The Census Date: It may sound like a terrifying day where every student is counted and tallied into a giant University branded sack of information. When in reality, Census Date is the last day to withdraw or drop a course without financial and/or academic penalty (depending on your program). Huh?

International students:

International students should reach out to International Student Support before making any alterations to their enrollment. It is crucial to maintain accurate enrollment details to avoid violating visa regulations and to ensure uninterrupted studies in Australia. Please also make sure you contact AskUON before the Census Date, if you have any questions about tuition fee payment, or if you believe you will have difficulty meeting your financial commitments. Good financial standing is a requirement under Student Visa conditions.

Pathways students:

While Pathways students won’t face a financial penalty for withdrawing from the course after the census date, they will be subject to an academic penalty. To explore available options or access University support services, please reach out to your Student Liaison Officer (SLO). Contact the SLO team via email at PALS-SLO@newcastle.edu.au.

All other students:

You need to make these changes before Census date so you don’t affect your HECS fees – or as I like to refer to them as “theoretical post-degree fun bucks”.

1. Log in to myHub to check you’re enrolled in the right courses.
   No one wants to accidentally take a third year course right out of the gate. If you’re not sure what courses you should be enrolled in, that’s what the trusty Program Planner is for.
2. Provide your Tax File Number (TFN) to the University
   So why do you need to do this? To apply for a student loan such as HECS-HELP, FEE-HELP, or SA-HELP, you have to fill in an eCAF (electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form, see Point 4 below), which requires you to provide your TFN. If you don’t already have one, you can apply for one. (PS: This is the extent to which my tax-related knowledge goes, please do not ask me how to lodge a tax return.)
3. Pay or defer your student contribution or tuition fee charge and the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
   What is a SSAF, you say? There’s more info about what it’s used for on our website.
4. Complete your eCAF (if applicable) to defer the relevant fees.
   Your eCAF (see Point 2 above) has to be submitted in order to be able to defer your fees to a HELP student loan. Your eCAF is completed through myHub. If you don’t fill this info out by the Census Date, you risk having your enrolment cancelled, so it’s probably a task right up there on the ol’ To-Do list.

If you drop a course after your Census Date you will still be required to pay for it, unless you apply for a refund or Remission of Debt and your application is approved.

Now I know what you’re thinking: when is the Census Date? The date is different for every term of study, so always check the uni key dates page to make sure when the date for your current term of study is and then organise your enrolment accordingly.