Policies and procedures

It is very important that you attend all your classes and maintain satisfactory attendance while you are studying at RMIT UP, this means attending at least 80% of your classes during your study period:

• For English language students a study period is the length of your enrolment period.
• For Foundation Studies students a study period is the duration of a full semester.

If you cannot attend class, you should have documented evidence of why you cannot attend. For example, if you are sick you should see a doctor and get a medical certificate. You should give the medical certificate to Student Services at reception, or via email to pathways.compliance@rmit.edu.au. 

Medical certificates must include the date(s) that you did not attend class. Medical certificates do not cancel your absences but will help if you need to explain your attendance situation to the Department of Home Affairs.

Attendance is monitored in each scheduled class session. If you are late to class, or you leave class early, or you take an unscheduled break from your class, this may be counted as an absence. If you are absent from class for more than 60 minutes of that class session, you may be marked absent for the entire session. 

If you are attending your class online, your teacher will check if you are in class several times during the class session. If you do not respond to your teacher, you will be considered absent. 

You will receive an email to your RMIT student email address if your attendance begins to fall and you are at risk of not being able to maintain satisfactory attendance. Please respond to these emails. If you are struggling to keep good attendance, we would like to support you, to help you succeed. 

If your attendance level falls to an unsatisfactory level, (less than 80% and less than 70%), you will receive an official notice. This will be sent to your student email address to let you know that RMIT intends to report your unsatisfactory attendance to the Department of Home Affairs.

RMIT UP is required by law to report breaches of the attendance requirement to the Department of Home Affairs. 

If you are absent from class for 5 consecutive days, you will be contacted by email and/or phone to discuss your attendance. 

If we cannot contact you and you continue to remain absent from your classes, we may contact your emergency contact in Australia, or in your home country. We may also refer your case to the University Student Support team. The University Student Support Team may ask the Police to do a welfare check on you if they still cannot contact you.  A Police Welfare Check is when the police come to your home to make sure you are okay. 

It is very important you check your student email regularly and respond to any important communications from RMIT UP and RMIT University.

If you are an English language student studying in Australia on a Student Visa and you want to cancel your enrolment, we recommend that you firstly speak to your teachers and email rmit.up.studentservices@rmit.edu.au to find out if cancelling is the best option for you.  

RMIT UP must notify the Department of Home Affairs of any changes to your study plans, and this may affect your student visa. 

If you decide you do not want to continue studying at RMIT UP you can cancel your course.  To cancel your course, you need to complete a Cancellation Request form and submit it to RMIT UP Student Services reception or via email to rmit.up.studentservices@rmit.edu.au.

Please note that some of your prepaid tuition fees may not usually be refunded when you cancel your English language course.  Read more about Refunds and Transfer of Fees.

You should not cancel your RMIT UP course if you want to continue your studies in Australia. You may wish to apply to transfer to another education provider.  Read the Transfer to another Education Provider information available. 

If you’re stressed or anxious, the RMIT UP Wellbeing and Experience team have a range of support services to help you.

Read the RMIT UP Cancellation of Enrolment Instruction (PDF 227.9KB).

If you want to withdraw completely from your studies, you must cancel your course enrolment. We recommend you speak to your teachers and email foundationstudies@rmit.edu.au to find out if cancellation is the best option for you. 

If you’re stressed or anxious, the RMIT UP Wellbeing and Experience team have a range of support services to help you. 

You may want to consider taking a short break from your studies rather than withdrawing completely. Read about taking a Leave of Absence.

You can find out all you need to know about changing or cancelling your enrolment on the Change or cancel your enrolment page for students.

If you are a student enrolled in the English language course and you need to take a break from your studies, there are strict criteria you must meet.

International students on a student visa can only apply for a Leave of Absence if compassionate or compelling circumstances apply. 

If you take leave of two weeks or more in a 10-week course level, or one week or more in the Beginner course level, you will be required to repeat the course level and will need to resume your studies in the next available intake from week 1.

If your Leave of Absence is 6 months or moremore than 6 months, you will need to undertake a placement test to determine your English level when you return to study.  Your test results may show that you need to repeat a level you have already passed.

If you need to extend your Leave of Absence, you must submit a new Leave of Absence request. 

Taking Leave of Absence may affect your student visa. We recommend that you contact the Department of Home Affairs before you submit a request for a Leave of Absence.

Taking a Leave of Absence from your studies may also affect the start date of your RMIT formal course. You should consider how your study plan may need to change and if you need to defer the start of your RMIT formal course. If you have an agent, they may be able to assist you with this. 

If your leave of absence is applied after the first two weeks of a 10-week course level, or after the first week of the 5-week Beginner course level, you will be charged the full tuition fees for that course level.

If you do not return to study by the agreed date, you will still be required to pay the tuition fees as outlined in your original offer letter.

You can apply for Leave of Absence by completing the online Leave of Absence Application form

You must include supporting documentation in your application for Leave of Absence. Check the type of supporting documentation for compassionate and compelling circumstances. 

For more information about this process, please refer to the RMIT UP Leave of Absence Instruction (PDF 251.3 KB)

If you are a student enrolled in Foundation Studies and you need to take a break from your studies, there are strict criteria you must meet. You can only apply for a Leave of Absence if compassionate and compelling circumstances are affecting your ability to study.  Eligible students may apply for a Leave of absence for either six months or a year.

International students on a student visa can only apply for a Leave of Absence if compassionate or compelling circumstances apply. 

Taking Leave of Absence may affect your student visa.  We recommend that you contact the Department of Home Affairs before you submit a request for a Leave of Absence.

Taking a Leave of Absence from your studies may also affect the start date of your RMIT formal course. You should consider how your study plan may need to change, and if you need to defer the start of your RMIT formal course. 

If you are considering a Leave of Absence, we recommend that you speak to your course coordinator and Student Services for advice before applying.

Communication about your application, including requests for more information, will be sent to your RMIT student email account. We may also contact you during your absence so you should continue to check your RMIT student email and keep your contact details up to date.

You must include supporting documentation in your application for Leave of Absence. Check the type of supporting documentation for compassionate and compelling circumstances. 

Once your Leave of Absence period ends, you'll need to enrol in the next study semester before the last day to enrol or vary courses. If you do not enrol by this date, you may lose your place in the course. You will receive an email before the enrolment period telling you how and when to enrol.

If you wish to transfer from RMIT UP or RMIT University to another education provider, your student visa may be impacted.  Read more information about how a change in study situation could affect you and your student visa.

Students who have not yet completed six months of their principal course on their student visa are required to be released from RMIT or RMIT UP if they wish to transfer to another education provider. 

Do you need to apply for a transfer to a new provider from RMIT University or RMIT UP? You can read below to find out what you need to do.

If you want to be released from your RMIT UP English Language course, and:

• You still want to study your RMIT University course

or

• You don’t have a package offer for an RMIT University course

then you must apply for a transfer to a new education provider through RMIT UP.

To do this, you need to email the following documents to rmit.up.studentservices@rmit.edu.au:

• A completed RMIT UP Transfer Provider request form
• A valid letter of offer from the new education provider
• A written statement from you to explain why you wish to transfer to another education provider
• Evidence to support your reason. 

The RMIT UP Transfer to Another Education Provider Instruction (PDF 252.4KB) provides more information on the type of documents you will need to submit.

If you want to be released from your RMIT University course and your RMIT UP English course, the first thing you need to do is apply for release from your RMIT University course.

The instructions on how to apply for release from your RMIT University course are on the Transfer to another education provider page.

If the University approves your application, then you need to email the following documents to rmit.up.studentservices@rmit.edu.au:

• A completed RMIT UP Transfer Provider request form
• The email from the University approving your transfer to a new education provider
• A valid letter of offer from the new education provider.

If you wish to transfer from RMIT UP or RMIT University to another education provider, your student visa may be impacted.  Read more information about how a change in study situation could affect you and your student visa.

Do you need to be released from RMIT University? Read the information below to find out what you need to do. 

All refunds for RMIT UP English language courses are assessed according to the following documents. Please read the correct document related to when you were offered a place in an English language course at RMIT UP.

If you were offered an English language course on or after 27 April 2026, refer to this document:

• RMIT University Pathways ELICOS Refund Procedure

f you were offered an English language course before 27 April 2026, refer to these documents:

• RMIT University Pathways English for Academic Purposes (EAP) Refund Procedure
• Complete the application for refund form

All refund requests for Foundation Studies students are processed through RMIT University. Read about how to apply for a refund as a domestic or continuing international student.

If you are a commencing Foundation Studies student, you can read about Refunds for commencing or newly enrolled international students. 

Read all the information about assessments and adjustments applicable to your circumstances in the RMIT UP Assessment Policy and Procedure (ELICOS) (PDF 538.3 KB).

English language students who have difficulties on the day of the assessment can apply for Special Consideration. For more information read the Special Consideration Guidelines.

You need to apply for Special Consideration before your exams. If there is a problem on exam day, you may still apply for Special Consideration only if you have not started the exam.

You need to submit supporting documentation with your application for Special Consideration. For medical reasons, it is recommended that you include a Medical Impact Statement completed by your health practitioner.  A doctor’s certificate may also be considered if it states the dates and severity of the impact of your condition.

To apply for Special Consideration, complete the online Special Consideration application form.

RMIT UP provides English flanguage students with the opportunity to seek a review and/or appeal for an assessment result.

For detailed information about the review and appeal process for assessment results in the English language course, read the RMIT UP Review and Appeal of Assessment Result (ELICOS) (PDF 300.8 KB)

If you are a Foundation Studies student, you can find information about appeals regarding assessment outcomes on the RMIT Appeals webpage.  

You may request an informal review of an assessment result from your class teacher via email, Teams message, or in person, within two days of receiving the assessment result. Class teachers will provide feedback to you on your performance in the assessment task and clarify the assessment criteria to help you understand the result.

You may also seek a formal review of any weighted assessment result, but only in certain circumstances:

• The assessment didn’t comply with the description of the assessment criteria in the course information
• Reasonable adjustment hasn’t been implemented according to an equitable learning plan
• There has been an error in the calculation of the result
• The student perceives there is an inconsistency in issuing assessment decisions
• The student perceives that a personal conflict with teaching staff has negatively impacted their assessment result

A request for a formal review of an assessment result must be made within 5 working days of receiving the assessment result.

The outcome of a formal review for an assessment result will be sent to your RMIT email account within 5 working days.  

To request a formal review of an assessment result, complete the online Review assessment result form.

You have the opportunity to speak to your teacher about your final course grade on the last day of the course in week 10, which is usually a Friday.

You may also seek a formal review of your final course grade, but only in certain circumstances:

• The assessment didn’t comply with the description of the assessment criteria in the course information
• Reasonable adjustment hasn’t been implemented according to an equitable learning plan
• There has been an error in the calculation of the result
• The student perceives there is an inconsistency in issuing assessment decisions
• The student perceives that a personal conflict with teaching staff has negatively impacted their assessment result

Any changes to your final course grade may impact your study plan, so it’s important that any reviews and appeals are done very quickly, to ensure you are studying in the correct English level.

A request for a formal review of a final course grade must be submitted by Monday of the week following the release of results to allow time for the review and any further appeal processes to be completed before the last day to enrol in the next course.

The outcome of a formal review of your final course grade will be sent to your RMIT email account within 2 working days of your completed request being submitted.

To request a formal review of a final course grade, complete the online Application for review of a final course grade form.

You may only appeal a final course grade if you have already undertaken the formal review process.

If you aren’t satisfied with the outcome of the formal review of your final course grade, you can submit an appeal to the Deputy Director, English, but only if you have evidence of at least one of the following circumstances:

• The assessment didn’t comply with the description of the assessment criteria in the course information
• Reasonable adjustment hasn’t been implemented according to an equitable learning plan
• There has been an error in the calculation of the result
• The student perceives there is an inconsistency in issuing assessment decisions
• The student perceives that a personal conflict with teaching staff has negatively impacted their assessment result

If you haven’t undertaken the formal review process, or if you don’t have evidence of the reason for your appeal, it may not be considered valid.

The appeal process must be done very quickly so that you are placed in the correct class, and your study plan is not disrupted.

An appeal against a final course grade must be made the day after you receive the outcome of the formal review.

To submit an appeal against a final course grade, complete the online Appeal final grade form.

If your appeal is valid, the Deputy Director, English will review your appeal, and the outcome will be sent to your RMIT student email account within 2 working days.

Read all the information you need about assessments and adjustments applicable to your circumstances.

• Assessment and Assessment Flexibility Policy
• Assessment Processes
• Adjustments to assessment

If unexpected circumstances prevent you from submitting an assessment on time, you may apply for an extension.

If you need less than 7 days for your extension, talk to your teacher

If you need more than 7 days for your extension, you should apply for an Extension of time for submission of assessable work.

If unexpected circumstances affect your ability to complete an assessment, you may be eligible to apply for special consideration. Find out if you’re eligible for Special Consideration and how to apply.

Maintaining satisfactory academic progress is an important condition of your student visa. Continued unsatisfactory academic performance may affect your visa status.

We understand that there are many reasons it can be challenging to keep up with your studies. Remember, a range of support services is available to help you get back on track.

To help you meet the academic progress requirements for your English language course, you should:

• Actively participate in class activities
• Complete and submit all homework assignments
• Attend all classes regularly and on time
• Come to class prepared with the necessary equipment and supplies
• Take responsibility for your learning and engage in independent activities to improve your skills
• Submit assessment tasks on time

Your teacher, the academic coordinators and the Academic Support staff will work with you to identify strategies for improvement if you are struggling with your academic performance.

If you fail an English language course level, your teacher will provide a report detailing the specific areas to focus on and strategies to develop the English skills you need to improve. You will be required to repeat the course level from week 1 in the next intake. If you repeat the course level three times, and aren't able to pass, you will be deemed to have unsatisfactory academic progress, and you may not be able to continue your English language studies.

Student visa holders may be reported to the Department of Home Affairs for unsatisfactory academic progress in an English language course, and this may affect your student visa.

If you need help with your studies, talk to your teacher, or book in for some coaching with the Academic Support team.

For more information about Academic Progress, see section 5.18 in the RMIT UP Assessment Policy and Procedure (ELICOS) (PDF 538.3 KB).

If you’re an international student studying in a Foundation Studies course you are expected to make satisfactory academic progress. This is a condition of your student visa. Continued unsatisfactory academic performance could result in your student visa being cancelled. 

There are many reasons why it can be difficult to keep up with your studies. Remember that there are many support services available to get you back on track. 

If students meet the criteria listed below, they will be identified as being at risk of not meeting the academic requirements of their course. This is known as unsatisfactory academic progress. 

A student is considered to be making unsatisfactory academic progress if the student: 

• Has failed 50% or more of enrolled course load for the semester. 
• Has failed the same course a second time. 
• Has demonstrated that progress through a course will not allow completion of the course in the expected duration for that course (as stated in the eCOE) and has not shown compelling circumstances to explain the lack of progress. 
• Has failed to meet progress requirements prescribed in the ESOS Act 2000 or other regulations that affect eligibility for an Australian student visa.  

Read the full Definition of Unsatisfactory Academic Performance – Higher Education Coursework & VET.  

If you meet one or more of the above criteria you will be contacted and offered support to help get you back on track with your studies.  You will be given the opportunity to talk to an academic advisor and develop an Academic Performance Improvement Plan (APIP). 

If you continue to make unsatisfactory academic progress you may be identified as ‘final stage at risk’ and you will be asked to provide a written submission, called a ‘show cause’ submission, to explain your situation to the Program Assessment Board. 

Read more about Academic Progress process and support.