The census date is the last day:

• before you become liable for fees for the units in which you're enrolled
• you can withdraw from a unit without Withdrawn showing on your academic record (there are some exceptions).

You have until 11.59pm (Melbourne time) on the census date to withdraw from units without financial or academic penalty.

If you withdraw from a unit after a certain date, your academic record may show Withdrawn or Withdrawn Fail. You should understand how census and withdrawal dates can affect your fees and academic record. For more information, see:

• More about census dates and teaching periods
• Academic and financial penalties
• Past census dates and teaching periods archive

If you’re a CSP and/or HELP loan student, withdrawing after the census date will affect your unit pass rate calculation.

Check for variations

Dates may vary by faculty so be sure to check with your faculty or on their website to confirm dates. Some units also have different deadlines to withdraw without financial or academic penalties. For details, see non-standard unit withdrawal dates.

Standard census dates for the most common teaching periods

Non-standard unit withdrawal dates

Some units have different withdrawal dates (known as the Withdrawn Early date), which acts as the census date and is the last day to withdraw without financial or academic penalty. Check the following pages for non-standard unit dates for 2024 teaching periods – if you’re still unsure, check with your faculty.

• Art, Design and Architecture summer and winter units
• Arts units
• Business and Economics units
• Education summer units
• Law undergraduate units
• Law graduate and Juris Doctor units
• Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences units
• Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences graduate units
• Flagship Rich Educational Experiences

To check non-standard unit dates for 2025 teaching periods, take a look at the units with non-standard dates page.

Census dates for 2024 teaching periods (sorted by census date)

Use this search to find a teaching period or code in the table. Results will appear as you type.