University Special Consideration Application
Frequently Asked Questions – Supporting Documents for University Special Consideration Application
We often receive enquiries from international students regarding medical documentation for purposes such as withdrawal from courses, special consideration for exams, timetable changes, or tuition fee refunds.
If you require documentation for one of these reasons, please let us know clearly in your first phone call or email so we can guide you accordingly.
Here are answers to some of the most common questions:
Can a psychologist issue a medical certificate?
Most universities require a Health Professional Report (HPR) rather than a traditional medical certificate from a general practitioner.
According to university guidelines, an HPR must be completed by a registered health professional under AHPRA.
All registered psychologists meet this criterion and are qualified to write such reports.
Some institutions also accept reports from counsellors registered with ACA or PACFA — please check with your university to confirm.
Can I get a letter after just one session?
We understand that special consideration applications often have strict deadlines, so we strongly recommend that you check your deadline and seek support early.
If your mental health has started to impact your studies, the earlier you come to see us, the more helpful the support will be. Waiting until the deadline is near can increase psychological stress and reduce the effectiveness of support.
Psychologists need to understand your situation before issuing any supporting documentation, especially if a diagnosis is involved. In some cases, we may have enough information after the first session. If so, we will not delay the process unnecessarily.
However, we cannot guarantee that one session will be sufficient, and a second appointment may be needed to ensure the report is accurate, thorough, and tailored to your specific circumstances.
Our reports are not generic or one-line letters — they are carefully written, sincere communications that describe your situation to the university. A rushed or poorly written document may delay or undermine your application.
How many days of leave will the psychologist give me?
This is a clinical decision and can only be made after a thorough discussion with the psychologist.
Our administrative team cannot provide an estimate before your appointment.
What are the fees?
Registered psychologist: $225 per 50-minute session (sessions after 5pm incur an additional $20 fee)
Provisional psychologist: $60 per 50-minute session
Report writing: Charged based on writing time — typically a one-page, single-spaced report takes about 25–30 minutes
Reports written by provisional psychologists will be reviewed and co-signed by a supervising registered psychologist, and carry the same level of validity.
关于留学生申请医疗证明的常见问题
我们经常接到留学生关于医疗证明的咨询，常见的用途包括：退课、补考、调整课表、申请退费等。如果您有类似需求，请务必在首次通过电话或邮件联系我们时说明具体用途，以便我们为您提供最合适的安排。
以下是一些常见问题的说明：
心理师可以开 Medical Certificate（医疗证明）吗？
通常大学要求的是 Health Professional Report（医疗专业人员报告），而不是传统意义上的医生开具的 Medical Certificate。根据大多数澳洲高校的相关规定，“具有 AHPRA 注册的心理学家（Psychologist）”是被认可的医疗专业人员，因此我们注册心理学家可以出具 HPR 报告。
部分学校也接受 ACA 或 PACFA 注册的心理咨询师所开具的报告，建议提前向学校确认。
见完一次就能开证明吗？
我们理解所有 special consideration（特殊情况申请） 都有提交的截止日期，请提前了解并尽早就诊。
如果您的心理健康状况已经影响到学业，越早前来寻求帮助，效果越好，也能避免因临近截止日期产生更多焦虑。心理学家需要对您的情况有一定了解后，才能撰写合适的证明文件，尤其是涉及诊断内容。
大多数情况下，如果在首次会谈中获得足够信息，我们不会延误为您撰写支持性文件。但也请理解，有时需要安排第二次会谈，以确保文件的准确性和完整性。
我们的报告不是简单的“请假条”，而是根据每位来访者的具体情况，认真撰写、真诚向学校说明的一封专业信函。草率的证明反而可能影响您的申请成功率。
心理师会给我开多久的假期？
具体建议需由心理学师在了解您的情况、进行评估后提供。我们的助理在您预约之前，无法预估请假天数或报告内容。
咨询与报告的费用是多少？
如果您选择预备心理学家，他们撰写的报告将由督导心理师签署，在效力上与注册心理学家的报告等同。
