Important dates - census dates What is the census date? Importance of the census date Provider sets census dates Census date - your responsibility Census date and your enrolment Census date and your HECS-HELP debt What is the census date? The census date is the date on which all your enrolment requirements must be finalised. Importance of the census date The census date is important because it is the deadline for all the following: completing and submitting your Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form; paying part or all of your student contribution up front, if you wish to pay up front; and providing your Tax File Number (TFN), if you request a HECS-HELP loan. If you remain enrolled in a Commonwealth supported unit at the end of the census date you will: consume student learning entitlement (SLE); be liable to pay your student contribution; and incur a HECS-HELP debt, if you have requested a loan for your student contribution Top Provider sets census dates Your provider will set the census date for each unit of study.  Your provider is required to publish census dates by 1 April for units with a census date in the same year between 1 July and 31 December and by 1 October for units with a census date in the following year between 1 January and 30 June of that year. You should check the census date for your units with your provider. Top Census date - your responsibility You are responsible for meeting your provider’s census date deadline. You must be aware of: your provider’s census dates, and any specific arrangements for enrolment required by your provider You must check that all your enrolment and payment details are correct on or before the census date. Top Census date and your enrolment The following table outlines the impact of missing the census date. If, by the census date, you fail to … Then… complete your Request for Commonwealth support and HECS-HELP form your provider will cancel your enrolment as a Commonwealth supported student submit your Tax File Number, or make a full up front payment of your student contribution See also: Payment options and HECS-HELP your provider will cancel your enrolment as a Commonwealth supported student Top Census date and your HECS-HELP debt If you have requested a HECS-HELP loan for your student contribution then you will incur a debt immediately after the census date. You will not incur a HECS-HELP debt if you formally withdraw on or before the census date. See also: Withdrawing, failing, and non-completion Return to the Top of the page