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Compassionate and compelling circumstances

If you are experiencing difficulties and are considering changing or withdrawing from subjects or your course, we encourage you to seek support before making this decision. Please make an appointment with one of our Student Support Coordinators who are here to help and can connect you with support services that the University offers free of charge.

Compassionate and compelling circumstances explained

Compelling and Compassionate circumstances are circumstances that are generally beyond your control and affect your ability to study at UOW.

These circumstances apply to:

  • Leave of Absence application
  • Reduced Study Load application
  • Extension of COE application
  • Letter of Release application

Some examples of Compassionate and Compelling Circumstances

  • Medical illness or injury of a student or the student's close relative requiring hospitalisation or apply functional impact on the student's day to day activities
  • Sudden death of a family member where evidence can be provided in the form of a Death Certificate
  • An adverse experience that has impacted on the student such as involvement or witnessing a serious accident or witnessing or being a victim of a crime
  • A major political upheaval or natural disaster in the student's home country requiring immediate emergency travel
  • Inability to begin study in a program on the agreed date due to a delay in receiving a student visa
  • Subject unavailability

Some examples not considered as compassionate or compelling circumstances

  • A desire to change a course due to lower fees
  • The course not what expected
  • Minor illnesses or homesickness
  • Difficulties in adjusting to living in Australia or academic life
  • Failure to enrol in your course by the enrolment date
  • Failure to understand or seek clarification of key dates or withdrawal procedures
  • Distance of your accommodation from your UOW Campus
  • Financial problems
  • A desire to move to another provider to be with friends
  • Matters unrelated to your studies at UOW
  • Work commitments

Supporting documentation

Any requests made in respect to compassionate and compelling circumstances will only be considered if the request is supported by appropriate documentation, such as a Medical Impact Statement. 

For more information on what documentation you're required to provide, please read this AskUOW article.