
If you've paid your student contribution upfront, you'll be entitled to a 100% refund for units withdrawn before census date. If you've deferred your student contribution with a HELP loan, you won't get a HECS-HELP debt for any units withdrawn before census date.
Eligibility
You'll only get a fee refund for withdrawn units if:
- you've removed the unit(s) from your enrolment
- the enrolment change was made on or before the relevant census date
- the payment has not been allocated to any outstanding fees or assessed for the following semester. Credit in your account will be applied to other debts before a refund is issued.
Refund details
If you've paid your student tuition fee up front, you'll be entitled to a 100% refund for any units withdrawn before census date. If you've deferred your tuition fee with a HELP loan, you won't get a FEE-HELP debt for units you withdraw from before census date.
Eligibility
You may be eligible for a full or partial SSAF refund for withdrawn units if:
- you've removed the unit(s) from your enrolment
- the enrolment change was made on or before the relevant census date
- the payment has not been allocated to any outstanding fees or assessed for the following semester. Credit in your account will be applied to other debts before a refund is issued.
Refund details
If you've paid your SSAF upfront, you may be entitled to a full or partial refund for any withdrawn units.
To apply for a refund, please complete the refund form (PDF 1 MB) and email it to studentrefunds@federation.edu.au with your student ID and name in the subject line. We'll assess your eligibility based on your fee type and the process outlined in the Refund for Higher Education domestic students procedure, then let you know the outcome.
Keep in mind that doing this won't change your enrolment. You must withdraw from units via my Student Centre. (Log in, select the 'My Forms' tile, choose the 'Amend your course status' form then complete and submit your withdrawal.)
Higher education (international)
If you accept an offer but decide not to start the course, or start a course but decide to withdraw, you’ll receive a partial refund of any fees paid (the full amount minus a cancellation fee). The cancellation fee is determined by your withdrawal reason, the date you accepted your offer and the date you send us a formal request to withdraw. Exact amounts are listed in our Higher Education International Student Refund Procedure. (Although if you accepted an offer before 26 April 2023, please refer to the Refund for International Students Procedure (PDF 370 KB).)
To apply for a refund, please complete the refund form (PDF 1 MB) and email it to studentrefunds@federation.edu.au with your student ID and name in the subject line.
Keep in mind that doing this won't change your enrolment. You must withdraw from units via my Student Centre. (Log in, select the 'My Forms' tile, choose the 'Amend your course status' form then complete and submit your withdrawal.)
Vocational Education and Training
Eligibility
When you withdraw from your course
To be eligible for a tuition fee refund or credit, you must withdraw from your course within 28 days of commencing. To withdraw, you'll need to complete and return a withdrawal form from your course coordinator, or tell us in writing that you intend to withdraw.
If you request to withdraw from your course after 28 days of commencing, you’ll only be eligible for a fee refund or credit of tuition fees for units where the unit start date hasn’t passed when you make your request.
If your course is cancelled by Federation University before you complete it, you'll receive a full refund.
When you withdraw from a unit
To be eligible for a tuition fee refund or credit of tuition fees you'll need to formally withdraw from a unit of study before the unit start date.
Materials fees may be refunded if you haven't received or used the items yet (this is up to your course coordinator).
Eligibility
To be eligible for a tuition fee refund or credit (or an adjustment to your VET Student Loan debt), you must withdraw from your course or individual units before the student loan census date. To withdraw, you'll need to complete and return a withdrawal form from your course coordinator, or tell in writing that you intend to withdraw.
If your course is cancelled by Federation University before you complete it, you'll receive a full refund.
Refund details
Tuition fees will be refunded in full. Materials fees may be refunded if you haven't received or used the items yet (this is up to your course coordinator). You should receive your refund payment within 20 working days of applying.
To apply for a refund, please complete the refund form (PDF 1 MB) and email it to studentrefunds@federation.edu.au with your student ID and name in the subject line. We'll assess your application in line with the VET (TAFE) Student Refund Procedure, then let you know the outcome.
Keep in mind that doing this won't change your enrolment. To withdraw, you'll need to complete and return a withdrawal form from your course coordinator, or tell in writing that you intend to withdraw.