Student Fees Policy - fee payment extension

An extension of time to pay tuition fees is possible for continuing students only, who have extreme financial hardship and difficulty in meeting payment terms outlined in their Enrolment Details and Fees Statement. Students who meet the above criteria, must contact Fees before the due date for payment shown on the Enrolment Details and Fees Statement and advise their circumstances. An extension of time to pay is only available to students who can demonstrate financial hardship, or difficulty. It is not an alternative payment scheme. Extension of time to pay fees is not applicable where a student's fees are paid under sponsorship arrangement. Students will be notified by email, to their Monash student email address, of the outcome of a request to extend the time for fee payment.

6.1 Short Term Extension

A senior officer from the Fees Unit, may determine after consideration of the submitted application that grounds for an extension exist and grant a short-term extension of up to twenty (20) working days.

Students who have outstanding fees, may appeal any adverse decision made against them regarding extension of fee payment dates, or request a longer-term extension. Written application must be made to the Fees Unit, who will assess the application. The student must be able to demonstrate that exceptional and abnormal circumstances exist and that all sources of obtaining financial support to pay fees have been exhausted. Other factors that will be taken into consideration may include:

• the ability to repay fees owing and the outline of any repayment plan
• the stage of the course which the student has reached and results
• previous requests for deferral and record of payment.

6.2 Further Extension

Upon written request, the Fees Unit may approve a further extension of up to twenty (20) working days, in the event of extreme circumstances, that may encompass events in the student's home country (or a personal family trauma) which has a major impact upon the student's ability to meet a payment deadline.

6.3 Final Semester, Fee Paying Students

A fee paying student in the final semester of their studies, in extreme financial difficulties, may be able to defer the payment of fees for up to 6 months or to the start of the semester exam period (which ever is earlier) from the commencement of their final semester. For students intending to proceed from one course to another (e.g. pass degree to honours degree or undergraduate to postgraduate), deferment will be considered only for one of their courses but not both.

Deferment will be subject to the following conditions:

• a substantial payment toward the final year's total fee must have been made. (i.e. at least semester one paid in full)
• the balance of fees to be carried over must be subject to a schedule of repayment and conditions agreed to and signed by the University and the student
• written application must be made as soon as possible and no later than the unit/semester census date (refer to http://www.monash.edu.au/enrolments/dates/census.html) to allow administrative procedures to be actioned
• the Faculty must support the application and be satisfied that the student's reasons for the request are valid and his/her status in relation to further study at the University
• the supported application must be sent to the Fees Unit, Student Administration, Clayton Campus
• if approved, the Fees Unit will administer the repayment scheme and the student must sign a letter of agreement
• deferment of payment will be conditional upon the student receiving no detailed notification or academic transcript relating to his/her final year. The student will not be permitted to graduate prior to all debts being repaid, however a general information letter to acknowledge course completion will be provided, if requested
• if the student fails to maintain the schedule of payments as outlined by the agreement, the student may be invalidated for non-payment of fees and all penalties associated with invalidation be applied to the student.

It must be made clear to the student that he/she will not be recorded as a graduate, and no results or academic record will be issued, unless full payment of all outstanding debts (including debts in addition to fee debts) is made.