When you're facing serious and unexpected challenges
We recognise that international students may occasionally experience serious and unexpected circumstances that temporarily impact their established financial arrangements or access to funds.
The financial hardship process is intended to provide limited short-term support for international students experiencing temporary financial hardship due to exceptional circumstances beyond their control.
Before applying, please review the information below to determine whether financial hardship support may be appropriate for your circumstances.
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply, you must:
- be an international student studying under a student visa supported by a valid Macquarie University Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE)
- be currently enrolled in the teaching period for which you are seeking financial hardship support
- have no outstanding tuition fee or SSAF debt from previous teaching periods
- meet the financial hardship eligibility criteria outlined on this page.
Domestic students and permanent residents are not eligible to apply through this process. They generally have greater flexibility to adjust their enrolment, including reducing their study load or taking a break from their studies if they experience financial difficulties.
Additional eligibility considerations
- 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.
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 that may be considered include:
- death of a primary financial sponsor
- serious illness or injury affecting you or a primary financial sponsor
- sudden and unexpected loss of financial sponsorship
- war or political conflict that has resulted in a temporary disruption to your established financial arrangements or access to funds.
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.
Examples of what would NOT be considered include:
- ongoing financial instability
- ongoing political instability or general economic conditions in a student's home country
- repeated applications for financial hardship support, where the circumstances indicate ongoing rather than temporary financial hardship
- general financial pressure
- budgeting difficulties
- preference to pay tuition in instalments
- being unable to pay by the payment due date where there has been no serious or unexpected change in circumstances
- financial hardship arising from a decision to enrol in a study load that exceeds the standard full-time load for the relevant teaching period
- fluctuations in exchange rates or changes in the relative value of currencies.
Unable to pay tuition fees by the payment due date due to serious and unexpected circumstances beyond your control.
If your circumstances are listed under 'Exceptional circumstances that may be considered eligible', you should submit a financial hardship application. Your application will be assessed based on your individual circumstances and supporting documentation.
Unable to pay tuition fees by the payment due date, but the circumstances are not normally considered eligible for financial hardship support.
If your situation is listed under 'Circumstances that are not normally considered eligible', you are unlikely to be eligible for financial hardship support.
Financial hardship support is intended to provide temporary assistance where an otherwise established capacity to pay tuition fees has been disrupted by exceptional circumstances.
If you do not anticipate being able to meet your ongoing tuition fee obligations, it is important to carefully consider whether continuing your studies is appropriate for your current circumstances.
Able to pay, but not by the payment due date
Not being able to pay your tuition fees by the payment due date, on its own, is not grounds for financial hardship support.
It is not standard practice for the University to offer payment extensions.
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 channels. Learn more about this process.
Important information
Please read this information before you apply.
- Financial hardship support is intended to provide limited short-term assistance in response to temporary financial hardship arising from exceptional circumstances that are serious, unexpected and beyond a student's control.
- Enrolment in the relevant session is required before applying for financial hardship support.
- Financial hardship applications generally open approximately four weeks before the relevant session's payment due date.
- Financial hardship applications should be submitted before 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.
- Financial hardship support is not available for Session 3, as this is not a mandatory session.
- It is not standard practice for Macquarie University to offer monthly instalment plans, payment extensions or ongoing payment arrangements for tuition fees.
Applications
If, after reviewing the above information, you believe your exceptional circumstances meet the eligibility criteria for financial hardship support, you may submit an application.
Supporting documentation will be required to substantiate the circumstances outlined in your application.
Applications are assessed in the order they are received. The University aims to assess applications within 10 working days. Processing times may vary depending on the volume of applications received and the complexity of individual circumstances. Students will be contacted once an outcome has been determined.
Please note: Applying for financial hardship does not guarantee approval, pause the University's standard overdue fee processes, or remove your responsibility to pay your tuition fees.
Still unsure?
If you have reviewed the information above and are still unsure whether your circumstances meet the eligibility criteria for financial hardship support, please submit an enquiry via Service Connect with the subject line 'Financial Hardship'.