Bonded Medical Program for all participants

Withdrawing from the Bonded Medical Program

Learn about how to withdraw from the Bonded Medical Program in a range of circumstances and how to get a repayment estimate.

Withdrawing from the program as a student 

If you withdraw or are discontinued from your medical course before completing your degree, you will not have to repay the cost of your Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). However, you must log into the Bonded Return of Service System (BRoSS) and action your withdrawal to ensure that the system notifies us and your record is updated accordingly. 

There are 2 steps to finalise your bonded obligations: 

  1. Withdraw from your bonded place at university 
    1. Coordinated independently between you and your university. 
    2. Obtain evidence from your university (such as a letter or transcript) confirming the date you withdrew from your medical course. You will need this evidence for the next step. 
  2. Withdraw from the program via your BRoSS record 
    1. Update your contact details if they have changed. 
    2. Update your medical course timeframe to show any deferrals, repeated years, and the years you did not complete (once updated, disregard the warning message that your timeframe does not match your course length). 
    3. Submit a withdrawal repayment estimate request. 
    4. Submit your notice to withdraw and upload evidence from your university confirming your withdrawal. 

Once we receive your notice to withdraw via BRoSS, we will finalise your withdrawal from the program and notify you once this has been done. You are still considered a participant under the program until your withdrawal has been completed in your BRoSS record. 

Please note that you are responsible for your student contribution amount or HECS-HELP loan. Your student contribution amount is the part of your tuition that you must pay. You can pay this amount upfront or, if you are eligible, defer it with a HECS-HELP loan.

Further advice on your individual income and HELP repayments can be obtained from the Department of Education www.studyassist.gov.au. 

Withdrawing after completing your medical course 

If you complete your medical course, you will be required to repay your education costs, less a pro-rata proportion for any Return of Service Obligation (RoSO) completed.  

Repayment amounts are recoverable as a debt due to the Commonwealth and interest may be applied. How much you will have to repay depends on the CSP or scholarship values in the years you studied, and whether you completed any RoSO.  

Education costs repayment estimation 

You can request a withdrawal estimate in BRoSS at any time. Requesting an estimate will not start your withdrawal from the program. It is for information only.  

To get an accurate repayment estimate, you must: 

  • Ensure your medical course timeframe in BRoSS is correct. Any advanced standing, deferrals or repeated years at university will impact your repayment calculation. 
  • Make sure every eligible RoSO is properly entered, activated and completed in BRoSS. Your repayment estimate will reduce pro-rata based on the amount of eligible RoSO recorded.  

Your repayment amount is calculated using the formula in section 17 of the Health Insurance (Bonded Medical Program) Rule 2020 (Rule). 

  • Your ‘total repayment amount’ is the total of the education costs for every semester you were enrolled past the census date in your medical course. 
  • To work out your ‘total repayment amount’: 
    • Use the funding cluster data from the Department of Education. 
    • Data is available for both current and previous years. 

For each year you studied, look up the Commonwealth contribution amount for the funding cluster that covers medicine. 

Former MRBS participants 

If you are a former Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship (MRBS) Scheme participant, you will no longer face the 6-year Medicare ban if you withdraw from the program or do not complete your RoSO within 18 years of graduating from your medical course. However, you will still need to repay the cost of your scholarship less any RoSO completed. 

More information 

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