Change of Study Load Procedures

1.1. To be eligible to apply to reduce study load to less than fulltime, the following applies:

1.1.1. Domestic students are eligible to reduce their study load, if their course permits part time study, by changing their enrolment by Census Date. They do not need to proceed further with these procedures.

1.1.2. International students on a student visa may be eligible to apply to reduce their study load where:

a. compassionate or compelling circumstances exist including (but not limited to):

• serious illness or injury affecting a student’s ability to study;
• witnessing or being the victim of a serious crime;
• bereavement of close family members, such as parents or grandparents;
• major political upheaval or natural disaster in a student’s home country;
• traumatic upheaval;
• where the faculty is unable to offer a subject due to the structure of your program; or

b. academic difficulties exist and a reduced load is part of an intervention strategy.

1.1.3. International students are advised to contact the Student Success Centre to discuss reducing their load before submitting an application.

1.1.4. International students must provide supporting documentary evidence with their application which may include (but is not limited to):

a. medical certificate/letter;

b. death certificate;

c. police report;

d. case number as evidence of an intervention strategy and proof of ongoing support from the Wellness team;

e. written approval for the reduced load request, from the sponsor of international sponsored students;

f. written approval for the reduced load request from the home institution of study abroad students.

1.1.5. Supporting documentary evidence if not issued in English must be translated by an official translator. Translators in Australia must be certified by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI).

1.1.6. International students in their final study period do not need to seek approval to reduce their study load if the course will be completed during that study period.

1.2. The Institution retains the right to approve or reject a request on a case by case basis.

Overload:

1.3. To be eligible to apply to overload the normal fulltime credit point limit, the following applies:

1.3.1. The course rules must allow for a credit overload;

1.3.2. An application for overload cannot normally be made in the first two enrolled study periods;

1.3.3. Overloaded enrolments must not exceed a normal fulltime study load plus two subjects in any one study period;

1.3.4. A student cannot apply to overload a previously failed subject;

1.3.5. Students must have good academic standing as defined by the Academic Progression Procedures with a GPA of 2.5 or higher in the previous two study periods;

1.3.6. A student may apply to overload in their second last study period, where the overload allows them to complete their course early, with no subjects remaining in the final study period; and

1.4. The Institution retains the right to approve or reject a request on a case by case basis.

Student Success Centre

3.1 A Program Manager assesses and makes a decision on the request for a reduced study load based on the conditions of these procedures and approves or rejects the application, indicating the outcome in the student management system.

3.2 Applications from international students for reduced study load will be rejected where the Institution determines:

3.2.1 There are no compassionate or compelling circumstances to support the application;

3.2.2 Insufficient evidence has been submitted;

3.2.3 Fraudulent supporting documentation has been submitted;

3.2.4 Financial or employment related issues are provided as a reason for reducing load;

3.2.5 The intervention strategy did not include reduced load as a recommendation;

3.2.6 An international sponsored student did not obtain approval from their sponsor; or

3.2.7 A study abroad student’s home institution did not approve a reduced study load.

Overload:

3.3 A Program Manager assesses and makes a decision on the request for an overload based on the conditions of these procedures and approves or rejects the application, indicating the outcome in the student management system.

3.4 Applications for overload will be rejected where the Institution determines:

3.4.1 The eligibility criteria to overload, as detailed in clauses 1.3.1 – 1.3.6, was not met;

Outcome:

3.5 A student is notified via email of the outcome within 10 working days of submission. If the assessment will take longer than 10 working days, the student will be notified.

3.6 If the change of study load request is approved, the notification will include:

3.6.1 Approval to reduce load OR overload including details of the subjects;

3.7 If the change of study load request is rejected, the notification will include:

3.7.1 The reason(s) for rejection; and

3.7.2 The right to lodge a complaint about the decision within 20 working days as per the Complaints and Appeals Policy and Complaints and Appeals Procedures.

4.2 Student Services is notified of the outcome of the review of the decision.

4.3 If the refusal decision is upheld, no further action is required from Student Services.

4.4 If the outcome is to grant the change of study load request, Student Services proceeds to Step 3.6 to notify the student of the approval.

5.2 Student Services proceeds to drop or add the subjects as per the final outcome.

5.3 The change of study load documentation, including the supporting documentary evidence is saved in the student management system. The Institution maintains records of all requests and decisions for two years after a student ceases to be an accepted student.