This guide explains attendance requirements at the College and what to do if you receive an Attendance Warning or a Notice of Intention to Report.

Why is attendance important?

 

  • All students are expected to attend 100% of scheduled classes as outlined in your program schedule. Poor attendance can affect your studies.
  • If you are an international student at UNSW College, you must attend classes regularly to meet your visa requirements. Poor attendance can also affect your student visa.

What are your attendance requirements?

 

  • You should attend all scheduled classes.
  • International students must keep attendance above 80%. If your attendance falls below 80%, UNSW College must report you to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) for breaching your student visa conditions.

Before a student is reported to the DHA, the College will send 2 Attendance Warning emails, and then finally a Notice of Intention to Report. In cases where more than one attendance warning is due at the same time, the College may choose to send only a single notice or reminder.

How do we monitor attendance?

 

The College will monitor both:

  • Your actual attendance – the classes you have attended so far; and
  • Your potential maximum attendance – your best possible attendance if you attend all remaining classes.

What happens if you miss classes?

 

If you are sick or something happens that is beyond your control and prevents you from attending classes, you are required to:

  • Submit an Absence Notification Form with official evidence as proof of the reason for absence (for example – a medical certificate from a local doctor, hospital or other official document). Overseas medical certificates are not accepted for students studying in Sydney.
  • Keep any medical certificates or documents that could explain your absences.

IMPORTANT: Do not submit falsified documents. This is serious misconduct and can lead to penalties.

Attendance Warning emails and Notice of Intention to Report

 

The College will send 3 attendance notifications in total to a student who fails to meet satisfactory attendance.

1. The first warning – advises that your attendance is dropping. You should:

  • Follow the instructions in the warning letter to maintain attendance above 80%
  • Seek immediate support to improve your attendance. UNSW College provides support services that are free and easily accessible, including the Student Wellbeing Support, Equitable Learning Support, and Academic Support. Click below links to find out more or to make a booking.

 

2. The second warning – advises that your attendance has dropped further. You must:

  • Follow the instructions in the warning letter to maintain attendance above 80%.
  • Book and attend a compulsory meeting with a Student Progress Adviser to discuss your attendance.
    IMPORTANT – the intent of this meeting is to find out why you have been absent and to see what support the College may be able to offer you. Therefore, it is in your best interest to attend this compulsory meeting.

 

3. Notice of Intention to Report – advises that your attendance has dropped below 80%. If you are an international student, UNSW College is required to report you to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) due to poor attendance, unless you successfully appeal.

Appealing a Notice of Intention to Report

 

  • If you receive a Notice of Intention to Report, you can appeal if:
    • You experienced compassionate or compelling circumstances that prevented you from being able to maintain your attendance above 80%. You must submit official evidence to verify the circumstances. Please refer to the Guidelines for Assessing Compassionate or Compelling Circumstances for more information.
    • There was procedural unfairness, for example incorrect attendance calculation.
  • Submit your appeal within 20 working days from the date you are sent the notice, using the Stage 3 Appeal Form on the Current Student Website.
  • You must provide supporting documentation (evidence) with your appeal, or your appeal may not be accepted.
  • If you need guidance with your appeal, you can email [email protected] to arrange a meeting with the Complaints and Appeals Team who can discuss the process with you.

What happens after I submit my appeal?

 

Once you submit your appeal:

  • The Conduct & Integrity Manager will review it and may request more information or invite you to a meeting.
  • Your attendance will continue to be monitored during this process, and you will receive the outcome once your final attendance rate is confirmed.

IMPORTANT – during the appeal process:

  • Keep attending classes: Your potential maximum attendance is already below 80%. Missing more classes will lower it further and may negatively affect your appeal.
  • If you are struggling to attend your classes: Contact Student Support immediately if personal circumstances make it hard to meet enrolment and visa requirements. They can help explore options, such as taking a break for health reasons, before your attendance drops further.
  • Stay committed: If you remain enrolled, you must attend all scheduled classes while awaiting the decision. Additional absences that reduce your attendance may result in an unsuccessful appeal.

When UNSW College may decide not to report you

 

Under the Attendance Monitoring Policy and the National Code Standard 8: Overseas student visa requirements,  UNSW College may choose not to report a student to the Department of Home Affairs (DHA) when both of the following conditions are met:

  1. You are still attending at least 70% of your scheduled classes or contact hours; AND
  2. You have provided genuine evidence of compassionate or compelling circumstances for your absences.

 

If your attendance falls below 70%, UNSW College must report you to the DHA, even if you have submitted your appeal and continued to provide evidence of compassionate or compelling circumstances.

 

PLEASE NOTE: Being reported may lead to a cancellation of your student visa by the DHA. You should contact the DHA directly to understand how a report for low attendance may affect your visa status. More information can be found on the Department’s website: https://immi.homeaffairs.gov.au/

If your appeal is unsuccessful

 

If you have evidence that UNSW College did not follow the correct procedure in managing your appeal, you can appeal externally to either:

 

You have 10 working days from the date you are sent the internal appeal outcome to appeal externally. If you appeal externally to the Ombudsman, you are required to email [email protected] with a case number provided to you by the Ombudsman.

IMPORTANT: If no correspondence is received by UNSW College within 10 working days about an external appeal, the College will consider that the matter is concluded and will proceed with reporting you to the Department of Home Affairs.

Support services

 

Wellbeing support

We recognise that managing academic and personal responsibilities can at times be challenging. UNSW College offers free, confidential wellbeing support to assist you in maintaining your health and wellbeing. You are welcome to contact the Student Wellbeing Team by email at [email protected], or visit Student Services (Level 1, UNSW College L5 Building). The team is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

 

If you require assistance outside these hours, please contact the UNSW After Hours Mental Health Support Line on +61 2 9385 5418.

 

Academic support

If you need learning support or academic advice regarding your current course, you can easily meet with a Student Progress Adviser. One-on-one meetings are available on campus or online. You can book an appointment at a time that works for you or email the Academic Progression Team, or call +61 2 8236 2222. The team is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

This guide should be read together with the College’s Attendance Monitoring Policy.

Last modified: 10:32 am, 8 January 2026