Before you request any refund, fee extension or fee waiver, please read the following fee-adjustment information to determine whether you qualify, and how to apply.
If you do qualify for a refund, you can apply by completing the Refund of International Student Fees online form. Your agent cannot apply on your behalf. View the refund application process at the bottom of this page under ‘Processing of Refunds’.
This procedure applies to the refunding, waiving or adjusting of international fees and charges that are issued for:
Fee adjustments may apply in the following circumstances:
Where the student has cause to cancel their enrolment during the year the Vice-Chancellor, or their delegate, may approve or authorise the refunding of all or part of any fees and charges.
The following table outlines the roles and responsibilities relevant to refunds, fee extensions and fee waivers.
| Role | Responsibilities |
|---|---|
| Student |
|
| Senior Advisor Welfare |
|
| Authorised Officer | approves the fee adjustment |
| VU International | processes the fee adjustment. |
| VU Finance | pays any refund |
International students studying higher education courses or vocational education courses (certificates I–IV, diplomas and above) are eligible to apply for fee extensions.
Two kinds of extensions are available: Fee Extension and Exceptional Circumstance Fee Extension.
Fee Extension allows students an extension to pay fees after the invoice date provided they have:
Higher education summer or winter enrolments are not eligible for fee extensions.
To apply for a Fee Extension, eligible students must:
Online: AskVU
Phone: +61 3 9919 6100
In person: at any VUHQ (Student Service Centre)
VU Sydney students: contact the Associate Director, Students (VU Sydney).
Exceptional Circumstance Fee Extension is available to students who are unable to pay their fees by the due date, or meet their extended payment deadline as a result of an exceptional circumstance.
All international students are eligible to apply for the Exceptional Circumstance Fee Extension.
To apply for an Exceptional Circumstance Fee Extension, students must:
General Manager, VU English approves or does not approve extensions for VU English students.
Associate Director, Students, VU Sydney approves or does not approve extensions for VU Sydney students.
Approved fee extensions are administered via VUHQ using the published criteria.
Senior Adviser, Welfare makes a recommendation for a fee extension to the Senior Coordinator, Student Support & Advocacy. They may use the fee extension criteria and consult with other areas of the University, including the teaching centre(s) in which the student is enrolled.
Senior Coordinator, Student Support & Advocacy approves or does not approve the extension.
Student Support notifies the student of the decision and, if relevant, arranges for Student Administration to make the appropriate adjustment within the system.
Student Support will advise the student of their right to request a review and the process to follow in doing so.
Applications for exceptional circumstance fee extensions for VU Sydney students are assessed and approved by the Associate Director, Students, VU Sydney.
A student who is not granted an Exceptional Circumstance Fee Extension may apply to have the decision reviewed by the Associate Director, Student Life and Wellbeing; the Director, College of English, Foundation and Pathways (for VU English students); or the Campus Director and Principal (for VU Sydney students).
The application should be submitted within 10 working days of the date on which the notification of the decision was sent to the student.
The decision is final and there are no further appeal avenues within the University. External appeals may be available depending on the circumstances.
Onshore international higher education students, TAFE students and VU English students may be eligible to apply for a waiver of fees on the grounds of exceptional circumstances of personal hardship. Students need to be beyond their first semester to apply for a fee waiver.
Fee waivers at VU Sydney fall outside of this procedure.
The SSAF may be deferred or part-paid in line with government legislation. Waivers may be granted in certain circumstances.
To apply for a fee waiver the student must:
Student Support makes a recommendation regarding a waiver. They may use the fee extension criteria and consult with other areas of the University, including the teaching centre(s) in which the student is enrolled.
International Higher Degree by Research (HDR) students should contact the Office for Research Training, Quality & Integrity to discuss an application for a fee waiver.
If VU Research intends to waiver partial or full tuition fees for an international HDR student, the processes and criteria in the Fee Waiver Guidelines for International Higher Degree by Research Students (PDF, 1.3 MB) (requires log in) are to be adhered to.
Student Support makes a recommendation for a fee waiver to the Manager Wellbeing Services.
Manager Wellbeing Services approves or does not approve the waiver.
Student Support notifies the student of the decision and, if relevant, arranges for Student Administration to make the appropriate adjustment within the system.
Student Support will advise the student of their right to request a review and the process to follow in doing so.
The application should be submitted within 10 working days of the date on which the notification of the decision was sent to the student.
The decision of the Director, Student Services is final and there are no further appeal avenues within the University. External appeals may be available depending on the circumstances.
Review processes for International Higher Degree by Research students are detailed within the Fee Waiver Guidelines for International Higher Degree by Research Students (PDF, 1.3 MB).
This table outlines the different situations in which you might be eligible for a refund. See following for details relating to these circumstances.
| Fee type | Full Refund | Partial Refund | No Refund |
|---|---|---|---|
| Application fee | Provider default | Nil | All other circumstances |
| Tuition fees (including deposit) |
|
|
All other circumstances |
| Ancillary / material fees | Student withdrawal before materials provided | Nil | Student withdrawal after materials provided |
| Overseas Student Health Cover | Student has never arrived in Australia (the student manages refund) | Student has arrived in Australia (student manages refund of unused portion of cover) | Nil |
An international student will be entitled to a full refund of tuition fees and any deposit paid for a study period at VU in the following circumstances:
Where the Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) premium has been previously paid to the University, refund of any available premium will be managed in the following way:
A student who has paid any tuition fees for a study period for an English-language course and gives written notice of a withdrawal or an inability to study before the commencement date, will be entitled to a refund of tuition fees paid for the study period, less any non-refundable deposit, as set out in the student's written agreement (signed Letter of Offer).
A student who has paid any tuition fees for a study period for a course other than an English-language course, and gives written notice of a withdrawal or an inability to study before the census date, will be entitled to a refund of tuition fees paid for the study period, less any non-refundable deposit, as set out in the student's written agreement (signed Letter of Offer).
A student's enrolment has been cancelled for non-payment of tuition fees, the student will be entitled to a refund of any partial payment made less any non-refundable deposit, as set out in the student's written agreement (signed Letter of Offer). Any application fee paid will not be refunded.
The student will be entitled to receive the total amount of the pre-paid fees the University received for the course in respect of the student minus the lesser of:
Any student who withdraws from their course after census date in a semester, or after the commencement of their VU English course, will not be eligible for any refund of tuition fees paid for that semester except on extraordinary humanitarian grounds at the discretion of one of the following:
A student who gives notice in writing of an inability to undertake a course, or withdraws from the course at any time, will not be eligible for a refund of the Application Processing Fee.
A student who is granted intermission or reduced study load will have any Tuition Fees paid held as a credit on their account and treated as a payment against future study periods.
A student who is granted Permanent Resident status will be eligible for a refund of tuition fees paid for a semester, less a five hundred dollar ($500) service charge for the current semester, only if:
Permanent Resident status is recognised from the date officially recognised by the Department of Home Affairs, not the date on which the application for status is made.
A student who is granted Permanent Resident status after the census date for a semester will not be eligible for a refund of tuition fees paid for that semester. The student will be classified as an international student for the remainder of that semester.
A student who is granted Permanent Resident status prior to census date in a semester will lose their full-fee student place and must re-apply for course entry in competition with other course applicants for either government-supported places, or for domestic fee-paying places.
A continuing student who seeks to become a local fee-paying domestic student following a grant of Permanent Resident status, may have their pre-paid tuition fees carried over in the appropriate semester.
Where a student makes an overpayment of tuition fees, the overpaid amount will be refunded upon application without financial penalty. A memo is required from VU English to support English-language over-payments.
Before a refund can be processed, the funds covering the tuition fee must be available to the University, i.e. drafts cleared and telegraphic transfers received.
Refunds will be processed within four (4) weeks of receiving a successful online application, provided that all the relevant documentation has been received from the student.
Any notice given must be written in English and actually received by the University.
If a tuition fee has been paid by a sponsoring body or scholarship agency, any refund payable will be made to the sponsoring body or scholarship agency.
Victoria University must pay the refund to the following person:
To submit an application for a refund, follow these steps if you don't know your EAAMS login details.
Go to https://eaams.vu.edu.au/internationalforms and enter the following information:
Complete the Refund of International Student Fees form and click Submit.
If you have an EAAMS login and are already using the application system EAAMS you can:
Your agent may be able to provide you with your login details such as your username. If you do not know your login details to EAAMS, please use the login method above.
You can track the status of your application by logging in and viewing the 'Workflow step'. You don't need to open your refund application to view the Workflow step. Download a guide that explains the Workflow steps.
If you have questions about your refund, please email vui.refunds@vu.edu.au. Note that refund applications received via email, PDF or paper form will not be accepted.
If you are having difficulties logging in, please contact administrator.eaams@vu.edu.au.
VU Sydney students can apply for a refund by completing the Withdrawal/Refund Application Form and contacting the Associate Director, Students.
A student whose refund application is not approved may apply to have the decision reviewed by the Director, Student Administration or the Campus Director and Principal (for VU Sydney students).
The application should be submitted within 10 working days of the date on which the notification of the decision was sent to the student.
The decision of the above delegates is final and there are no further appeal avenues within the University. External appeals may be available depending on the circumstances.
