RE Re credit of Units and Refund of Fees in Special Circumstances

When the RE form is relevant

The RE process applies only after the census date and may be appropriate where a student is seeking:

• remission of a HECS‑HELP or FEE‑HELP debt under HESA, and/or
• a re‑credit or refund of tuition fees,

because they were unable to withdraw from the unit by the census date due to special circumstances.

Eligibility considerations (for Course Advisors)

RE applications are assessed against the special circumstances criteria set out in HESA. Before advising a student to submit an RE form, course advisors should consider whether:

• the circumstances were beyond the student’s control, and
• the circumstances did not become apparent until on or after the census date, and
• the circumstances significantly impacted the student’s ability to continue in, or withdraw from, the unit on time.

These considerations reflect the legislative requirements applied during assessment.

Common scenarios that are not usually eligible

Under HESA, students are not usually eligible for re‑credit or refund where:

• census dates were missed due to misunderstanding or oversight
• workload, assessment pressure, or general study stress is cited
• financial difficulty alone is the reason
• the circumstances were known, ongoing, or foreseeable prior to census
• independent supporting documentation cannot be provided

Advising tip: Where it is clear that the HESA criteria are unlikely to be met, advisors should avoid recommending that a student submit the RE form “just in case”, as this may set unrealistic expectations.

Supporting documentation

RE applications must be supported by independent documentation that meets all three of the following criteria:

• substantiates the claimed special circumstances
• clearly demonstrates the timing of the circumstances in relation to the census date
• demonstrates the impact of the circumstances on the student’s ability to meet the unit requirements

Supporting documentation that does not meet these requirements may result in the application being declined.

Assessment and outcomes

• Each RE application is assessed individually in accordance with HESA.
• Outcomes may include approval, cancellation to allow resubmission, or decline of the application.
• Students are notified of the outcome once assessment is complete.