If I withdraw from my Australian course, how much tuition is refunded and when (2026)?

Plain-language guide · general information, not immigration advice

If you withdraw from an Australian course, the amount you get back is set either by the written agreement your provider was required to give you or, failing that, by a method in a Minister's legislative instrument — and the deadline is four weeks in both cases, but counted from two different points: four weeks after the provider receives your written claim under section 47D, or four weeks after the "default day" under section 47E, which for a withdrawal is the day you withdraw. This follows the Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 (ESOS Act 2000) on the Federal Register of Legislation, as of the September 2026 official page.

Which refund rule actually applies to me: 47D or 47E?

Section 47B requires a registered provider to enter into a written agreement with each overseas student or intending overseas student that sets out the refund requirements that apply if the student defaults in relation to a course at a location, and that meets any requirements set out in the national code. When such an agreement exists and covers your default, the refund is handled under section 47D.

Section 47E takes over in two situations: the provider has not entered into an agreement with you that meets the requirements of section 47B, or the provider is excused from paying under subsection 47D(5) because of a student visa refusal. In both of those cases the Act directs the provider to a refund under 47E instead.

The practical difference is not just the amount. The two sections start the same four-week clock on different events, which is where most of the confusion about "how long until I get paid" comes from.

How much of my tuition comes back?

Under section 47D(2), the provider must pay a refund of the amount (if any) required by the agreement made with you under section 47B. The Act does not insert its own percentage or sliding scale here; it enforces whatever refund requirement your written agreement contains, and that agreement itself must satisfy the national code requirements.

Under section 47E(2), the provider must pay you the amount worked out in accordance with a legislative instrument made by the Minister under subsection 47E(4). That instrument — not the Act — holds the calculation method, so the figure is found by applying the instrument that is in force at the time, rather than by any formula printed in the Act itself.

In both cases, for providers required to maintain an account under section 28, the refund may be paid out of that account (see section 29).

When does the four-week clock start?

	Section 47D — refund under a written agreement	Section 47E — refund in other cases
Applies when	A section 47B written agreement governs the default	No 47B-compliant agreement, or 47D(5) visa-refusal exception applies
Amount payable	The amount (if any) required by that agreement	The amount worked out under the Minister's legislative instrument
Clock starts	4 weeks after the provider receives a written claim from the student	4 weeks after the default day
Paid to	The student, or another person specified in the agreement	The student

The consequence is worth stating plainly. Under 47D, the event that starts the countdown is something the provider receives: your written claim. Under 47E, the countdown is tied to the default itself, so for a withdrawal it begins on the day you withdraw, whether or not any claim has been made by then.

The Act sets the deadline by which the provider must pay. It does not specify how long a payment then takes to arrive in a bank account, and it does not describe any internal approval steps a provider may run before paying.

What date counts as the "default day" if I withdraw?

Section 5 defines "default day" by reference to the type of default. Where paragraph 47A(1)(b) applies — the student's withdrawal — the default day is the day on which the student withdraws from the course.

For completeness, the same definition sets the default day as the agreed starting day where paragraph 47A(1)(a) applies, and as the day the registered provider refuses to provide, or continue providing, the course to the student where paragraph 47A(1)(c) applies. "Agreed starting day" is itself defined as the day the course was scheduled to start, or a later day agreed between the provider and the student.

When can a provider lawfully decline a refund under 47D?

Subsection 47D(5) removes the 47D obligation where the student was refused a student visa and that refusal was a reason for one or more of the following acts or omissions that directly or indirectly caused the default: failing to start the course at the location on the agreed starting day; withdrawing from the course at that location; or failing to pay an amount the student was liable to pay the provider in order to undertake the course. The Act's note to that subsection is explicit that the provider is then required to provide a refund under section 47E instead — this is a change of route, not a loss of entitlement.

The other way a 47D refund can be nil is the amount itself: subsection 47D(2) refers to the amount "if any" required by the agreement, so an agreement can leave nothing payable on the facts.

Who receives the money?

Under subsection 47D(3), the refund goes to the student, unless the agreement specifies a person other than the student to receive refunds under that section — in which case it goes to that specified person. Under section 47E, the refund is paid to the student.

This article describes how the ESOS Act 2000 allocates the refund obligation between these two sections and is general information only, not personalised advice about your enrolment or your visa; the provisions and any legislative instrument under subsection 47E(4) should be read as currently published on the official register, which is the authoritative text.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does a tuition refund take after I withdraw from an Australian course?

The Act gives the provider four weeks to pay, but the starting point depends on the section. Under section 47D the four weeks run from when the provider receives your written claim; under section 47E they run from the default day, which for a withdrawal is the day you withdraw.

Is there a fixed percentage of tuition I get back?

The Act does not state a percentage. Section 47D ties the amount to what your written agreement under section 47B requires, and section 47E ties it to the method in a legislative instrument made by the Minister under subsection 47E(4).

What if my provider never gave me a written agreement?

Section 47B requires providers to enter into such an agreement with each overseas student or intending overseas student, and breaching it carries consequences under section 47F and Division 1 of Part 6. Where no 47B-compliant agreement exists, your refund falls under section 47E, payable within four weeks of the default day.

My student visa was refused and I then withdrew. Do I still get a refund?

Subsection 47D(5) disapplies the 47D refund where the visa refusal was a reason for the withdrawal that caused the default. The Act's note directs the provider to a refund under section 47E instead, calculated under the Minister's instrument and due within four weeks of the default day.

Does the four weeks start when I send an email, or when the provider reads it?

Section 47D(4) starts the period when the provider receives a written claim from the student, so receipt is the trigger rather than the act of sending. These provisions do not prescribe a required form or template for that written claim.

Can the refund be paid to my parents or to an education agent?

Under subsection 47D(3), yes if the written agreement specifies a person other than the student to receive refunds under that section. Where the refund is dealt with under section 47E, it is paid to the student.

What happens if the provider still has not paid after four weeks?

The Act attaches consequences to breaching these refund sections: section 47G (offence), Division 4 (calls on the Overseas Students Tuition Fund) and Division 1 of Part 6 (conditions, suspension and cancellation). The Overseas Students Tuition Fund is the fund established under section 52A of the Act.