Fee refunds, returns and credit for withdrawals , Whakahoki moni mō te unu akoranga

If you officially withdraw before 17 per cent of your first course has passed this is called an on-time withdrawal and you can get the cost of your tuition fees credited to your student portal account or third party (eg StudyLink) depending on your method of payment.

You can withdraw from:

• a course
• several courses
• all courses.

Depending on how many courses you're withdrawing from and when, your non-tuition fees may be adjusted and credited where applicable.

After 17 per cent of your course has passed this is considered a late withdrawal and you won't ordinarily get a refund or credit, and there may be an impact on your academic record.

Discuss your study withdrawal plans with an academic advice team member

Difference between returns, refunds and credits

Fee return

This term describes an option in the specific circumstances process that you can use if you are more than 17% into your course to let us know that you think can’t continue studying. You don’t have to withdraw to initiate this process. See the "Changes to personal circumstances after the on-time withdrawal date" section on this page for further details.

If we look at your circumstances and agree that withdrawing from the course is unavoidable, we will help you withdraw, and we will advise the fees team that they can process a fee return.

How the fees team process the fee return depends on how you paid and your other circumstances. See the information on refunds and credits for details.

Refund

If you withdraw on time or a fee return application has been granted, and your course and non-tuition fees have already been paid, you may be entitled to have your course and other non-tuition fees refunded. The refunds available to be paid to you will be made as follows:

• to your personal account if you paid for your fees yourself
• back to your New Zealand study loan if StudyLink paid your fees
• back to your sponsor, or employer, if you’re a sponsored student.

Credit

If you withdraw on time or fee return is granted, but the cost of your course and non-tuition fees has yet to be paid, the cost of your course or tuition fees will be credited to your student portal account, StudyLink or third party depending on your method of payment. Any remaining amount can then be used to pay for your next course or tuition fees (noting that debt is covered before any refund occurs).

Dates for course withdrawals

You can find your course withdrawal dates on:

• the page about your course on this website
• your Confirmation of Enrolment letter, which you can view by logging in to the student portal

Dates and times are in New Zealand standard time.

Find a course or qualification

Discuss your study withdrawal plans with an academic advice team member

Before you withdraw

We have a range of services available to provide support and advice for students when their personal circumstances change. These services can work with you to help decide what steps you can take to still achieve your academic goals.

Before you withdraw from study, consider:

• contacting your course co-ordinator for help and advice or contact us
• making an appointment with a counsellor
• reaching out to one of our student achievement support teams, including our Māori and Pacific student support
• making an appointment with the student health centre
• asking for help to make adjustments to courses and assessments (for example, extensions) by going to the Student support tab in the student portal.

Find other support and services for students

Changes to personal circumstances after the on-time withdrawal date

If you have a change in your personal circumstance which is making you feel that you cannot complete your course, courses or qualification and you are more than 17% into your course, you may ask us for help through the specific circumstances process. You can do this on the Student Support tab in the student portal.

Specific circumstances are situations such as illness, injury, disability, or learning impairment that have impacted or will impact your current study. We will try and help you make adjustments to your study so you can continue. But, if we agree that your circumstances are such that it’s not possible for you to continue studying, we will help you with the processes that follow. In some circumstances, this may include us agreeing to a fee return (which used to be called a fee appeal).

How to withdraw

If you have considered all of the different options, including support available for changes to personal circumstances (see above), and you are certain you need to withdraw from a course or qualification, you can do this through the student portal. Sending an email to your tutor or the university is not an official withdrawal and will mean the withdrawal doesn't happen on your student account and you are likely to be failed or be liable for fees. If you need help with withdrawing, please contact us.

How to withdraw from courses or qualifications

International Student Administration Fee

If you are an international student, and you withdraw from all study at Massey, you may be charged an International Administration Fee to cover the cost of administration.

Discuss your study withdrawal plans with an academic advice team member

StudyLink student loans and allowances

If you used a student loan to pay your fees, any credit of fees for withdrawn course will be refunded to StudyLink.

If you make any change to your study, including withdrawing from some or all of your courses, notify StudyLink immediately. Changes to courses can have an impact on your eligibility to receive StudyLink support so we encourage you to discuss this with StudyLink before you withdraw.

StudyLink website – changing courses page

StudyLink website – withdraw from all study page

Contact us

Get in touch with us early about money matters so we can help and point you in the right direction. We want you to succeed with your study at Massey and are here to help.

If you're a current student, include your student ID number when you contact us.

Contact us