Taking leave or discontinuing your program

If you’re a domestic undergraduate or postgraduate student enrolled in your second or later semester/term of a program, you can apply for program leave. (A new student enrolled in their first semester/term would apply for a deferment, no later than the relevant census date.)

If you want to apply for program leave, you must do it before the census date for the term you want to start your leave. If you apply for program leave after the census date, it will be subject to UNSW's rules for course withdrawal and could result in failures being listed on your academic record.

Postgraduates on a scholarship, opens in a new window (e.g. APA) should check their scholarship’s deferrable. It’s also important to check your chosen supervisor is available during your return semester/term.

International undergraduate or postgraduate students on student visas can apply for program leave, but certain conditions apply. These are:

Notification of program leave/cancellation

Under Commonwealth Legislation, the University is required to notify the Australian Government Office, opens in a new window of changes in the enrolment of student visa holders. Cancellation and leave of absence (program leave) will in most cases lead to the cancellation of your student visa, and you’ll be required to depart Australia or transfer to another visa type. 

Provided you report to the Australian Government Office, opens in a new window as required, your visa cancellation should be 'without prejudice', and should not prevent you from reapplying in the future. 

Granting of program leave to student visa holders

As required by Commonwealth Law, student visa holders will be granted leave by UNSW, conditional on complying with immigration requirements. In all but exceptional circumstances (e.g. Serious personal/health problems requiring you to remain in Australia), student visa holders granted leave will be required to depart Australia for the duration of their leave.

If you believe your circumstances are exceptional, please provide documentation to support this claim. In all cases, student visa holders granted leave by the University must report to Immigration authorities to clarify their visa status. 

Reapplying for your student visa

You might find it easier to apply for a new student visa before leaving Australia. Whether you choose to apply in Australia or overseas, you’ll need to fill in a New Confirmation of Enrolment Request, opens in a new window.

Program leave is generally restricted to no more than 1 year. Applications for leave of more than 1 year will be approved only in exceptional circumstances, at the discretion of the Program Authority.

You can apply for program leave online. 

Once your request has been processed, you'll be notified of the outcome to your UNSW email account. You can also view and print your program leave letter online.

If you’re enrolled in the current term

If you’re still enrolled in a term after the census date, opens in a new window and you want to take a break from studying, you don’t need to apply for program leave for the term. You can drop courses via myUNSW up until the end of the teaching period. Depending on when you drop your courses, there might be different implications for your enrolment status, academic record and/or fee or contribution liability. Learn about these impacts here. 

Because you’re still enrolled after the census date, you’ll still have an enrolment record for the term, so you don’t need program leave to hold your place.

If you’re not enrolled in the current term

If you’re not enrolled in a term after the census date, opens in a new window, then you’ll need to apply for program leave to hold your place. See How to Apply above for more information.

If you‘ve applied for program leave and decided to return early, you can submit a request to cancel your program leave. 

In your request, you’ll need to include the term you wish to return to studies in your request (e.g. Term 2 2024).

Readmission

If you aren't enrolled by the relevant census date, and you haven't applied for and been granted approved program leave for that semester/term, you’ll be discontinued from your program. You'll have to formally apply for re-admission if you want to enrol in a future semester/term.

If you withdraw from courses with or without failure after the census date, you retain an enrolment record for that semester/term and are subject to the rules of re-enrolment.

If your application for leave is rejected, or you don't resume study at the end of the approved leave period, you must formally apply for readmission to the program.

Cross-institutional study

If you want to undertake study at another institution while you're on program leave from UNSW, you must obtain permission from your Program Authority before you commence your studies at the other institution.