Special circumstances - QUT

What are special circumstances?

Special circumstances are unexpected events or situations that are out of your control and affect your ability to study or complete assessments.

Demonstrating you meet the criteria for special circumstances is a requirement for several student requests.

When can I claim special circumstances?

You might be able to claim special circumstances when:

Types of special circumstances and required documentation

When making a special circumstances claim, you must provide independent supporting documents with your application to demonstrate the circumstances.

To determine what you need to provide:

Check the requirements below for the circumstances that apply to you.
Check the page about the application you want to make for any specific requirements.

To help us assess your application, you can submit digital documents, including scanned copies or photos of official documentation (such as medical certificates).

Other personal videos or images, like photos of medical conditions or injuries, cannot be accepted as supporting documentation.

All supporting documents must be translated into English.

Health conditions (physical and mental)

This applies if you're unwell or have a pre-existing physical or mental health condition that unexpectedly worsens and impacts your ability to study or complete assessment.

Documentation requirements

You must provide a certificate or letter from a registered health practitioner (which can include telehealth and online doctors, pharmacists and registered nurses), stating:

the date(s) the practitioner examined you
the nature, severity and duration of the complaint (where appropriate)
that, in the practitioner's opinion, you weren't fit to study, complete assessment or sit an exam on the relevant date (dates must be specified)
the health practitioner's name, contact details, provider number and signature on official letterhead.

Certificate dates must cover the period relevant to the request for which you are applying (e.g. cover the date of the exam). Backdated certificates will only be accepted if the practitioner states in their opinion you weren't fit to study on the advised dates.

Documents we won’t accept

The following types of documents will not be accepted:

certificates and letters that use the wording 'The patient states...'
certificates and letters that have been altered or not initialled
a statutory declaration.

Attempts to alter, amend or falsify information on a medical certificate or letter from a registered health practitioner may result in formal disciplinary action. We regularly check medical certificates, letters and supporting documents to confirm their authenticity and accuracy.

Family or personal circumstances

This applies if family or personal circumstances beyond your control have arisen or become apparent.

Family or personal circumstances can include:

death or serious illness of a close family member or friend
significant medical problems within your family
family or relationship breakdown
domestic and/or family violence
severe disruption to domestic arrangements
involuntary housing instability
being a victim of a crime or accident
collapse of a family business which is severe enough to require your personal attention or unreasonable to expect you to commence or continue studies
financial distress.

Documentation requirements

The documentation required will depend on the nature of the circumstances. It must contain the name, date and contact details of the person providing the evidence and demonstrate the impact these circumstances have had on your ability to complete your studies or assessment.

Supporting evidence can include:

a medical certificate or letter
a letter from a medical practitioner that states the medical status of the patient, the patient’s relation to student, and relevant dates
a carer certificate that states the period the student is required to care for the patient
a letter from a police officer, lawyer, accountant, or real estate agent
court documents
a letter from the Oodgeroo Unit
a Respect and Safety Partner Equity Plan
a funeral notice, letter from a funeral director, or other confirmation of funeral details
a statutory declaration if you’re unable to obtain other documentation, or it may be submitted alongside other supporting documentation.

Employment-related circumstances

This applies if your employment status or arrangements have unexpectedly changed to an extent that it impacts your ability to study or complete assessment.

Employment-related circumstances may include:

defence reserve service
unplanned transfer to another city or country
substantial changes to your employment such as unexpected increase in responsibility and work hours
sudden and unplanned travel for work that's beyond your control.

Applying for and being appointed to a new position, ordinary work commitments and irregular/casual work will not be grounds for employment-related applications as these are normally circumstances within your control.

International students on student visas can't claim employment-related special circumstances.

Documentation requirements

You'll need to provide a signed and dated statement from your employer on official company letterhead stating:

the existence of unforeseen and extraordinary work commitments including the date(s) the conditions of employment changed
how this affects your study or your ability to complete assessment
evidence of unexpected travel commitments, including travel bookings (where applicable).

Unavoidable commitments

This applies in limited cases where you have an unavoidable commitment.

Situations where unavoidable commitments apply are:

jury duty or other court appearances
proceedings related to domestic and/or family violence or discrimination matters
sporting events where you have been selected to represent at a state, national or international event
significant cultural commitments (including weddings)
State Emergency Service call-out in the event of an emergency.

Documentation requirements

A signed and dated statement on official letterhead from an appropriate representative of the organisation or event stating:

the date of the jury duty, court appearance, sporting or cultural event, or emergency service
how this affects your study or ability to complete assignments or exams
why these commitments were unavoidable.

Technical-related circumstances

This applies where unforeseen technical issues prevent you completing or submitting an assessment on time.

Technical issues may include:

connectivity problems including internet outages and power outages affecting access to devices or charging
hardware failures including laptop or desktop malfunctions, hard drive failures, system crashes, and damaged devices
file errors where required documents become corrupted, unreadable or inaccessible resulting in loss of work.

You should keep a backup copy of your files. We recommend you use online file storage such as QUT’s OneDrive.

For issues caused by QUT-required software, contact your unit coordinator to seek advice and support.

Documentation requirements

Evidence should demonstrate the nature of the issue, the date and time it occurred, attempts made to resolve it, and how the issue affected your ability to complete or submit the assessment. Examples include:

screenshots, photos or screen recordings showing the issues
evidence of technical support from HiQ detailing the issues, steps taken to resolve them and the outcome
confirmation of internet or power outages from a service provider
system logs or diagnostic reports, such as network logs, crash reports, recovery or error messages generated by the device or browser history
repair receipt or technician report detailing the issues and action taken.

If you’re unable to submit your completed assessment, you may be asked to provide a screenshot of the document properties or version history to confirm it has not been changed since the due date and time. This can further support an approval for late submission.

Applications may not be accepted in these situations:

unreasonable delay in seeking support following the issue occurring
device failure without evidence of attempted repair or issue resolution
known or ongoing circumstances without contingency planning.

Course-related circumstances

This applies if you've been disadvantaged by changes in a unit or other circumstances in your course.

You can claim course-related circumstances if a unit has been changed and you'll be disadvantaged by either:

not being able to complete the unit
not being given credit towards other units or courses.

Other eligible course-related special circumstances may include:

placement
Work Integrated Learning
study tours and field trips
cross-institutional study
university-sanctioned activities related to your course.

Documentation requirements

If a unit has been changed: Provide a supporting statement from the school or faculty that offers the unit, clearly indicating that changes made it impracticable for you to complete the unit requirements.
For other course-related special circumstances: For placements, provide a screenshot from your InPlace portal that clearly displays your name and placement details, including the dates of your placement. If you’re applying for a deferred exam, you should also include confirmation of your schedule from your placement provider confirming your unavailability on the date of the exam.; For all other circumstances, provide a supporting statement from the school or faculty that offers the unit or course that details the nature of your circumstances, the relevant dates and how this affects your study or ability to complete assignments or exams.

Unexpected political, civil or natural events

This applies if unexpected political, civil or natural events arise and impact your ability to study or complete assessment.

Documentation requirements

The supporting documentation must be independent and may include:

a letter from a counsellor or doctor
a personal statement including a link to a news article or a public statement from local authorities.

In many instances, QUT will be aware of such circumstances.

The supporting documentation must contain the name, date and contact details of the person providing the evidence. It should also demonstrate the impact these circumstances have had on your ability to complete your studies, assignments or exams.