Changing your enrolment at VU Sydney

If you wish to vary any part of your VU Sydney enrolment, you will need to complete the appropriate student forms. You can amend your enrolment without penalty until the census date.

We have a legal responsibility to report any any international student course variations to the Department of Home Affairs.

If your course variations at VU Sydney is reported to the Department of Home Affairs, you will need to contact them to discuss your student visa options. Contact the Department of Home Affairs for advice by calling 131 881 (within Australia).

Deferring your course intake

Deferring your course intake is available only to commencing (new) students.

If you intend to defer, you need to consider the following:

If your course is not available for commencing students in subsequent intakes, you may need to negotiate an alternative study option.
Applicants do not enrol before deferring. A deferment is a guarantee that the place of offer will be available for the applicant to enrol subject to course availability.

Apply to defer your course

If you wish to defer your course, you must submit your request by email to [email protected] well before your course commencement date.

Study load

We recommend that you maintain full study load equivalent to 4 units during compulsory semesters in an academic year.

Reduce study load

If you are a domestic student facing compassionate and compelling circumstances, you can take reduced study load in consultation with your course coordinator.

If you are an international student facing compassionate and compelling circumstances, you can request to reduce your study load or overload. Circumstances may include:

having an unusual course structure, unavailability of units or prerequisite units are not met.
wishing to withdraw from units recommended by the College as part of an intervention strategy following an Academic Progress Hearing.
being in your final semester where the remaining units don't add up to 48 credit points.
wishing to withdraw from units or enrol in additional units for other compassionate or compelling reasons that are beyond your control.

Apply to reduce your study load

Send the completed Reduced Study Load form and certified or original copies of relevant supporting documents to [email protected] .

All applications must be received at least 5 business days before census date of the relevant block/s to avoid fees and/or academic penalties.

Reduce study load application (PDF, 245.2 KB)

Increase study load

Increasing your study load ('overloading') may also be an option if you need to make up for delayed progress through your course e.g. due to failing units.

Permission to overload during a regular study period (semester one or two) will not be granted if your college believes it could have a negative impact on your academic progress (e.g. where you are repeating failed units).

Apply to overload your units

Submit the completed Unit of Study Amendment form (add units only) to [email protected] at least 5 business days before census date.

Unit of study amendment (higher education) (PDF, 359.97 KB)

Leave of absence

In some limited circumstances, you may need time away from your studies. This is known as a leave of absence or intermission. We advise you to speak to our student admiration staff before you apply.

You may be able to apply for leave of absence if you have been affected by:

serious illness or injury
death of a close family member such as parents or grandparents, husband/wife or child
major political upheaval or natural disaster in your home country requiring emergency travel and which has affected your studies
traumatic experiences such as being involved in an accident or being the victim of a serious crime.

Other than in exceptional circumstances, leave of absence must be applied prior to census date. Applications that are submitted after census date, which don't meet the exceptional circumstances criteria, will be subject to academic and financial penalties.

Apply for leave of absence

Submit your completed Leave of Absence form and certified or original copies of relevant supporting documents to [email protected] .

All applications must be received at least 5 business days before census date to avoid fees and/or academic penalties.

Leave of absence (intermission) (PDF, 236.02 KB)

Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) extensions

Some students may require an extension of their CoE.

Apply for a Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) extension

Send your completed CoE extension application form, after clearing all outstanding fees, to [email protected]

All applications must be received at least 10 business days before CoE end date.

Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) extension (PDF, 219.15 KB)

Course transfer within VU Sydney

If you find that the course you are currently enrolled is not right for you and wish to take up another course at VU Sydney, you can apply for a course transfer.

You must satisfy the entry requirements for the proposed course transfer.

Course transfer requests can only be processed between results release date and commencement of a subsequent semester. Course transfers are not permitted if you have enrolled in a subsequent semester.

Application deadlines

Semester 2, 2024

Course start date: 29 July 2024
Course transfer period: 1—15 July 2024

Apply for a course transfer

When you're ready to apply, find the VU Sydney course that you're interested in to know more details of the entry requirements and any required supporting documentation needed to submit your application.

Submit your request to [email protected] after the final results are released at the end of a semester in your current course.

If you are an international student, you need to make sure you continue to meet the conditions of your student visa. You should review the information about changing course on the Department of Home Affairs website for more information before submitting your application.

There is no guarantee that your application will be successful. Please do not withdraw from your existing course until you have received confirmation that you have been accepted into the new course. Once you have received the offer, you need to accept it, then withdraw from your current course.

Course withdrawal

Course withdrawal refers to you permanently withdrawing from your entire course at VU Sydney.

To avoid financial and/or academic penalties, you must withdraw unit enrolments before the census date of the relevant study period. Failure to withdraw before census date means you will be charged fees for all units you are enrolled in whether you have attended classes or not.

If you are considering withdrawing from your course, you can do so by submitting their request for course withdrawal.

International student information

Leaving VU Sydney

If you are an international student, it's important to know that a course withdrawal is not considered a release. If you intend to leave VU Sydney and study at another institution within 6 months of your principal course, you'll need to apply for release.

Follow the steps listed in the Transfer from VU Sydney section of this page.

Student visa

International students on a student visa need to comply with visa condition 8202. This condition requires students to stay enrolled in a CRICOS-registered course.

When you withdraw from your course, we will notify the Department of Home Affairs that you are no longer a student of VU by cancelling your electronic Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE). This may lead to the cancellation of your visa. In this situation, you should contact the Department of Home Affairs as soon as possible on 131 881.

Apply for course withdrawal

Submit the completed Course Discontinuation form with any supporting documents after clearing all outstanding fees, to [email protected] .

All applications must be received at least 5 business days before the census date to avoid fees and/or academic penalties.

Course discontinuation (withdrawal) (PDF, 219.35 KB)

Transfer to another provider

All transfers to and from VU Sydney are assessed on a case-by-case basis in line with the University's Transfer Policy.

: Domestic students who are considering transferring to another provider can do so by submitting their request as per course withdrawal process. This process can found in the 'Course withdrawal' section on this page.
International students must complete six months of their principal course before they can transfer to another registered provider. A ‘provider’ is a university, or private college registered to provide courses to international students. If you have been offered package courses, your principal course is the highest qualification.
International students who have completed six months of their principal course and considering transferring to another provider, may do so by submitting their request as per course withdrawal process. This process can found in the 'Course withdrawal' section on this page.
International students who have not completed six months in their principal course, can only transfer to another provider if:
a release has been approved by us
we are no longer offering the course or have ceased to be registered for this course
you are transferring to an overseas provider
you are sponsored by your government, and the sponsor is of the opinion that a transfer is in your best interest (the sponsor must notify us in writing).
Before you apply for release from your course at VU Sydney, familiarise yourself with the International Student Transfer Policy and International Student Transfer Procedure, which outline the process of when a release can be granted. This will give you an indication if you are eligible to apply.
Apply for release from VU Sydney
Submit the completed International Student Release Application and Course Discontinuation forms with below supporting documents to [email protected] :
letter of offer from the institution where you intend to study
statement with detailed reasons for transferring from VU Sydney
official evidence if you are claiming compassionate or compelling circumstances
All applications must be received at least ten business days before the census date to avoid fees and/or academic penalties.
All transfers to and from VU Sydney are assessed on a case-by-case basis in line with Standard 7 of the 2018 National Code and the International Student Transfer Policy. We can refuse to release you from your course if we believe the transfer would be detrimental to you.
International student release letter application (PDF, 219.3 KB)
What to do while your application is assessed
Until your application has been assessed and approved, you must:
remain enrolled for the relevant study period
pay your fees by the payment due date
attend all classes
participate in class/external group work
submit all assignments
complete all online quizzes, tests and exams.
: You can find the course that you're interested in to know more details of the entry requirements and any required supporting documentation needed to submit your application.
Explore courses at VU Sydney
If you're an international students who hasn't yet completed six months in your principal course at another provider, you can transfer to VU Sydney after release is approved by your current place of study.
Apply for transfer to VU Sydney
Submit your application with any supporting documents at international application.
If you are an international student who haven't completed six months in your principal course at another provider, you must provide your ‘letter of release’ from your current provider.

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