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Failure to pay fees on time: a case study

Read Harry's story to learn about issues related to unpaid fees

Published Date 19/02/2025

Harry is in his second year studying a Masters of Banking and Finance. Last semester, he received an email from the University about his unpaid tuition fees, warning him that his student account would soon be encumbered if he did not pay up. 

Like with all of the other spam flooding Harry’s inbox, he paid little attention to it. His overseas sponsor always paid his fees on time, so he assumed there was nothing to worry about.

When Harry suddenly couldn’t access his student account, his panic set in. His access to Moodle, library and enrolment services had all been cut off and he had no idea why.

Stunned and confused, Harry was at loss. He didn’t know why this was happening or what he could do to fix it. This was when his friend referred him to the MGA advocacy service. Embarrassed by his situation, Harry was at first hesitant to contact anyone for help. But his worry prevailed, and he made an appointment.

How did the MGA advocates help Harry?

Since he felt more comfortable discussing his situation in private, Harry chose to meet with an advocate over Zoom. 

The advocate guided him through the whole process – from explaining the situation that had occurred and the meaning of the warning email to advising him on next steps. As his advocate had suggested, Harry contacted his sponsor and began exploring his options, such as paying off the fees in instalments.

After that call, Harry was instantly relieved. Not only was he reassured that he had somewhere to turn to for advice and support, but he was able to remedy the problem and resume his studies.

Overdue fees and encumbrance

In Harry’s case, overdue fees led to the encumbrance of his student account. For more information on this, see the links below:

However, there are many other reasons that may cause an encumbrance on your student account. Here are some of the main ones:

  • failure to provide information for ATO verification
  • failure to provide your tax file number
  • overdue fees (including SSAF)
  • overdue student loans
  • non-payment of other study costs incurred as part of your study
  • unpaid late enrolment fee or other fines
  • unpaid halls of residence fees
  • failure to complete the Enrolment Questionnaire
  • failure to provide Unique Student Identifier (USI)
  • failure to provide residency documents
  • suspension for academic or general misconduct
  • exclusion due to unsatisfactory academic progress
  • faculty equipment not returned.
     

What should you do if your student account has been encumbered or if you don’t think you can pay your fees by the upcoming deadline?

As in Harry’s case, the first step is to figure out what caused the encumbrance (e.g. one of the reasons listed above). This may be stated explicitly in an email sent to you from Monash, along with instructions on how to regain access to your account.

If you’re worried about an upcoming deadline for fees, don’t panic! Just like Harry, you have the option to set up a payment plan if you can’t afford to pay it all at once. More on that here.

Last but not least – reach out to the MGA for advice! Our diligent team of advocates are always here to help. Email us at mga-advocacy@monash.edu for advice on fees.

The MGA advocacy service is free, independent from the university and all concerns raised are treated confidentially. We have professional, experienced advocates who can provide guidance and support on academic and administrative issues.

QUESTIONS?
WE’RE HERE TO HELP!

To get in contact with one of our advocates, please book an appointment via email () or fill in our online form.

Everything you provide in the form is treated as private and confidential. Only starred fields are compulsory. Demographic data is collected for statistical purposes only.

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