Change my study rate

What is study rate?

Study rate is the amount of time you are dedicating to your studies. Your study rate can be part time (20 hours per week dedicated study) or full time (40 hours per week dedicated study).

You may need to request a change to your study rate when your personal or professional circumstances start to impact your study commitments. A change to your study rate can be requested more than once and at any stage of your candidature.

Before you apply

You should discuss any changes to your study rate with your supervisor. Together you will be able to determine what impact the change of study rate may have on your studies and successful completion of your thesis.

If you are a visa or scholarship holder, you will need to review your visa or scholarship conditions before you apply. For more information refer to the Reduced study load and the Scholarship terms and conditions webpages.

In order for a change of study rate to be approved, information about the date from when the change to your study rate should be made, as well as the reason for the change is required.

Supporting documentation and information

Supporting documentation may be required, especially from students who hold a visa or a scholarship as evidence that the change is due to compassionate and compelling circumstances.

Examples of such circumstances are described in the scholarship conditions as:

• serious illness or injury
• pregnancy or childbirth
• care responsibilities for dependants
• visa processing delays
• traumatic experiences
• political upheaval or a natural disaster in your home country.

Supporting documents can be attached to your online application. Note that the supporting documentation must include relevant dates (such as start and end dates for a reduced study load recommended by a medical practitioner). Documents in languages other than English require a certified translation.

Apply to change my study rate

Application process

Step 1

Submit 'Request Change of Study Rate' online form

Step 2

Automated system email – acknowledge application has been submitted

Step 3

Request is assessed by supervisors

Step 4

If approved, request is processed by administrator

Step 5

Automated system email – outcome of application

How to access support

Your supervisor can help you determine how you manage your time commitments and your successful progress towards the completion of your thesis.

Your local graduate research administrator can assist you if you need to know how the change to part time or full time study will affect your thesis submission date and any other milestone dates. They are also available to discuss with you if a change of study rate is the best or only option available to you, taking your circumstances into consideration.

How to get help

Get technical help

Follow these steps to get help if you are having an issue with the online 'Request Change of Study Rate' form.

1. See a list of known technical issues, and how to get around these
   Get technical help
2. If you cannot see your technical issue in the list above, or if you are having issues with your username or password, contact Stop1.

Get other form help

If you have a question about filling in the 'Request Change of Study Rate' online form, or your degree details on the form are not correct, contact your local graduate research administrator.

Get advice

If you need more information about changing your study rate, you can talk to:

• your supervisors
• your advisory committee chair
• your local graduate research administrator.

Planning your next steps after changing your study rate helps you to manage your studies and other commitments in your daily life.

Access to resources

Changing to part time, the hours you need for study are halved and this may affect your access to University facilities and resources. In most cases, you will have reduced access to a desk, computer or even a laboratory. Changing to full time generally means that your access to resources is increased.

Travel funding and grants

The majority of travel funding and grants require you to be completing your degree at a full time study rate during the period that the travel is being funded. Often part time graduate researchers change their study rate to full time for a short period and then apply to change their rate back to part time.

Fees

The Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF) is charged to all domestic students for each calendar year and may be adjusted as a result of any changes to your study rate.