What are census dates?
The census date is when the University finalises your enrolment. Once the census date has passed, you’re liable for fees and incur academic penalties.
Non-standard dates and Withdrawn Early
Some units have a different deadline for withdrawing – this is called Withdrawn Early – which acts the same as a census date (e.g. summer units). Check the main census dates page for where to find non-standard unit dates.
If you withdraw from a unit after 11.59pm (Melbourne time) on the census date, you’ll have to pay for the unit up front, or if you’re a HELP-loan student, the fees will be added to your loan.
Check the census dates for your units to avoid academic and financial penalties.
HELP loans
If you're a domestic student with government support, the census date is also:
- your last opportunity to make up-front fee payments
- your last opportunity to apply for HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP loans
- when you become liable for HECS-HELP and FEE-HELP debts.
Research students
If you discontinue before 11.59pm (Melbourne time) on the census date, you pay fees for the time you were enrolled. See chapters one and three of the Handbook of Doctoral and MPhil Degrees.
The census date is your last opportunity to withdraw from a unit without the unit appearing on your academic record (transcript).
If you withdraw from a unit after the census date (but before the Withdrawn Fail date) your record will show the unit result as Withdrawn. If you withdraw after the Withdrawn Fail date, your record will show the unit result as Withdrawn Fail. This will affect your grade point average (GPA).
Exceptions
The last date to withdraw from a unit may differ if you are studying a unit taught in:
- summer semester – see your faculty's summer unit dates
- block mode – your faculty will advise the dates for each block mode unit.
Find the teaching period for a unit
Before enrolling
To check which teaching period a unit falls in, search for the unit in the Handbook and check the Offerings section.
During and after enrolling
For units you’re already enrolled in, log into the Web Enrolment System and go to the Unit enrolment section. In the table displaying your units, check the Semester column.
If you haven’t completed your enrolment, once you select units, they will display the same as described above before submitting or confirming your enrolment.
