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Academic Tuition Fee Categories

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There are two academic tuition fee categories at York University. The domestic tuition rate is charged to students who are specifically exempted from the international student charge by the regulations of the Ontario government Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities. The international tuition rate is charged to students who are not so exempted or who are unwilling or unable to provide documentary proof of exempted status to the Registrar’s Office. Based on the Ontario government policy and regulations, the Registrar’s Office administers all eligibility for exemption from international fees, tuition rate reassessment and deadlines for submitting documents. The Registrar's Office also administers requests for documentation from any student in order to verify their status.

Fees may also vary depending on the Faculty, program or course selections, or on the year of entry into a particular program of study that you are registered in.

Changing Your Fee Status to the Domestic Tuition Rate

You are eligible for the domestic tuition rate if you fall into one of the provincial government’s exempt categories listed below and you are able to give satisfactory proof of your status to the Registrar’s Office by the following deadline dates:

Fall/Winter Session Deadline Dates

  • October 31 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for a complete fall/winter session.
  • January 31 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for a winter term only of the fall/winter session.

Summer Session Deadline Dates

  • June 30 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for a complete summer session.
  • July 16 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for certain summer session courses which begin later in the session, e.g. July 2. Questions regarding specific courses should be directed to the Registrar’s Office.

Note: all changes or corrections to your tuition rate on your York record must be done before the deadline dates above. Any changes or corrections made after these dates will only be applicable to the next term or session and will not be retroactive to any previous term or session.

Documentation Required

If you request exemption from the international tuition rate under one of the government approved categories, the Registrar’s Office has the final decision regarding the official documentation necessary to support such a request. All documents presented in support of consideration for exemption or if requested by the Registrar’s Office as proof of status, must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office before payment of academic tuition. If you are unable to provide the required documentation before paying your academic tuition, you are required to pay at the international tuition rate.

Retaining Your Eligibility for the Domestic Tuition Rate

In order to retain an exemption from the international fees for a subsequent term or session, you may, at a later date, be required to submit supplementary or new documents to prove that your status has been maintained.

If you present acceptable documentation for exemption from the international tuition rate, and this documentation contains an expiry date, it is your responsibility to bring updated documentation to the Registrar’s Office no later than 10 working days after the expiry date on the original documentation. This must be done to maintain your eligibility for the domestic fees.

University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) Charges

If your tuition fee rate on your York record has been changed to domestic and you have been charged for the University Health Insurance Plan on your student account, you must contact York International’s University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) office to make any changes. The Registrar’s Office cannot make any changes or revisions to the health charges on your account. Please visit the UHIP website at http://www.yorku.ca/yorkint/uhip/.

Domestic Tuition Fee Categories

Note: these exemption categories and definitions are subject to change at any time on a decision by the government of Ontario.

Definition of Dependants

Some categories state the both the person who has the status and their dependants are eligible for the domestic tuition rate. If you are a dependant of someone who falls under one of the categories eligible for domestic fees, you will be required to present documentation to verify your dependent status.

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ regulations define dependants as follows:

  • If you are the married spouse, you are a dependant.
  • If you are the common law partner you are a dependant only if you have been living together in a conjugal relationship for no less than three years.
  • If you are the biological or adopted child of your parent or their spouse or common law partner, and you are under 22 years of age, not married and financially dependent on them, you are a dependant.
  • If you are the biological or adopted child of your parent or their spouse or common law partner and you are over 22 years of age, not married and financially dependent on them, you are a dependant. You must also have been registered continuously in school up to one year before beginning at York.
  • If your parent is a dependant of their parent (as defined above), you are also a dependant of your grandparent.
  • If you are a person with a disability who has been financially supported substantially by your parent and you are unable to be self-supporting because of the disability, you are a dependant.

Categories Eligible for Domestic Fees

Under the regulations of the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, a student is eligible for domestic tuition rate if they are:

  1. A citizen of Canada within the meaning of the Citizenship Act or a person registered as an Indian within the meaning of the Indian Act.
  2. A person who is the legal dependant of a Canadian citizen. Please see the definition of dependant above.
  3. A person who has been granted permanent resident status in Canada within the meaning of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
  4. A person who is the legal dependant of a permanent resident. Please see the definition of dependant above.
  5. Students or their parents or spouse who are permanent resident applicants are eligible for domestic fees only if they have received communication addressed to the primary applicant from Citizenship and Immigration Canada which has one of the statements below. Please note that only letters with one of these exact statements can be accepted :

"It has been determined that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent resident status as someone who is in the live in caregivers in Canada class, or as someone who is the spouse or common-law partner of a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident, or as someone who is a Protected Person."

or

"We have completed the initial assessment of your application and expect to finalize your application without a personal interview."

or

"This refers to your application for permanent residence in Canada, Your interview has been waived."

or

"This refers to your application for permanent residence within Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds."

or

"The Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism issued instructions which were published in the Canada Gazette.  These instructions specify that applications from international students who are currently enrolled in a PhD program, or foreign nationals who have completed a PhD program, in a recognized educational institution located in Canada and that are accompanied by the results of the principal applicant’s English or French language proficiency assessment are eligible to be processed in the Federal Skilled Worker class. 

Based on a review of the information you have provided, your application has received a positive final determination of eligibility for processing on the basis of your enrollment in, or completion of, a PhD program as specified in the Instructions issued by the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism and published in the Canada Gazette.

or

This refers to your application for permanent residence in Canada in the Federal Skilled Worker class. The Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism issued instructions which were published in the Canada Gazette. These instructions specify that only applicants who have work experience in certain listed occupations or applicants who have an offer of Arranged Employment and that are accompanied by the results of the principal applicant’s English or French language proficiency assessment are eligible to be processed in the Federal Skilled Worker class. Based on a review of the information you have provided, your application has received a positive final determination of eligibility for processing on the basis of work experience in an occupation specified in the instructions issued by the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism and published in the Canada Gazette. Your application will be forwarded to a visa office for further processing.

  1. A person who is the legal dependant of an applicant for permanent resident as outlined in category 5. Please see the definition of dependant above.
  2. A person who is admitted to and remaining in Canada, with official accreditation from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, who has entered Canada or is in Canada to carry out official duties as:
    • a diplomatic or consular officer; or as a Canadian government-accredited representative or official of a country other than Canada, of the United Nations or any of its agencies, of any intergovernmental organizations of which Canada is a member; or as a dependant (please see the definition of dependant above);
    • or a member of the staff of any such diplomat, consular officer, representative or official accredited to Canada by the Canadian government;
    • or a member of a foreign military force or of a civilian component thereof admitted to Canada under the Visiting Forces Act or any dependants of such personnel (please see above for definition of dependant)

Note: if a student has been exempt under this category, and their exemption status changes during the course of their program by circumstances beyond their control (for example the dependant of a diplomat whose parent is assigned to another country), the student continues to be exempt from the payment of international student tuition until the completion of the program of study that they are registered in. Contact the Registrar’s Office regarding official documentation required.

  1. A person and his/her dependants (please see definition of dependant above) who is authorized to work in Canada and has been issued a work permit by the federal government. The following groups are excluded from this category. If you, your parent or your spouse holds a work permit for one of the following reasons you are not eligible for domestic fees:
    1. A visitor who is a graduate teaching assistant;
    2. An international student holding a work permit to complete his/her co-op, internship or medical residency employment;
    3. An international student holding an open work permit for post-graduate work (usually for up to three years of work opportunities upon graduation);
    4. An international student whose spouse or common-law partner has received a work permit as a result of the international student holding a valid study permit;
    5. An international student holding an “Off-Campus Work Permit”.
  2. A person and his/her dependants (please see above for the definition of dependant), who is officially recognized and documented by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to be a Protected Person or a Convention Refugee.
  3. A person and his/her dependants (please see above for the definition of dependant), who is a refugee claimant in Canada, only if the claim for refugee status was made to the federal government before January 1, 1989.

International Tuition Rate

As the result of a policy decision made by the government of Ontario, all non-exempt international students are subject to the international tuition rate.

Note: all changes or corrections to your tuition rate on your York record must be done before the deadline dates below. Any changes or corrections made after these dates will only be applicable to the next term or session and will not be retroactive to any previous term or session.

Fall/Winter Session Deadline Dates

  • October 31 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for a complete fall/winter session.
  • January 31 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for a winter term only of the fall/winter session.

Summer Session Deadline Dates

  • June 30 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for a complete summer session.
  • July 16 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for certain summer session courses which begin later in the session, e.g. July 2. Questions regarding specific courses should be directed to the Registrar’s Office.