Terms & Conditions
For International Students of
Charles Sturt University
- Refunds
- Permanent Residency
- Late Enrolment
- Academic load/Attendance/Academic performance
- Disclosure of Information
Refunds
The following policy applies to all international students studying at CSU. Please note that this policy applies only where it is not in conflict with an individual course refund policy - for example where a course policy refers to a "non-refundable” amount.
Inability to start
CSU will give you a full refund of any tuition fees you have paid if:
- you are unable to obtain a visa;
- political or civil unrest or natural disasters prevent you leaving your home country or paying fees in full;
- you are unable to commence your course because of a serious and prolonged illness, disability or death of you or a parent, sibling, spouse or child;
- your offer of a place is withdrawn (unless the offer was made on the basis of incorrect or incomplete information you supplied, in which case CSU will retain 10% of the fee for one session);
- the course which you wanted to undertake is no longer offered;
- CSU refuses to enrol you in a courses.
To seek a refund in these circumstances, you (or your agent) should write to the Student Administration Claims Committee (see address details below), supplying copies of relevant documentation (such as a visa refusal letter or medical certificates).
Your refund will be based on the Australian dollar fee for the course (rather than the foreign currency amount you paid). The amount will be paid within 4 weeks by telegraphic transfer to a bank in your home country. CSU can not pay your refund into an Australian bank.
Withdrawal from one or more subjects after commencing your course
There are two separate processes that must be completed.
a) Change your enrolment to withdraw from the subject(s)
Enrolment variations can be made at any time prior to the Census Date using the on-line Enrolment Variation form on the Student Administration web site.
After the Census Date has passed you must submit this variation in paper form to the Division of Student Administration. Once this variation has been submitted, your request will be passed to the faculty(s) that teach the subject(s) who will decide whether an AW grade should be awarded or not. The Academic Withdrawal Policy is explained in full in Section 13 of the enrolment regulations http://www.csu.edu.au/acad_sec/regulations.htm#7
Please note that if you are an on-campus student your Visa requires you to study full time
b) Seek a refund of tuition fees paid for the subject(s).
If you wish to seek a refund of tuition fees after withdrawing from the subject(s), you must write to the:
Student Administration Claims Committee
Division of Student Administration
Private Mail Bag 7
Bathurst NSW 2795
Australia
Refund schedule
If you withdraw from a subject less than 4 weeks after the commencement of session, you may ask that 100% of that course money to be credited to your account for use in later subjects.
If you ask for a refund, CSU will refund your tuition fees according to the following schedule:
Date request to withdraw lodged with Student Administration. |
Portion of tuition fee refundable |
4 weeks (28 days) or more before the start of the session (for exceptions see 1. above) |
90% |
Before the start of the session, but less than 4 weeks (28 days) before (for exceptions see 1. above) |
75% |
On or after the start of the session, but less than 4 weeks (28 days) after |
50% |
4 weeks (28 days) or more after the start of the session |
0% |
Your refund will be credited to your student account (unless you are terminating your course, in which case your credit balance will be paid by telegraphic transfer into a bank account in your home country). Please note that if subject withdrawal occurs prior to payment for the relevant session a charge will be raised against your account as per the above schedule.
Exceptional circumstances
The Student Administration Claims Committee may consider written requests for refunds due to exceptional circumstances and may increase the amount of refund provided beyond the above levels. Applications for exceptional circumstances must provide details and appropriate verifiable evidence of the circumstance and why a refund beyond the stated policy should apply.
No refund
A refund will not be provided if the application includes fraudulent or forged documentation.
Appeals of decisions
If after 30 days from receipt of an application you have not been notified of an outcome, or if you are unhappy with the decision, you may appeal to the Director, Student Administration.
Change of visa status
If you provide the Division of Student Administration with written evidence that you have been granted Australian Permanent Resident status before 31 March or 31 August, you will receive a refund of all tuition fees you have paid for that (and subsequent) sessions, but you will then be liable to pay the HECS-HELP levy or domestic student fees for your subjects. (Permanent Resident status is recognised from the date stamped on your passport, not the date on which you applied). Your refund will be credited to your student account.
If you are not satisfied with the application of this policy, you may take action under the University Ombudsman. You are also entitled to take legal action under Australia 's consumer protection laws.
Permanent Residency
This offer of admission is made to you as an international fee-paying student.
It is important that you are aware that CSU does not currently have any undergraduate domestic places in Sydney or Melbourne. Some places are, however, available for postgraduate domestic students. While the following statements may apply to you, a change of residency status is likely to mean that you will be required to relocate and complete your CSU studies at a regional CSU campus.
If you obtain Australian permanent residency before enrolling in the program, your offer of a place (or your enrolment) as an international student will lapse. Your application for admission as a local student will then be assessed. Please note that because of government controls on the number of local students that can be enrolled you may not qualify for a local place. If you obtain permanent residency before you enrol, you must notify CSU in writing as soon as possible, enclosing certified documentary evidence of your residency status.
If you obtain Australian permanent residency prior to the Census Date in any enrolment session, your enrolment will change to that of Australian student status.
If you obtain Australian permanent residency after Census Date in any enrolment session, your enrolment will continue as an international fee-paying student until the end of that semester at which time it will change to that of Australian student status.
Late Enrolment
International students must arrange to be on campus in the week prior to the start of the semester to take part in a compulsory Orientation Program.
If you are going to arrive after the commencement of the semester, you must seek approval from CSU Admissions Office - admissions@csu.edu.au.
Please advise your expected date of arrival when applying for approval for late enrolment. Students will not be allowed to enrol after the end of the second week of semester.
Academic load/Attendance/Academic performance
It is a requirement of your student visa, that you undertake studies on a full-time basis. In addition to studying full-time, student visa holders must maintain 80% attendance at classes during their study. Changes to your enrolment and any breach of the student visa condition in relation to attendance or satisfactory academic performance must be reported to the Department of Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs.
Disclosure of Information
CSU reminds you that the information provided in your application may be made available to Australian Commonwealth and State Agencies pursuant to obligations under the ESOS Act 2000* and the National Code (These links will take you to external sites. Sites will open in a separate window, and are in English unless otherwise indicated.)
CSU is required under Section 19 of the ESOS Act 2000, to inform the Department of Immigration and Citizenship about changes to your course enrolment and any breach of your student visa condition relating to satisfactory academic performance. Please refer to The Legislative Framework section.
*Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000
