Reduced study load

To satisfy your student visa conditions, you must be enrolled as a full-time student and complete your course within your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) duration.

This means you must enrol in 8 credit points each academic year (or equivalent). In special circumstances, you can apply for a reduced study load.

How do I apply for a reduced study load?

Contact Student Central to discuss a reduced study load application. Your application will need to be based on compassionate and compelling grounds, which could include, but are not limited to:

serious illness or injury, where a medical certificate states that it is impracticable for you to complete the unit or course requirements
bereavement of a close family member such as a parent or grandparent (where possible a death certificate should be provided)
major political upheaval or natural disaster in your home country requiring emergency travel, which impacted your studies
a traumatic experience, which could include involvement in, or witnessing of a serious accident; or witnessing or being the victim of a serious crime, where this has impacted on you. (These cases should be supported by police or psychologist reports.)

You must also provide evidence of how your circumstances have affected, or will affect, your academic performance if you undertake a full-time study load. In order to assess these circumstances, please complete the Reduced Study Load form [PDF,295KB] and return it to Student Central. This form must be submitted as a digital and editable PDF.

Sections A and B are for applications based on medical and/or psychological grounds (section B is to be completed by a medical or health professional).
Sections A and C are for applications based on non-medical grounds (additional supporting documentation/evidence of situation and impact will also need to be submitted).

If your issue is ongoing, we encourage you to contact our Disability Resource Centre for more specific arrangements and support.

A reduced study load application does not guarantee approval. You must maintain your enrolment and continue participating with your studies, where possible, until an outcome is provided.

Enrolment in Trimester 3 FAQs

Do I have to enrol in T3 as an international student on a student visa?

International students (on a student visa) are required to enrol in T3 only if:

the course structure requires T3: if the course structure/map explicitly mandates enrolment in T3, students must comply.
commencement is in T3: T3 is a compulsory full-time study period for commencing students, including enrolment in at least one on-campus unit.
the study load or CoE requires it: students who are underloaded in T1 and T2 (less than 8 credit points), must enrol in T3 to complete within their CoE duration or to meet the enrolment load.

I have enrolled in less than 8 credit points across T1 and T2, do I have to enrol in T3?

What if I have enrolled in less than 8 credit points across T1 and T2 and I cannot enrol in T3 due to compassionate and compelling reasons?

You can apply for an intermission for T3. Your intermission will only be approved if there are compassionate and compelling circumstances, beyond your control. If you want to apply for intermission, you should discuss your request with a Student Adviser.

Note: If your intermission is approved and it results in a change to your course end date, a new CoE will be issued to reflect the updated expected CoE course end date.

Read further information and how to apply for intermission.

What happens if I have enrolled in less than 8 credit points per academic year and I don’t enrol in T3 or apply for an intermission or a reduced study load, and I cannot complete my course within my CoE course duration?

I am a continuing student and enrolled in an online unit in T3, can I leave Australia for a week in the middle of T3?

Do I have to enrol in T3 if I commenced my course in T2 and enrolled in 4 units (full-time)?

Can I enrol in an online unit in T3 if I have already breached the 1/3 online rule?

I am not on a student visa but on a different type of temporary resident visa. Can I reduce my study load?

If you are on a Temporary Resident (TR) visa such as a Temporary Graduate visa, you do not have the same study restrictions as a student on a student visa (subclass 500).

You are considered an international student for fee purposes only and you can reduce your study load in all three trimesters. Please keep in mind, reducing your study load may result in you taking longer to complete your course.

You should always ensure you meet the visa conditions outlined in your visa grant notice at all times. Check your visa conditions on your VEVO account or by downloading the myVEVO app.

More information at Visa FAQs.