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Home>Australia>Students>Policies & Procedures>Refund Policy
Refund Policy
1. Refund of fees
Students who withdraw from a unit and/or program of study, or take a leave of absence during any semester may be eligible for a partial refund of tuition fees.
2. Enrolment Deadlines
2.1 Students must finalise their enrolment by the add/drop deadline which is the tenth day of the semester. They must drop or add a mini class by the tenth day of the mini. Specific dates are indicated on the Heinz College Academic Calendar: http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/australia/students/academic-calendar/index.aspx. Students dropping classes by these dates are entitled to a full refund of tuition for the applicable class.
2.2 To notify the University of the intent to withdraw or take a leave of absence, a student must submit a Leave of Absence or Withdrawal application to the Program Director prior to the Add/Drop deadline of the semester in which a student does not intend to study.
2.3 Only under special circumstances a student can withdraw after the Add/Drop deadline. In such case a Retroactive Add/Drop Petition - Prior Semester form must be completed. Forms can be downloaded from Carnegie Mellon website http://www.cmu.edu/hub/docs.html
2.4 Students who fail to notify the University of the intent to withdraw or take a leave of absence, the official date of withdrawal or leave of absence is the latter of:
- The midpoint of the semester; or
- The last date the student attended an academically related activity such as an exam, a tutorial or a study group or the last day the student turned in a class assignment.
3. Tuition Adjustment
3.1 Students receiving financial aid from the US Federal government or from Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz College are subject to the following rule:
3.1.1 Students who withdraw or take a leave of absence before completing 60% of the semester will be charged tuition based upon the number of days completed within the semester. This includes all calendar days, class and non-class days, from the first day of classes to the last day of final exams. Breaks which last five days or longer, including the prior and subsequent weekends, are not counted.
3.1.2 There is no tuition adjustment after 60% of the semester is completed. Specific tuition adjustment dates are calculated each semester. No tuition is charged to a student who is administratively withdrawn.
3.1.3 State grants and non-federal scholarships are adjusted based upon the withdrawal policies of the agency awarding the funds.
3.2 Students receiving FEE-HELP must conform to the Census dates listed in both the Unit of Study Schedule of Fees: http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/australia/students/unit-of-study-schedule-of-fees/index.aspx and the Heinz College Academic Calendar: http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/australia/students/academic-calendar/index.aspx in order to receive a refund of tuition fees.
3.2.1 The College will consider an application for re-credit of FEE-Help balance if a student withdraws after the Census date and applies for remission of FEE-Help balance under special circumstances. The student must include independent supplementary documentation to satisfy special circumstances requirements.
3.2.2 The College will determine special circumstances on the basis of Chapter 5 of the Student Learning Entitlement Guidelines: http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/higher_education/programmes_funding/forms_guidelines/hesa_guidelines/student_learning_entitlement_guidelines.htm and Section 60.4 of the Administrative Information for Higher Education Providers: Student Support: http://www.dest.gov.au/sectors/higher_education/policy_issues_reviews/key_issues/AIP_2005/
In general, special circumstances:
- are beyond the student’s control;
- did not make their full impact on the student until on, or after, the census date; and
- made it impracticable for the student to complete the requirements for the unit in the period during which the student undertook, or was to undertake, the unit.
Special circumstances do not include:
- lack of knowledge or understanding of requirements under the schemes; or
- a student’s incapacity to repay a HELP debt, as repayments are income contingent and the student can apply for a deferral of a compulsory repayment.
3.2.3 A student cannot apply for a re-credit or remission if they have successfully completed the unit. An application for a re-credit must be made in writing, within twelve months of the withdrawal date, or if the student has not withdrawn within twelve months of the end of the period of study in which the unit was undertaken.
3.2.4 To request re-credit of FEE-Help balance, a student needs to petition to the Program Director, http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/australia/students/forms/index.aspx, attach a letter outlining the special circumstances and include supporting documentation.
4. Request for reconsideration of decision
A student has the right to apply, in writing, for a reconsideration of a decision to not re-credit or remit the FEE-HELP balance. For details please refer to Section 2 of the Grievance and Appeals Policy: http://www.heinz.cmu.edu/australia/students/policies-procedures/grievance-and-appeals/index.aspx