How do I Apply for Extenuating Circumstances?

How do I Apply for Extenuating Circumstances?

Extenuating circumstances can arise unexpectedly and significantly impact a student’s academic performance. Fortunately, many educational institutions have policies in place to accommodate such situations. If you are facing extenuating circumstances that have affected your studies, it’s important to be conscious of the process of applying for consideration. In this article, we will provide an all-inclusive guide on how to apply for extenuating circumstances, ensuring that you have the necessary information and steps to negotiate the application process effectively.

Applying for extenuating circumstances requires a thorough consciousness of your institution’s policies and procedures, gathering supporting official papers, and completing the application form accurately. By following the steps outlined in this all-inclusive guide, you can navigate the application process effectively and seek the necessary considerations or accommodations for your circumstances. Remember to maintain open communication with the relevant department or office and seek additional support if needed. Your institution is there to assist you during challenging times and ensure that you have the opportunity to succeed academically despite extenuating circumstances.

 How do you get extenuating circumstances?

You can get extenuation through an online form. You will need to provide information on each assessment you are applying for and provide a detailed explanation of your circumstances and how they have prevented you from submitting or negatively impacting your performance during the assessment.

You will also need to provide evidence in support of your claim. This should be submitted via your student portal following your online application. This might be in the form of a doctor’s letter, hospital discharge papers, an eviction notice, or a death certificate. Generally, anything that can support the circumstances you talk about in your application. official papers such as prescriptions or appointment letters will not be accepted by the University. You can find examples of acceptable evidence to give in your claim here. We have also written a guide for medical professionals writing support letters for extenuation claims.

When Can I Apply?

Generally, you can apply as soon as you realize that your ability to submit your work on time is being impacted, however, we find that applications that are submitted too far in advance of submission deadlines are more likely to be rejected. Applying around 2-3 weeks beforehand should be fine. You can also submit a claim after your assessment deadline has passed.

There are deadlines each academic semester/year by which you need to submit your extenuation applications. These vary depending on your year level.

Semester A (autumn): 23 January 2025
Semester B (spring): 29 May 2025
Semester B (spring) re-sits: 31 July 2025
Semester C (summer): 25 September 2025

If you miss these deadlines but still need to apply for extenuation for an assessment you can do so via the appeals process. However, it is harder to have extenuation granted via that process, so it is strongly recommended that you try and meet the above deadlines as much as possible.

Read Also: Does the College of Cape Town accept late applications?

How Does Extenuation Get Me?

If your extenuation claim is accepted by the University, you will be able to submit your work at the reassessment deadline without your mark being capped.

If extenuation is granted at the resit, then you will be able to defer the assessment and re-register for the module again. This may only be possible when students have not exhausted all assessment attempts. In these circumstances, the re-registration of the module may incur tuition fee costs.

If you have extenuation granted on your resit attempt but not the initial attempt, then your repeat module will be capped. If you have had extenuation granted on both your initial and resit submissions, then your repeat module will be uncapped.

OTHER RELATED LINKS:

Where Can I Re-Write My Matric?

Tvet Colleges in South Africa Online Application

Tshwane South TVET College Online Application Forms 2025-2026