Financial hardship support

Examples of circumstances that may be considered include:

• War or political conflict
• Government restrictions impacting access to funds or financial transfers
• Serious illness or injury affecting you
• Serious illness or injury affecting a primary financial sponsor
• Death of a primary financial sponsor
• Sudden and unexpected loss of financial sponsorship

The University acknowledges that the circumstances outlined below may present genuine challenges for students. However, consistent with the University's regulatory obligations and the intended purpose of the Financial Hardship process, these circumstances would not normally be considered grounds for Financial Hardship support.

• General financial pressure
• Budgeting difficulties
• Ongoing financial instability
• Preference to pay tuition fees by instalments
• Fluctuations in exchange rates or changes in the relative value of currencies
• Being unable to pay by the Payment Due Date where there has been no serious and unexpected change in circumstances

If your established capacity to meet your tuition fee obligations has been temporarily affected by exceptional circumstances beyond your control, you may be eligible for Financial Hardship support.

Examples include war or political conflict, illness or injury, the death or illness of a financial sponsor, government restrictions affecting access to funds, or the sudden loss of financial sponsorship.

Not being able to pay your tuition fees by the Payment Due Date, on its own, is not grounds for Financial Hardship support.

If payment has not been received by the due date, the University's standard overdue fee processes will apply. These processes occur progressively rather than all at once, and students will be informed of actions affecting their account through the University's standard communication processes.

What you can generally expect

1. Payment Due Date
   1. Tuition fees become overdue and a $150 late payment fee applies.
2. We will then contact you
   1. The University will communicate with you regarding your outstanding fees and any steps you need to take before further action is taken. This may include communications sent to your official student email and, in some circumstances, direct contact from Revenue Services.
3. If fees remain unpaid
   1. Sanctions will be applied, including the removal of iLearn access.
4. Continued non-payment
   1. International students will receive formal communications regarding the impact on their enrolment and student visa obligations, including a Notice of Intent to Report.
5. If fees continue to remain outstanding
   1. Enrolment may be cancelled in accordance with University policies and procedures.

If you do not know when you will be able to meet your tuition fee obligations, but your circumstances do not involve a serious and unexpected change, your circumstances are unlikely to meet the eligibility criteria for Financial Hardship support.

Financial Hardship is intended to provide temporary support where an otherwise established capacity to pay has been disrupted by exceptional circumstances.

If you are uncertain about your ability to continue meeting your tuition fee obligations, it may be timely to review your circumstances and seek guidance regarding the options available to you.

• Financial Hardship support is intended to provide limited short-term assistance in response to temporary financial hardship arising from serious and unexpected circumstances beyond a student's control.
• It is not standard practice for Macquarie University to offer monthly instalment plans, payment extensions or ongoing payment arrangements for tuition fees.
• Financial Hardship applications generally open approximately four weeks prior to the relevant Payment Due Date.
• Financial Hardship applications should be submitted prior to the Payment Due Date. Requests made after the Payment Due Date will generally only be considered where exceptional circumstances arose immediately before, or on, the Payment Due Date and could not reasonably have been raised earlier.
• Students enrolled in term-based study periods may have limited support options available due to the compressed nature of term teaching and payment timeframes.
• Applications from first-year international students will be considered carefully in light of the University's obligations under the ESOS legislative framework. International students are required to demonstrate that they have sufficient funds to cover tuition fees and living expenses for the duration of their studies. Financial hardship experienced during the first year of study may raise concerns regarding a student's capacity to meet these requirements and may impact the outcome of an application.
• Domestic students and permanent residents are not eligible to apply for Financial Hardship support through this process. They generally have a broader range of options available if they experience financial difficulties, including reducing their study load or taking a break from their studies.
• Supporting documentation is required to substantiate the circumstances outlined in an application.
• Submission of an application does not guarantee approval.
• Submitting a Financial Hardship application does not guarantee approval, pause the University's standard overdue fee processes, or remove your responsibility to pay your tuition fees.