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A provider must set a census date for each unit of study it provides, or proposes to provide, during a year [HESA subsections 104-4(5) and 169‑25(1)] in accordance with the Higher Education Support (Administration) Guidelines 2022 (Administration Guidelines). A provider must also set a census date for accelerator program courses it provides, or proposes to provide, during a year [HESA subsection 169-25(1A)] in accordance with the Administration Guidelines. The census date is important for a number of reasons, including:
- it is the last date on which a person can withdraw from a unit of study and not be liable to pay tuition fees, accelerator program course fees or incur a HELP debt in respect of that unit of study;
- it is the last date on which a person must submit an eCAF to access a CSP or HELP loan (i.e. FEE-HELP, HECS-HELP or STARTUP-HELP);
- a person’s enrolment in a unit of study may be cancelled by their provider if that person fails to pay their student contribution amount, accelerator program course fees or tuition fees upfront or fails to successfully submit an eCAF on or before ‘the census date; and
- it is the date on or after which the full impact of any special circumstances on a student need to occur in order for their HELP balance to be re-credited under HESA.
7.1 - Unit duration and census dates
A census date must not be a date that falls less than 20 per cent of the way through the period during which the unit of study or accelerator program course is undertaken [Administration Guidelines section 25], which is the time between the unit or course commencement and completion dates.
The Census Date Calculator will assist providers to set appropriate census dates.
The duration of the unit should include any normal study breaks, assessments and/or exam periods. Supplementary exams should not be included, as all students do not normally undertake these. If final exam dates are unknown, the last day of the exam period is used as the end of the unit of study or accelerator program course. If a unit or course does not include a final exam, exam periods should not be included.
7.2 - Census dates for full-year units
A full-year unit of study has one census date and not separate dates for each teaching period. Semesters and trimesters in full-year units do not have separate census dates.
7.3 - Setting common census dates
Providers may set a common census date for multiple units, providing they apply the minimum 20 per cent requirement across all units.
7.4 - Census dates for postgraduate research units
Providers may determine the census date for research units of study undertaken by higher degree research students based on the days or weeks that an individual student is enrolled in a given period. This is the consumption model. Each student is enrolled in their own unique unit of study, although a provider may determine a common unit of study code for particular groupings of these units. The 20 per cent rule still applies.
Providers must comply with the standard census date provisions for postgraduate coursework units of study [HESA subsection 169-25(1)].
7.5 - Publishing census dates
Provider must publish the census date for each unit of study that it provides or proposes to provide, on or before the earliest enrolment date for units of study [HESA subsection 169-25(3) and section 22 of the Administration Guidelines] [part 37.3].
7.6 – Withdrawing before the census date
Providers must have processes and procedures in place allowing a student to withdraw from a unit of study. The procedures for a student to withdraw from a unit of study on or before the census date must not involve financial, administrative or other barriers to withdrawing (e.g. requiring a student pay withdrawal fee).
Providers must also have processes in place to allow a student to re-enrol in a unit of study if the student had previously withdrawn from that unit or course. However, providers must not, after a student withdraws from a unit or course of study, enrol a student in a unit or course without the written permission of the student (which must be given after the withdrawal) [HESA sections 169-17 and 169-18; HEP Guidelines section 38].