Requesting Deferral, Suspension and Withdrawal
Deferral
Deferral requests can only be made before the commencement of the course. Requests can only be approved if there are compelling or compassionate reasons* defined in the policy.
By deferring course, students postpone the commencement of the course for a further date. Deferring your course might affect your student visa. Students are responsible for taking required actions for their visa.
Suspension
In Australian International College, each term consists of 10 weeks of study which is followed by a 2-week holiday. Students are not allowed to take any holidays during their study period. However, they can apply for a suspension of studies up to 12 weeks if they have compassionate or compelling reasons* defined in the policy.
Suspending your studies might affect the duration of our course. Accordingly, your CoE might be extended to cover the suspended period in your study, which might affect their student visas. Students are responsible for taking required actions for their visa.
Withdrawal
You can request for a withdrawal from your course at any point of time during your enrollment. Australian International College assesses each withdrawal request individually based on the nature of the request and evidence provided. Withdrawal requests might be approved under limited conditions including but not limited to:
- There are compassionate and compelling circumstances*
- Student is returning to their home country for good
- Student’s student visa status has changed.
In order withdrawal requests to be approved, there are other conditions which students have to meet. These can be found in the Course Variation form.
All refund requests are subject to refund policy.
How to apply for suspension, deferral or withdrawal
- Fill out the Course Variation Form which can be downloaded from the website or acquired from the student services.
- Sign the form and submit it to student services or email it to studentservice@aic.nsw.edu.au with attachments and evidence.
- You will hear from us regarding the outcome of your request.
- If you are not satisfied with our decision, you can appeal to the decision through Complaints and Appeals process.
*Compassionate and compelling reasons
- Serious illness or injury, where a medical certificate states that the overseas student was unable to attend classes
- Bereavement of close family members such as parents or grandparents (where possible a death certificate should be provided)
- Major political upheaval or natural disaster in the home country requiring emergency travel and this has impacted on the overseas student’s studies; or
- A traumatic experience, which could include; involvement in, or witnessing of a serious accident; or witnessing or being the victim of a serious crime, and this has impacted on the overseas student (these cases should be supported by police or psychologists’ reports)