Have you been offered a place but are not yet ready to study? You may wish to delay your start date.
Taking time off before a course has started is known as deferment. You may defer your course for a number of reasons, including for work, travel or personal matters.
If you have:
- received an offer but not yet enrolled, you can apply to defer your start date
- already enrolled, you can no longer defer and will need to apply for an intermission (leave of absence) before census date.
How long you can take
International students
International onshore students need to contact VU International.
Victoria University may grant deferment for all commencing local students in Higher Education (HE) and Vocational or Further Education (VE/FE or TAFE) courses up to a maximum of 12 months.
While this is a guaranteed deferment from the University, the course you applied to study may not necessarily be available when you wish to return. For example, deferral for courses without a mid-year intake must be for 12 months.
Deferral may also not be possible for courses that are being taught out, and will no longer take new students. We will negotiate alternative study options with you should this occur.
How to defer
You must defer prior to or at your enrolment session – do not enrol.
A deferment application (A83) must be completed and presented (with any supporting documentation) before your enrolment session:
- in person at a Student Service Centre
- by mail to the address provided on the application form.
We will acknowledge all applications for deferral and you will be sent a letter informing you that the deferment has been approved.
We will contact you with enrolment information before the expiry of the deferment period.
PLEASE NOTE: You can no longer defer after you have enrolled into the course. You will need to apply for an intermission (leave of absence) before census date.
Contact us
If you’re unsure what any of this means, please feel free to contact us – phone +61 3 9919 6100 or ask us a question. You can also chat online with one of our staff, Monday to Friday, 10am to 6pm.
