The University has strict deadlines for withdrawing or discontinuing a unit of study.
If you drop a unit before or on the census date, it is called a withdrawal, and your transcript will show a grade of WD. It is very important to drop units before the census date to avoid financial liability and having the grade counted towards your Weighted Average Mark (WAM) and academic progression.
Also, make sure the unit has actually been removed from your enrolment page in Sydney Student – students who remain enrolled due to personal error will experience academic and financial penalty.
Census dates differ depending on the semester you are enrolled in. Find your census date.
In some circumstances, you may need to withdraw from a unit after the census date has passed. In this case, you may have one of the following options:
If you apply to discontinue a unit after the census date but before the last date to discontinue in a teaching block, for any reason, you will receive a DF grade. This means you are liable for tuition fees, and while the grade is not counted towards your WAM, it is counted as a fail when calculating your academic progression.
If you experience circumstances beyond your control that impact your studies after the census date, you can apply for a DC grade. If approved, you will not be liable for fees and the grade is not counted towards your WAM or progression.
You have 12 months from the last teaching day of the relevant teaching period, or since you withdrew from the unit, to apply. If it has been more than 12 months, you will need to provide a reason for your late application and attach additional supporting documentation that addresses the lateness.
In addition, special circumstances may apply to domestic students where financial difficulties experienced by you, or your family, prevent you from continuing your studies.
DC grades are administrative decisions that are reviewed by Student Administrative Services. If your application is approved, you will automatically be given a fee refund. You do not need to take any further steps to receive your fee refund. If your application is declined, you can request an administrative review of the decision.
You can apply for a DC grade using the late discontinuation under special circumstances form. We encourage all students considering applying for a DC grade to contact a SUPRA caseworker for advice.
The University must be able to form a view of your circumstances independent of any statement that you provide – this means that your supporting documentation should contain all the information the University needs to make their decision.
Your supporting documentation must include the period of time you were affected.
Generally, we recommend you include the following in your application:
Read the full list of documents you can submit to support your application.
All documentation must be in English, or translated by a National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI)-certified translator before it is submitted to the University of Sydney. Find a NAATI-certified translator.
All other discontinuations from a unit will result in financial liability and the result will count towards your WAM and progression. Your transcript will show either an Absent Fail (AF) or Fail (FA) result. We recommend you get advice from one of our caseworkers in these circumstances. Contact us for help.
To find out more about discontinuing a unit before the census date, or how to discontinue a unit after the census date, read the information on the University website.
Check the University policy register, in particular:
Written by SUPRA Postgraduate Advocacy Service November 2024.
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