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.
You can view your study rate, key milestone dates including expected thesis submission date, supervisors, fields of research and other candidature details on the landing page when you log into my.unimelb and click on the Student Admin then Graduate Research tab. Once you have reviewed your details – follow the instructions in the Apply to change your study rate section.
How will changing my study rate impact my scholarship?
If your study rate changes from full-time to part-time or vice versa, your scholarship will be adjusted accordingly.
Normally, the end date of the scholarship will change to reflect the maximum full-time equivalent duration of your scholarship, and the stipend rate will change according to the new study rate.
Not all research scholarships permit part-time enrolment - please refer to the conditions stated in your scholarship offer letter to find out more. The information below applies to scholarship subject to the graduate research scholarship terms and conditions.
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Changing to part-time study rate
If you received approval to change your study rate to part-time, the remaining tenure of your scholarship will be doubled and your stipend rate will be halved (part-time rate).
We will ask you to provide a Tax File Number Declaration form to advise the University whether you wish to claim the tax-free threshold. If we do not receive a Tax File Number declaration form, the University must withhold income tax at the highest rate. For more information, see our graduate research scholarships page.
Changes to scholarship payments will take effect from the start date of the study rate change. If this date is in the past, you may be required to return scholarship payments to which you are not entitled. Usually this is done by withholding scholarship payments (in full or in part). In some cases, we seek repayment via electronic bank transfer or reduce the remaining duration of your scholarship. If this occurs, we will contact you and provide further details.
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Changing to full-time study rate
If you received approval to change your study rate to full-time, the remaining tenure of your scholarship will be halved and your stipend rate will be doubled (full-time rate).
Changes to scholarship payments will take effect from the start date of the study rate change. If this date is in the past, you will receive a back payment for the amount owed to you. If this occurs, we will contact you and provide further details.
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 student visa holder, you will need to review your visa or scholarship conditions before you apply. For more information, please see Reduced study load.
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 student 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.
If you already had started a form previously, please return to the form by clicking the green button below:
Return to already started form
If you need to create a new form, please click on the blue button below:
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.
- See a list of known technical issues, and how to get around these
Get technical help - If you cannot see your technical issue in the list above, or if you are having issues with your username or password, contact Stop1.
How to cancel a form
To learn how to cancel forms that you have submitted by mistake and need to withdraw; or if you have a list of started forms that you do not intend to submit for approval, click on the button below.
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.