Students who are carers

Monash supports students who are carers of a person who is aged and frail or has a disability, medical or mental health condition. If your caring responsibilities affect your ability to study, you can discuss reasonable adjustments with a disability adviser. To receive this support, you'll need to register as a carer.

How to register as a carer

Step 1:

Ask the qualified health professional (with expertise in the appropriate field) treating the person who you provide care for to complete the Carer Registration form (pdf 350kb). This form can’t be completed by a relative or family friend.

Step 2:

A DSS adviser will get in touch with you to talk about any adjustments you may need for your learning. You can talk to them about this by email, on the phone, or through an in-person consultation.

Your registration with DSS and all the discussions you have with disability advisers are private – no information will be released or shared without your permission. Also, your registration with DSS does not appear on your academic record.

Step 3:

Outcome: We’ll email you to let you know if you’re eligible for DSS arrangements and, if so, what they are. You’ll also be able to check this information on the Student Portal.

Definition of carer

A carer is a person who provides personal care, support and assistance to another person who needs it because of a disability, medical condition, mental health condition, or because the person is aged and frail, and that person is substantially dependent on you for ongoing care.

Being a spouse, de facto partner, parent, child, or guardian to a person who requires care does not automatically mean that you are a carer. Similarly, living with a person who requires care does not constitute being a carer under the Carer Recognition Act 2012.

Other documents

If you're providing a letter from the health professional instead of using the form, it should include:

• information about the condition of the person you're caring for
• whether their condition is permanent, fluctuating or temporary
• a statement describing the care for which the person depends on you
• how your study may be impacted by these caring responsibilities.

Email all documents to disabilitysupportservices@monash.edu (we don't accept documents by post).

If you need more information on providing documents, contact us.

Privacy

Details of your disability and registration are securely maintained by Disability Support Services and will not be disclosed to other areas of the University without your consent. For more information regarding privacy, please refer to the Disability Support Services Privacy Statement. Your registration with Disability Support Services will not be noted on your academic transcript.

Support

We recognise the diverse needs of students, including those with caring responsibilities. As a student with caring responsibility you may encounter circumstances that affect your ability to meet academic deadlines.

If you need support, the best way to figure out your options is to reach out to Disability Support Services.

• Special consideration If you need an extension of more than two days for an assessment, you can apply for one through special consideration.
• Short extensions (two days) If you know you only need a little extra time to hand something in, apply for a short two-day extension (you don’t need to give a reason on your first application for an assessment in a particular unit).
• Students who are parents or carers of children Balancing your studies with childcare responsibilities can present unique challenges. Learn more about the support available to you.