• Section 1 - Purpose and Scope
• Exclusions
• Section 2 - Process and Key Controls
• Eligibility
• Applications for Refunds
• Remittance of Refunds
• Uncollected Funds
• University Default – International Students
• Appeals
• Section 3 - Key Requirements
• Section 4 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities
• Student Fees
• Finance and Business Services
• Faculty of Medicine
• Financial Aid
• Section 5 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance
• Section 6 - Recording and Reporting
• Section 7 - Appendix
• Definitions, terms and acronyms

Section 1 - Purpose and Scope

(1) This Procedure enacts clauses 29 to 32 of the Student Fees Policy which outline The University of Queensland’s (UQ’s) arrangements for assessing and processing student refunds. The Procedure applies to all current and former UQ students enrolled in a course or program and prospective students.

(2) For student refunds associated with shorter form credentials, refer to Shorter Form Credentials Admission, Enrolment, Fees and Assessment Procedure. 

Exclusions

(3) The following types of refund are not covered by this Procedure:

1. Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) – international students should consult their OSHC provider about refund provisions.
2. Course or program related incidental fees – students apply directly to the relevant school or faculty.
3. Removal of financial liability after the census date due to special circumstances.

Section 2 - Process and Key Controls

(4) To process a refund request, a student must have an amount in credit in their UQ student account.

(5) Eligible students must apply in accordance with this Procedure for a refund to be considered and processed by UQ.

(6) The Student Fees team within the Academic Services Division has primary responsibility for managing the student fees function at UQ, including processing and authorising refunds.

(7) Students have a right to seek a review of a refund decision in accordance with clauses 34 to 35 of this Procedure.

Eligibility

(8) Prior to applying for a refund, students must consider the following eligibility requirements.

Refunds before Census Date

(9) A student who withdraws from a course before the census date will be eligible for a full refund of the tuition fee paid for the course.

(10) Where a student withdraws from a program by the census date, a full refund of tuition fees for the study period is payable, unless the student is a commencing international student.

(11) Where a commencing international student (or a commencing international student granted Australian permanent residency or NZ citizenship in the first study period of enrolment in a program) withdraws from their program or their enrolment in the program is cancelled, before the end of the census date of the first study period of enrolment, a full refund is payable less an administrative charge for cancellation of enrolment, as outlined in the University’s fee schedule for administrative and miscellaneous charges.

Refunds after Census Date

(12) Where a student is enrolled in a study period after the census date, a tuition fee paid for the study period is not refundable, unless:

1. The student is granted removal of financial liability in accordance with Removal of Courses Due to Special Circumstances Procedure; or
2. The student’s provisional enrolment is cancelled following refusal of enrolment in that study period for unsatisfactory academic progress (show cause); or
3. The student’s provisional enrolment in the study period is cancelled due to non-payment of fees by the study period’s census date; or
4. The student is an international student who is unable to continue study in the study period due to student visa refusal.

(13) A Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) is not refundable after the relevant SSAF payment date.

Refusal of Enrolment

(14) A full refund is not payable if the University cancels a student’s enrolment in the following circumstances:

1. The University withdraws an international student’s offer of a place or cancels an international student’s enrolment in the first study period due to the provision of incorrect or incomplete information in an application for admission. In this case, the administrative charge for cancellation of enrolment as outlined in the University’s fee schedule for administrative and miscellaneous charges will be applied.
2. The University cancels a student’s enrolment or suspends or expels a student from the University under the Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure. In this case, no fees paid by the student relating to the period are refundable.

Refunds of Financial Aid

(15) Where a student’s fees are paid by Financial Aid, the amount payable as a refund is calculated in accordance with US Federal William D. Ford Direct Loan Program Guidelines.

1. Where a student drops all course enrolments in a study period, having completed 60% or less of the study period, the unearned portion of funds provided for study purposes is repaid to the financial institution administering the US Government loan; or
2. Where a student withdraws from all course enrolments in a study period, having completed 61% or more of the study period, no refund will be directly payable to a student; unless the student is granted removal of financial liability in accordance with Removal of Courses Due to Special Circumstances Procedure or the student withdraws as a result of a student visa refusal.

Applications for Refunds

(16) Students applying for a refund must submit an online student fee refund request via my.UQ.

(17) Where a student cannot access my.UQ, a completed Student Fees Refund Request form may be submitted to fees@uq.edu.au with verifiable proof of identity. A prospective international student who has paid a deposit to accept an offer of a place at UQ may submit the form to applicationstatus@uq.edu.au.

(18) A commencing international student wishing to withdraw completely from a program in the first study period of enrolment must complete an Application to Withdraw before applying for a refund.

(19) UQ will process refund requests within 28 calendar days of receiving a valid student refund request application, or within 14 calendar days in the case of University default where a refund request is received from an international student.

(20) If information required from a student to process a refund request is not complete or correct, the processing timeframe will commence once the required information is received by Student Fees.

(21) Refund request notifications to students will be sent to:

1. The student’s my.UQ Dashboard Notifications; or
2. The student’s UQ email address, where the request is not submitted through my.UQ; or
3. The email address provided with a student’s application to enrol, where an international student does not have a UQ Account.

Remittance of Refunds

Currency

(22) Refunds will be made in Australian dollars, with the exception of tuition fees for the UQ-Ochsner program which will be made in US dollars.

Refunds to Payment Source

(23) Refunds are generally made to the original payment source, including:

1. Where an amount is paid under a University administered scholarship, third party contract (TPC) or loan arrangement, under the terms of which you are not eligible for a refund.
2. Where payment was made by someone else on your behalf.
3. Where payment was made via an authorised UQ agent.

Refunds to Another Account

(24) In the following circumstances, refunds may be made to another account:

1. Payments made by Australian credit card more than twelve months prior to the refund may be refunded to a bank account.
2. Where a student can provide documentary evidence from the payor's bank/card provider proving the originating account is closed, refunds can be made to a bank account.
3. For payments made by BPay or bank transfer, refunds can be paid into a bank account specified by the student (Flywire may require proof of original payment transaction and bank account details).
4. Where payment is made via an authorised UQ agent, the student may specify a different account for payment of a refund in the refund request.
5. For circumstances not covered by these procedures, the student may apply in writing to the Academic Registrar to have a refund remitted to a different account.

Uncollected Funds

(25) An amount in credit on a student’s account which has been inactive for a period of 15 months is considered uncollected funds.

(26) Students with uncollected funds will be contacted by the University, unless there are no contact details recorded in mySI-net or the amount of uncollected funds is less than $56.

(27) If the student does not apply for a refund or contact Student Fees within 30 days of the date the University notifies the student of uncollected funds, the student agrees that the uncollected funds are transferred to a University fund to support students in hardship.

(28) Uncollected funds which have been transferred to a University fund to support students in hardship will not be refunded except in exceptional circumstances as determined by the Deputy Director, Academic Services Division or the Senior Manager, Student Enrolments and Fees.

University Default – International Students

Refunds Where a Program cannot be Delivered

(29) If the University is unable to deliver a coursework program in full, it is considered a University default and a student will be offered:

1. A full refund of all tuition fees paid for the study period in which the default occurs and any tuition fees paid in advance for future study periods in the program; or
2. The student may be offered enrolment in another program by the University.

(30) If the University is unable to deliver suitable advisory support to a Higher Degree by Research student, the student will be offered a full refund of tuition fees paid for the research quarter in which the default occurs and any tuition fees paid in advance for future study periods of the program.

(31) Tuition fees paid for earlier study periods will not be refunded, except where a student is granted removal of financial liability for those study periods.

(32) In accordance with the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act), if the University is unable to deliver a program to an international student, the University is considered to be in default. In these cases, in the unlikely event the University is unable to offer the student an alternative program that the student accepts or pay the student a refund of the student’s unspent prepaid tuition fees, the Tuition Protection Service (TPS) will assist the student to find an alternative course of study or to get a refund, if a suitable alternative is not found.

Refunds Where There is no Compliant Written Agreement

(33) Where an international student withdraws from their program or their enrolment is cancelled but there is no compliant written agreement between the University and the student which sets out the refund arrangements that will apply in those circumstances, the University will refund all tuition fees paid for the study period in which the student is withdrawn or cancelled.

Appeals

(34) In accordance with the provisions of the University’s Student Grievance Resolution Policy:

1. A student may seek a review of a refund decision by writing to the Academic Registrar.
2. An international student can apply in writing to the Academic Registrar to request a variation of a charge for cancellation of enrolment.

(35) Requests for the refund of uncollected funds which have been transferred to a University fund to support students in hardship will be considered on a case by case basis and are to be submitted in writing to the Deputy Director, Academic Services Division.

Section 3 - Key Requirements

(36) Refunds applications must be made before uncollected funds are transferred to a University fund to support students.

(37) Students must supply supporting documentation requested by the University:

1. Where a refund is not able to be made to the originating source;
2. Where information is incomplete or incorrect;
3. To verify the student as the refund initiator.

(38) A refund request from an international student who is under 18 years of age must be authorised by the student’s parent or guardian who accepted the offer on behalf of the student.

Section 4 - Roles, Responsibilities and Accountabilities

Student Fees

(39) The Student Fees team has primary responsibility for the administrative systems and processes that are part of the fees function at UQ, including processing student refunds.

(40) Student Fees is responsible for managing refunds including:

1. Confirming eligibility.
2. Confirming method of payment.
3. Confirming amount payable.
4. Authorising payment of refunds.
5. Processing refunds within the specified timeframes.

(41) All student fee refund requests which have been verified as initiated by a student are processed by an Officer in Student Fees who will confirm the amount available for refund and identify the original payment source(s).

(42) A Senior Officer in Student Fees must authorise a refund.

Finance and Business Services

(43) Finance and Business Services (FBS) Division is responsible for:

1. Approving payments of refunds in accordance with the University’s schedule of financial delegations.
2. Remitting payments of refunds in a timely manner.
3. Contacting students with uncollected funds prior to transferring the funds to a fund for the benefit of students.

Faculty of Medicine

(44) The Faculty of Medicine is responsible for approving payments of USD refunds for the MD-Ochsner program in accordance with the University’s schedule of financial delegations.

Financial Aid

(45) A UQ Financial Aid Officer is responsible for determining the refund payable to the student and the loan provider where the student’s fees are paid by the US Federal William D. Ford Direct Loan Program.

Section 5 - Monitoring, Review and Assurance

(46) The University will monitor refund turn-around times.

(47) The Academic Registrar will ensure University processes for refunding fees are compliant with University policy and legislative requirements, including reviewing procedures annually and making required adjustments.

Section 6 - Recording and Reporting

(48) The University will retain records of refund applications, transactions, communications and appeals in accordance with Information Management Policy.

(49) The University will report on the outcome of the discharge of the University’s refund obligations in cases of international student and University default, in compliance with Tuition Protection Service (TPS) reporting requirements.

Section 7 - Appendix

Definitions, terms and acronyms