Deferral: Domestic coursework students
Sometimes you need a little more time before you're ready to begin your studies. If that’s the case, you may be able to defer your offer – for up to 12 months at first, and in certain circumstances, up to 24 months.
Before you go ahead, it's worth taking a moment to explore your options. Many students find that the right support or a short-term adjustment is all they need to get started.
How have you been feeling about your studies?
Everyone's situation is different. If you’ve already enrolled in units, we can point you to the people and services that can help.
Not sure whether to defer?
If you're not sure what you’d like to do, we recommend you accept your offer (by enrolling in units) before your offer lapse date – this will give you until 11.59pm on the census date (Melbourne time) to make a decision about whether you’d like to continue.
Once you’re enrolled, there are a range of services available to support you through your studies.
How to defer
If deferral is the right decision for you, follow the steps below to submit your request.
Step 1: Check your eligibility
You can defer if you are:
- a current Monash University student with an active offer or enrolment
- deferring one offer only (if you’ve received more than one offer to study at Monash).
You can't defer:
- multiple offers
- enrolments in single units
- internal course transfers
- cross-institutional enrolments at Monash
- enhancement study enrolments.
If you've already deferred one offer but then decide that you want to go with a different one, you’ll need to discontinue the first deferred offer. For help doing this, message Monash Connect.
Scholarships
Not all scholarships can be deferred, so you should check the conditions before you request a deferral – just search for your scholarship on our find a scholarship page to view the conditions.
Step 2: Choose the right time to defer
When you apply to defer is important – here's what you need to know before you submit the form:
- If you haven't enrolled yet: Apply before the offer lapse date in your offer letter. Once your offer expires, you won't be able to defer.
- If you're already enrolled: Apply before 11.59pm on the census date of your first teaching period. Withdrawing from units after census may result in financial and academic penalties – check the penalties for withdrawing from units before you proceed.
A few things to consider
Not all courses offer deferral, and some have specific conditions around when and how long you can defer for (including limited places in deferred intakes and fixed deferral periods of 6 or 12 months). With this in mind, it’s a good idea to submit your deferral request as soon as you can. This gives us time to reach out to you and discuss your options before the census date.
Graduate law students
If you’re already enrolled, you must defer your offer before the earliest Withdrawn Early end date of your units. See discontinuation dates for postgraduate law students.
After the census date
You won’t be able to defer your course after 11.59pm (Melbourne time) on the census date, so if you want to start your studies later on, you need to apply for intermission. Just keep in mind that if you withdraw from units after the census date, you may incur financial and academic penalties. See intermission (study leave) for more information.
Step 3: Submit the form
If a deferral feels like the right step, all you need to do is:
- Create your Monash account.
- Submit an Application to Defer.
In the form, you’ll be asked to choose your new course start date (by teaching period) and explain why you’re requesting a deferral. Understanding what has influenced your decision helps us identify support services for you, and improve our experience for all Monash students. You can also elect to be contacted by Monash Connect about our services and next steps.
Typically, you can defer your offer for up to 12 months. If you need longer, you'll need to request an extension.
What happens next
Once you’ve submitted the form, we’ll send you an email confirming we’ve received your request. If you’ve elected to be contacted, we’ll get in touch with you within two University working days to discuss your support options.
After your application has been processed, you’ll receive another email to your Monash account confirming you’ve deferred your course offer.
If there are any problems processing your request, we'll reach out to explain and provide you with any other options you may have (by email or phone, depending on the option you select in the form).
While on deferment
We’ll email your Monash account with more information (including services and assistance available during your deferment), so make sure you check your account regularly for updates. You’ll also need to keep your postal address up-to-date in WES (this is where we’ll send your new offer letter).
Keep in mind, credit is not normally granted for other studies taken on deferral without approval from your faculty.
Returning to study
The University will contact you at least three months before you return from deferment to confirm your return for the following teaching period. This communication will tell you how to enrol in units, or extend your deferment if that’s what you’d like to do.
If you want to return early, message Monash Connect to check whether you can enrol in an earlier teaching period.
Extending your deferral
In certain circumstances (such as medical conditions or compulsory military service), you may be able to extend your deferral for up to 24 months. You'll need to have an approved deferral of up to 12 months in place first, then you can apply for an extension.
To apply, submit another Application to Defer.
Extensions are considered on a case-by-case basis, so don’t forget to include details about why you need to defer for longer than 12 months, including any extenuating circumstances, and additional study or work activities you’re committed to during the deferral period. You may be asked to provide supporting documents – if that’s the case, we’ll let you know once you’ve submitted the form.
Relevant policy
Relevant policy