Refunds and remissions

If you withdraw from a topic before the census date you may request a refund of the student contribution, tuition fee or student services and amenities fee that you have paid for that topic.

Additional refund conditions may apply to International Students.  Please refer to the International Student Tuition Fees Procedures for further information.

To request a refund please submit a request via Ask Flinders including the details of payments made to Flinders University and your circumstances.  If you do not have an Australian bank account, you will also need to include your overseas bank account details.  You will receive an acknowledgement email and, if approved, your refund will normally be processed within 3 weeks of approval. 

Normally, refunds will not be given if you withdraw from topics after the census date.

If you withdraw from a topic(s) after the census date, or have not successfully completed the requirements for the topic(s), you can apply to have:

• The student contribution amount or tuition fee you deferred to your HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP loan scheme remitted; or
• The upfront student contribution amount/tuition fee you paid, refunded.

Refund and remission applications will only be considered if you meet all of the following criteria:

• Be able to demonstrate special circumstances beyond your control;
• Your special circumstances must have occurred or worsened on or after the census date;
• Be able to demonstrate how these special circumstances made it impracticable for you to complete the requirements of the topic(s);
• Lodge the application within 12 months of the end of the semester in which the topic(s) were taken (applications lodged after this time will not be considered, unless independent supporting evidence is provided that confirms your incapacity to submit within this timeframe); and
• Have withdrawn or have fail grades applied to all topics for which you are applying for remission of debt or refund.

Academic grievances should be addressed in accordance with the Student Review and Appeal Policy and Students Complaints policy.

Student services and amenities fees will not be refunded if you withdraw after the census date, regardless of the circumstances.

If your withdrawal is as a result of exceptional circumstances you may be eligible to apply for a remission or refund of student contribution amounts or tuition fees:

• Domestic students should refer to the Policy on Refund of Student Contribution Amounts and Tuition Fees, and Remission of Higher Education Load Program (HELP) Debts
• International students should refer to the International Student Tuition Fees Procedures for refund conditions.

Academic grievances cannot form the basis of a remission or refund, unless a change to the course has occurred after the census date.  Academic grievances should be raised within your College in the first place as per Student Review and Appeal Policy and Students Complaints policy.

Student services and amenities fees will not be refunded if you withdraw after the census date, regardless of the circumstances.

A remission or full refund will be granted where it can be established that there were special circumstances beyond your control that did not allow you to withdraw from a topic or topics by the census date and that the full impact of these circumstances was not felt by you until on or after the census date.  These circumstances may include:

Please note that a lack of knowledge or understanding of the HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP loan schemes, or the Flinders University Student Related Policies and Procedures, is not considered to be beyond your control.

To apply for a refund or remission, you must:

1. Read the full Remission guidelines
2. Go to the Application for remission in special circumstances page
3. Complete all sections of the online form, making sure that you have provided adequate details in the ‘Summary of your circumstances’ text box.
4. Attach all supporting documentation from an independent professional to support your application. The statement outlining your circumstances is not sufficient evidence on its own to have your debt remitted or refunded. The independent professional supporting your application may use the Professional Statement Form. Otherwise you will need to ensure your supporting documentation is on official letterhead (if relevant), and is signed and dated.
5. Please read the application declaration carefully.  If you need clarification to ensure you understand what this declaration means, contact Flinders Connect for advice.
6. Submit your application. You will receive an acknowledgement message once you have submitted the form. If you need to submit additional information or supporting documentation, please do so by emailing remissions@flinders.edu.au. If you have any issues in submitting your application online, please contact Flinders Connect.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all relevant documentation is included with your application and it is received within the lodgement timeframe.

Privacy conditions

All personal information collected in your application and supporting documentation will be treated in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 and any relevant guidelines. The information collected is used solely for the purpose of assisting the University to make an informed decision about your application.  The authority to collect this information is contained in the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

If your refund request is approved, the refund will be paid via an Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).  Refunds are normally processed within 3 weeks, once approval has been confirmed and bank details have been provided by you.

You need to ensure your Australian bank account details are entered into the Student System before a refund can be issued. To allow funds to be paid directly into your Australian bank account:

• Log in to the Student System, via your Flinders dashboard
• Go to the 'My Finances' tab
• Select 'Enter Bank Account Details' from the side menu
• Click on the 'Change' button to enter new details
• Change the Payment Method to 'Electronic Funds Transfer' and enter your:
  - Name
  - BSB code
  - Bank name
  - Account code
• Click on the 'Save' button

Please allow 3 weeks for the funds to be transferred to your nominated bank account.
If you require further assistance, please submit a support request via Ask Flinders or contact Flinders Connect.

Students who do not have an Australian bank account will need to provide their overseas bank details to Flinders Connect when requesting a refund.