Cancellation and refund policy

1 Definitions

Compassionate Compelling Circumstances include but are not limited to:

• 1.1 serious illness or injury or a medical condition that renders the participant unable to participate in the Service;
• 1.2 bereavement of someone with a close relationship to the participant;
• 1.3 a traumatic experience, such as involvement in, or witnessing a serious accident, or being the victim of a serious crime; and/or
• 1.4 any other circumstances that the University reasonably considers compassionate and compelling.

2 General provisions

2.1 Objective

The University acknowledges that circumstances may arise that could impact the University’s ability to deliver the Services and/or the participants’ ability to engage in them. This Cancellation and Refund Policy outlines the conditions under which the University may provide refunds and/or approve cancellations of Services.

2.2 Scope and application

This Cancellation and Refund Policy:

• 2.2.1 is incorporated into and forms part of the Terms. Capitalised terms in this document have the meaning assigned to them, or as set out in the Terms;
• 2.2.2 applies solely to the Services provided by the University as paid Services and does not extend broadly across the University; and
• 2.2.3 may be adjusted at the University’s reasonable discretion, as outlined in clause 6 of this Policy.

3 Circumstances under which refunds may be issued

3.1 The University will issue a refund if a paid Service is cancelled under the following conditions:

• 3.1.1 if the University cancels a paid Service before the commencement, all participants are entitled to a full refund of fees paid for that specific Service;
• 3.1.2 if the University cancels a paid Service after its commencement but before its advertised conclusion date, participants are eligible for a pro-rata refund of fees based on the unprovided portion of the Services, as determined by the University exercising reasonable discretion; and
• 3.1.3 in all other cases, and in accordance with clause 6 hereof, the University will act in good faith and will reasonably assess the circumstances relating to the refund consideration when deciding whether to issue a refund and determining the appropriate refund amount.

4 Refund request

4.1 Refund requests must be submitted by email to Contemplate-CSC@unimelb.edu.au. The University will then email a cancellation form to complete and return within 48 hours.

4.2 Cancellations are generally considered non-reversible once processed by the University.

5. Refund process

5.1 The refund eligibility and the refund schedules vary depending on the specific Service. Participants will receive the applicable refund eligibility and refund fees schedules prior to paying for the Service.

5.2 Approved refunds will be processed using the original payment method and may be subject to the following:

• 5.2.1 deductions for any applicable merchant fees imposed by Visa, Mastercard and other payment providers; and/or
• 5.2.2 an administration fee for processing the refund, as described in the specific service schedule.

5.3 Any refund issued by the University does not constitute an admission of liability or any other fact or circumstances in connection with the request for a refund.

6 Refusal of refund

The University reserves the right to refuse a refund if the request is reasonably deemed by the University to be outside the scope of this Cancellation and Refund Policy, or if the University considers it misleading, incorrect, deceptive and/or otherwise invalid.

7 University discretion

Notwithstanding anything to the contrary and/or the provisions in clause 3 hereof, the University will reasonably consider all refund requests and may issue refunds outside the circumstances referred to in Clause 3, including in Compassionate Compelling Circumstances.

8 Change to policy

The University may amend this Cancellation and Refund Policy at any time. Changes will only apply to Services booked after the date of the change. By using the Services, the participants agree to abide by the terms of this Cancellation and Refund Policy, as amended from time to time.

9 Australian Consumer Law

Nothing in this document is intended to limit, exclude, modify, and/or purport to limit any applicable Australian Consumer Law, including any right, guarantee or warranty under the Australian Consumer Law.

10 Contact information

For any feedback or questions regarding this Policy or the refund process, please contact the University via Contemplate-CSC@unimelb.edu.au. The University is committed to ensuring that individual rights are respected and that any issues are resolved promptly.

Schedule 1

2026 Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) – An introductory course for clinicians and researchers

Definition

MBCT Fees means the following MBCT Program fee schedule:

2026 MBCT Program means the 2026 Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBCT) Program taking place over 8 weeks between 21 July and 8 September 2026.

Cancellation and Refund Policy means the policy outlining the terms and conditions governing the management of cancellations and refunds for paid Services, as may be amended by the University from time to time, and which is available at Cancellation and Refund Policy page.

2 Scope

2.1 This Schedule 1 forms part of the Terms.

2.2 The terms outlined in this Schedule 1 only apply if the Service relates to the 2026 MBCT Program.

3 Course structure

The University reserves the right to define, establish and change the MBCT Course structure, including regarding its fees, duration, schedule, participant limit, instructors, and overall objectives, as the University deems appropriate. Any updates or changes will be effective immediately upon posting them through the relevant Services.

4 Course registration and confirmation

Registration for the 2026 MBCT Program does not constitute automatic confirmation of the participant's attendance. All registrations are conditional and subject to a pre-program interview conducted by the 2026 MBCT Program instructor. The purpose of the interview is to assess the participant's suitability for the 2026 MBCT Program, and final approval for attendance will be determined at the reasonable discretion of the instructor based on the interview outcome and will be communicated by the University to the participant as soon as is practicable. The cancellation of a participant's registration after the pre-program interview will be governed by clause 6.2.

5 Payment

• 5.1 The 2026 MBCT Program is a paid Service offered by the University for the MBCT Fees.
• 5.2  MBCT Fees must be paid in full by the payment method associated with the 2026 MBCT Program registration at the time of registration.

6  Cancellation and Refunds

6.1 Application of the Cancellation and Refund Policy

• 6.1.1 This clause 6.1 is supplementary to, and must be read in conjunction with, the Cancellation and Refund Policy. All cancellation and refund requests must comply with the Cancellation and Refund Policy.
• 6.1.2 If there are any conflict or inconsistencies between this clause and the Cancellation and Refund Policy, insofar as they relate to the 2026 MBCT Program, the terms of this clause will take precedence, to the extent necessary, to resolve that conflict or inconsistency.

6.2 2026 MBCT Program cancellation

• 6.2.1 Subject to clause 6.1 hereof, the University reserves the right to cancel any scheduled 2026 MBCT Program at its reasonable discretion, including but not limited to, circumstances where registration numbers do not meet the University’s requirements, instructor’s availability, the outcome of the pre-program interview referenced in clause 4 hereof, or other unforeseen circumstances that prevent the 2026 MBCT Program from proceeding.
• 6.2.2 In the event of cancellation initiated by the University, all registered participants will be entitled to a refund of their MBCT Fees in accordance with the Cancellation and Refund Policy and the refund schedule particularised in clause 6.3 hereof.

6.3  2026 MBCT Program refund schedule

The following registration fee refund schedule applies for all cancellations approved by the University: