Written by Tess Ezzy
Hey there current students!
If you’re juggling courses at Charles Sturt University, there’s one date you need to circle on your calendar – the Census Date. Census date is the last date you can drop a course or change subjects without incurring a financial penalty.
It is also the deadline for new students to submit your Electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) to accept your Commonwealth Supported place. And if eligible to defer or if you are not deferring, pay your student contribution/tuition fees if you are not deferring payment via a HELP loan.
But what’s the big deal? Let’s dive in.
What’s the Census Date All About?
Picture this: it’s the day your academic journey for the session is set in stone. Here’s what happens:
- Financial Commitment: Say goodbye to free trials. Once this date passes, you’re financially on the hook for your subjects. If you’re using financial assistance like HECS-HELP or FEE-HELP, this is when your loans start to count. This is the also the last day you can make payment if you’re paying your fees upfront.
- Enrolment deadline: Your subject selections are locked in.
- Academic Records: Think of it as the point of no return for dropping subject/s without a mark on your academic record.
- Enrolment Lockdown: Your class schedule is now your destiny. Changes? Not without a fight and a good reason.
When is Census date?
You will have a Census date for each teaching period that you enrol in. It’s important to go through the below checklist before each one.
For all of your upcoming Census dates, check the Student Portal Key Dates page and filter your Teaching Period and Session, and then finally in Study Topics choose Census and Fees.
Your To-Do List Before the Census Date
- Go through the checklist – So, you have from the beginning of each session until the Census date, to check off these important tasks: Pay or defer your fees; Add or drop any subject and apply for a leave of absence or defer your course.
- Enrolment Check-Up: Double-check you’re in the right subjects. No one wants to realise they signed up for “Quantum Physics for Fun” by mistake.
- Withdrawal Deadline: If a subject isn’t your cup of tea, this is your last chance to drop it without financial or academic strings attached.
- eCAF Completion: If you’ve got an offer of a Commonwealth Supported Place, it’s time to complete your eCAF to accept your spot and pick your payment method, whether you’re deferring or paying upfront! It’s your ticket to funding.
- Fee Handling: If you’ve opted to pay upfront or set up a payment plan. Those due dates sneak up on you!
- Residency Status: Make sure your citizenship status is up-to-date.
- Ask for Help: If you’re in doubt, reach out. There’s no shame in asking Student Central for directions in the academic maze.
What Can You Do Up Until Census Date?
- Subject Shuffle: Last chance to add or drop subjects without the financial or academic drama. Do this before the first Sunday of session.
- Leave of Absence: Planning a break? Apply now – continuing students only
- Fee Payments: Pay your subject fees or the Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF), or defer with FEE-HELP or SA-HELP.
Post Census Date
- Special Circumstances: If life throws you a curveball post-Census Date, apply for special consideration with evidence to potentially withdraw without penalty.
Keep Your Calendar Handy
- Bookmark Key Dates: From Census dates to exam schedules, make sure you know when everything’s happening. Check out Charles Sturt University’s key dates for all the details.
- Remember, each teaching period has its own Census date. Session 1’s Census date is 28 March 2025 You can check the upcoming Census date for each teaching period on the Key dates page. Tip: Select the Teaching Period and then filter by ‘Census and fees’
Charlie blog is a SSAF funded initiative.
