Remission of debt

If you withdraw from your unit/s after the relevant census date (or fail a unit) due to special circumstances, you can apply to have your:

  • HECS-HELP debt for those units remitted (cancelled)
  • FEE-HELP balance re-credited
  • up-front payment of a student contribution or tuition fee refunded.

Remission of debt is administered by Federation University on behalf of the Commonwealth Government. It comes under the Higher Education Support Act 2003 (HESA).

Special circumstances

Choose the option that applies to your situation to find out what you'll need to include with your application.

Your medical circumstance must be unusual, uncommon or abnormal for you and beyond your control. It must also have occurred or changed/worsened (if circumstance was ongoing) after the census date to such an extent that you were unable to continue studying.

If the circumstance was known to you before census date (a pre-existing condition), your application must demonstrate the date your circumstance changed/escalated and the impact it had on your ability to complete your studies.

Application assessment is based on the information and documentation you provide. Assumptions about your special circumstance will not be made.

What to include with your application

You must provide a letter/s from a healthcare professional who saw you during the relevant study period that:

  • includes the date of appointments attended during the study period
  • confirms the date your circumstances first occurred or escalated
  • confirms the dates/length of time you were impacted
  • confirms the impact on your studies.

Letters must be signed by the author, include contact details and be on an official letterhead.

Additional documents

Some documents are not accepted on their own (but may be included with along official documentation), such as:

  • statutory declarations or letters from family members (not considered independent)
  • anything dated outside the relevant study period
  • travel itineraries (you must provide travel documents that show when your travel was booked and the dates of travel)
  • hospital admission statements
  • pharmacy statements or prescriptions
  • medical documents not accompanied by a letter from your medical provider
  • pathology reports
  • special consideration medical forms
  • correspondence with Federation staff
  • photos.

Your family or personal circumstance must be unusual, uncommon or abnormal for you and beyond your control. It must also have occurred or changed/worsened (if circumstance was ongoing) after the census date to such an extent that you were unable to continue studying.

Examples include death or severe medical problems within your family or an unforeseen natural disaster. If the circumstance was known to you before the census date (for example, family care responsibilities) your application must demonstrate the date your circumstance changed/escalated and the impact it had on your ability to complete your studies.

Application assessment is based on the information and documentation you provide. Assumptions about your special circumstance will not be made.

What to include with your application

You must provide documents from independent sources who can confirm your circumstance. For example, if your circumstance was a death in the family, you could provide a death certificate (and documents to demonstrate your relationship, such as a birth certificate). If your circumstance was carer duties, you could provide a carer certificate. Please note that letters from friends or family members are not considered independent.

Supporting documentation must:

  • include dates your circumstances first occurred or escalated and state the length of time you were impacted
  • be relevant to the study period, census date and/or end of unit assessment and exam period
  • detail the special circumstance/s that occurred
  • explain how your ability to complete your studies was impacted
  • be signed by the author and be on an official letterhead.

Additional documents

Some documents are not accepted on their own (but may be included with along official documentation), such as:

  • statutory declarations or letters from family members (not considered independent)
  • anything dated outside the relevant study period
  • travel itineraries (you must provide travel documents that show when your travel was booked and the dates of travel)
  • hospital admission statements
  • pharmacy statements or prescriptions
  • medical documents not accompanied by a letter from your medical provider
  • pathology reports
  • special consideration medical forms
  • correspondence with Federation staff
  • photos.

How to apply

Please complete the Remission of Debt form (PDF, 231KB).

Submitting your form

  • Domestic students (higher ed and TAFE) should submit completed form and all supporting documents through the Enquiry and Application Portal.
  • International students should email completed form and all supporting documents to internationalcompliance@federation.edu.au.
  • Partner students should submit completed form and all supporting documents to their partner institute administration office.

Applications must meet the following Commonwealth Government criteria:

  • Submitted within 12 months of the end of the study period or withdrawal date. (If you submit an application after the deadline, you'll need to provide evidence that demonstrates why it was not possible for you to submit earlier.)
  • The special circumstance was beyond your control (not caused by your action or inaction) and unusual, abnormal or uncommon for you during the applicable study period.
  • The special circumstance did not fully impact you until on or after the census date.
  • The special circumstance made it impracticable for you to complete the requirements of the unit/s during the study period.
  • Sufficient supporting documentation is attached.

NOTE: You cannot apply for a re-credit or remission of debt if you have successfully completed or are currently enrolled in the unit of study or have a proven academic misconduct outcome. If you have a pending academic misconduct hearing, you must wait for the outcome before you apply.

Applications are not automatically approved. Assessments are based on the supporting documentation provided, so make sure yours is relevant and informative. You can expect an outcome within 20 business days of your application being received by the University.

Remission of debt does not relate to grades. If you have any concerns regarding your grades, please refer to our review of grades (grade appeal) process.

You can find more information about remission of debt on the Study Assist website.