Information for current students and students planning to commence studies in 2011

University of Canberra flood assistance

The University of Canberra wishes to help students affected by the recent Australian floods to stay at University or continue with their plans to start at the University of Canberra this year. If you have been directly affected by the floods, you may be eligible for support.

To enquire about accessing the support available please telephone Laurie Boal, Manager Student Equity and Access Office, on (02) 6201-2333 or by emailing Laurie.Boal@canberra.edu.au.

All of us respond to awful events differently. Whether you have been directly or indirectly affected by the floods, and your distress is making normal everyday tasks difficult or impossible, you can obtain help from:

• UC Counselling Service - phone 6201 2351, IB115 
• Multi-faith Centre - phone 6201 2052 or just drop by Building 1 Room IC83
• For after-hours counselling, anyone can ring Lifeline on 13 11 14.
  

Australian Government financial assistance

Students may also be eligible for Government Assistance.
 
The Australian Government has authorised certain payments and services for people affected by recent flooding events in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria.

The Australian Government Disaster Recover Payment is a payment of $1000 per eligible adult and $400 per eligible child who have been affected by the floods in NSW, QLD and VIC in the period November 2010 – January 2011. Additional information is available from Centrelink

Centrelink will assist people affected by these events to access Government assistance quickly. The application form and eligibility criteria are available online at Centrelink or by calling 180 22 66. Please check the deadlines that are listed to apply for this form of assistance.

Information for people intending to commence studies at University of Canberra for the first time in 2011

If you have been made an offer for 2011 but are unable to get to campus to enrol by the due date and are unable to enrol online, please contact our Student Centre on 1300 301 727. Flood-affected students who are unable to enrol by the due date will not lose their place.

After considering the support we can offer you and talking to us about your needs you might decide that this is now not the right time to start your University studies. For new students this is called deferring. If it is not the right time for you to commence your studies, or you need to take a break from your studies, University of Canberra will normally allow you to defer the commencement of your course for up to 12 months, for most courses. This means you can postpone your studies, but still retain your place at the University.
 
Deferrals cannot be processed once you have accepted your offer and enrolled in units. If you have enrolled you may have the option of intermitting your course. If you wish to consider deferring or intermitting you should contact our Student Centre on 1300 301 727 or email floods@canberra.edu.au to discuss your options.

If you do decide to defer we would encourage you to consider staying in touch with the University through our Gap Year program. Students can gain academic credit at the University of Canberra for demonstrated learning that occurred over the course of their Gap experience. For more information, please visit Gap Year plus program.