Learn how to request a refund as a domestic or international student, and how to change your course.
Requesting a refund of tuition fees
If your eVision tuition account has a credit balance, you may be eligible for a refund.
Adding your bank account will not automatically trigger the refund, and the date on a credit note does not indicate when you will receive it. Student Finance will email you or send an eVision alert when your refund is ready. Be sure to respond to refund alerts promptly.
If you have not heard from Student Finance yet and want to request a refund, please follow the instructions below.
Domestic students
If you took out a student loan through StudyLink to pay your fees
The University of Otago must return any credit to StudyLink to be credited against your student loan balance. Student Finance will automatically arrange any refund of fees to StudyLink.
If you paid your fees yourself
- Ensure that your bank account details are up to date in eVision.
How to add or update your bank account details - Contact AskOtago to request your refund.
AskOtago enquiry form
International students
If you want your refund paid to a New Zealand bank account
- Ensure that your New Zealand bank account details are up to date in eVision.
How to add or update your bank account details - Contact AskOtago to request your refund.
AskOtago enquiry form
If you want your refund paid to an international bank account
If you do not have a New Zealand bank account, or prefer your refund to be paid to your International bank account:
- Contact AskOtago and request your refund to be paid to your International bank account.
AskOtago enquiry form - Student Finance will then send you a link to the Convera Education Refunds portal, where you will need to provide your international bank account details.
Refund policy and deadlines for domestic students
Students may be deleted from enrolment in papers until 11:59 PM on the following dates:
| Paper/intake | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Summer School papers | 15 January 2025 |
| Semester 1 papers | 16 March 2025 |
| Full year papers | 23 March 2025 |
| Semester 2 papers | 3 August 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – February | 21 March 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – June | 18 July 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – October | 16 November 2025 |
If a student deletes in full and has completed the Course Approval process, they will receive a full refund of tuition fees paid, minus a Tuition Refund fee of $100.00.
Students who withdraw after these deadlines may be eligible for up to a 50% refund of tuition fees in exceptional circumstances only (sundry and administration fees are non-refundable). In such cases, withdrawal must be completed by 11:59 PM on the following dates:
| Paper/intake | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Summer School Papers | 7 February 2025 |
| Semester 1 papers | 4 May 2025 |
| Full year papers | 21 September 2025 |
| Semester 2 papers | 21 September 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – February | 22 April 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – June | 19 August 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – October | 21 December 2025 |
Withdrawal under exceptional circumstances refers to withdrawal after the usual deletion or withdrawal deadlines, in situations that prevent successful completion of a paper or papers due to unexpected and exceptional circumstances such as sudden and significant illness.
Learn about withdrawing under exceptional circumstances
If you use a Government Student Loan to pay your University fees and later qualify for a full or partial refund, the University will refund any eligible amount directly to StudyLink to credit against your student loan balance. This is consistent with the provision in your student loan contract with StudyLink.
Please note that if you are enrolled in a programme and the University has incurred costs for external clinical placements on your behalf, those costs will be deducted from any refund.
Refund policy and deadlines for international students
If the University withdraws an offer of a place or is unable to provide a course, all tuition fees paid will be fully refunded. However, if an offer is withdrawn due to incorrect or incomplete information provided by the student, the University reserves the right to retain up to 10% of the course fee.
Students who receive a conditional offer of place but fail to meet the conditions of the offer will be refunded the course deposit and any tuition fees in full.
A student who has not been required to secure his/her place with a deposit, must provide written notice of withdrawal from courses by 11:59pm (NZ time) on:
| Paper/intake | Deadline |
|---|---|
| Summer School papers | 15 January 2025 |
| Semester 1 papers | 16 March 2025 |
| Full year papers | 23 March 2025 |
| Semester 2 papers | 3 August 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – February | 21 March 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – June | 18 July 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – October | 16 November 2025 |
If a student deletes in full and has completed the Course Declaration process, they will receive a full refund of tuition fees paid, minus a Tuition Refund fee of NZ$100.00.
Fee protection policy
The University is governed by the Public Finance Act, the Education Act, and University Council regulations regarding student fees. Each enrolled student has a dedicated fee account. If the University cannot offer an academic programme for the semester intake indicated on the student's Offer of Place, all fees will be refunded to the student. For more details on the university's refund policy for international students, please refer to the section above.
Changing your course
If you wish to add, drop, or change papers, and have completed the course approval declaration, you will need to complete a change of course.
Deadlines for making changes
The deadlines for making changes to your course in 2025 are below:
| Adding - by 11:59pm on: | Deleting - by 11:59pm on: | Withdrawing - by 11:59pm on: | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer School Papers | 9 January 2025 | 15 January 2025 | 7 February 2025 |
| Semester 1 papers | 2 March 2025 | 16 March 2025 | 4 May 2025 |
| Full year papers | 2 March 2025 | 23 March 2025 | 21 September 2025 |
| Semester 2 papers | 20 July 2025 | 3 August 2025 | 21 September 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – February | 28 February 2025 | 21 March 2025 | 22 April 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – June | 27 June 2025 | 18 July 2025 | 19 August 2025 |
| Foundation Studies Intake – October | 24 October 2025 | 16 November 2025 | 21 December 2025 |
Adding papers
If you add a paper to your enrolment, any additional fees incurred must be paid within 20 days of registering the change.
Deleting and withdrawing from papers
- If you delete a paper by the due date, you will be entitled to a refund of tuition fees for that paper, (except the $100.00 Tuition Refund fee if all papers are deleted).
- If the last day to delete has passed, you may withdraw from a paper, but no refund will be given, and you will still be responsible for any unpaid fees.
- For non-standard date papers, the deadlines for deletion and withdrawal shall be one-third and two-thirds of the way through the paper respectively, normally calculated based on the start date and end date of the paper.
See the paper database for these dates in relation to a specific non-standard date paper - Deletions or withdrawals after the deadlines noted above will be permitted only in exceptional circumstances which are beyond your control and which prevent you from completing your course.
Learn about withdrawing under exceptional circumstances
For more information, visit the following pages:
Contact us for help with your fees
For further information about refunds please log an enquiry with AskOtago.
AskOtago enquiry form
Student Finance Office
Tel +64 3 479 9006