RETURN OUR TUITION FREE WEEKS
Curtin to Reinstate Second Tuition-Free Weeks from 2026!
Curtin University has announced it will reinstate a second tuition-free week each semester from 2026, following years of student-led advocacy by the Guild. This decision comes after overwhelming support in a 2023 survey, marking a significant victory for students and staff who highlighted the critical impact of the previous changes on mental health, workload, and campus culture.
CAMPAIGN BACKGROUND
The campaign to keep two tuition free weeks a semester started in 2018 when Curtin proposed changing to a trimester system by introducing an 11-week summer teaching period. This proposal was defeated by the Guild and 12,000 students who petitioned against it.
However, the university pursued some changes to the academic calendar and removed a tuition free week from each semester in 2021. This decision was not supported by most students or Curtin staff.
The loss of the tuition free weeks had a severe impact on students' academic experience, mental health and campus culture. As well it had adverse effects on Curtin staff who struggled to keep up with their workload.
Since 2021, students have been speaking up about the impact of this change on their mental health, studies and campus community.
Successive Guild reps have put pressure on the university to reverse its decision by lobbying the Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic, seeking student feedback, asking students to sign petitions, and coordinating speak outs and rallies. In 2023 there was a breakthrough when the university agreed to bring forward a review of the change to the academic calendar.
A survey in 2023 asked students and staff if they wanted to reinstate the second tuition free week. The answer was a resounding YES. As of December 2024, Curtin has listened to students and the Guild by announcing it will reinstate a second tuition free week each semester from 2026.
A special mention to former guild presidents and reps who have led this campaign and to 2024 Vice President Education Veronika Gobba who secured this win.
Learn more about the background of this campaign via the ‘Latest Updates’ section below.
LATEST UPDATES