Program Fees, Course Loads and Registration
What are the thresholds for Program Fees and Per-Course Fees?
How do I determine my course load for Program Fee/Course Fee?
What do I see on my fees invoice in the Summer when I enrol in Fall/Winter courses?
How do I pay my first installment and secure my courses if I am changing to Per Course?
How do I move to the Course Fee if my load is 2.5 credits or less?
Why would I not change to Course Fees yet if I am eligible in the Fall Term?
How will my fees be re-calculated if I change from Program to Course Fees?
All students whose degree studies began in September 2009 or later.
What are the thresholds for Program Fees and Per-Course Fees
- those with a course load from 3.0-6.0 credits in the Fall/Winter session will be charged a program fee.
- those with a course load of 0.5-2.5 credits will be charged per course.
- students enrolled in the Summer session will be charged per course.
How do I determine my course load for Program Fee/Course Fee?
- The two relevant dates for 2011-2012 Fall/Winter are October 5 and January 23.
- On October 5, we will count and "freeze" your F and Y course enrolments for the year for the purposes of the Program Fee.
- Whether or not you cancel these courses after the October 5 date, the F and Y courses in which you are enrolled on that date will be included in determining your course load for Program Fee purposes.
- We then add your S course enrolments and S course Wait List places to that October 5 course load. If it totals 3.0 or more, you will be charged the Program Fee.
- If it totals 2.5 or fewer, you are eligible to move to Course Fee.
- After January 23, the last date to add S courses, we will do one last clean-up. We will count your final S course enrolments and add it to your F + Y course enrolments "frozen". If the total is 3.0 or more, you will be charged the Program fee. If it is 2.5 or fewer, you will be charged the Course fee.
In short, the formula for course load for Program Fee/Course Fee purposes is:
- F + Y credits (as of October 5) plus S credits + S wait list places
What do I see on my fees invoice in the Summer when I enrol in Fall/Winter courses?
Those students for whom the Program Fee is relevant will have the Program Fee applied to their student account when enrolment opens. This is not triggered by your course load; it is automatic. If you are in the Program Fee cohort and intend to maintain a course load that would make you eligible to have fees assessed Per Course, you will need to request that it be changed.
How do I pay my first installment and secure my courses if I am changing to Per Course?
You should check the Fees Schedule, calculate the relevant academic fees for your course load and pay at least 60% of that, using the invoice from your account (even if it still shows the Program Fee). That payment will complete your registration and secure your courses if you do so by the August 23 deadline.
How do I move to the Course Fee if my load is 2.5 credits or less? When can I do this?
You go to your College Registrar’s office and ask them to check it for you and change your mode of assessment if you are eligible. You can do this at any time, but there is no cost to remaining as a Program Fee student up until the first service charges on Nov. 15. If you have a course load that entitles you to be charged Per Course, you may want to remain as a Program Fee student beyond that point if you intend to add further courses.
Why would I not change to Course Fees yet if I am eligible in the Fall Term?
ROSI enforces the 2.5 credit upper limit on course load for those assessed by Course Fees. This means that students with a course load of 2.5 including F+Y+S would not be able to add a further S course or put themselves on a Wait List without changing to Program Fee.
This means:
- If you have “F+Y (as of October 5) +S” enrolments that are 2.5 credits or fewer, and you intend to remain at or below that level for the rest of the academic year, you should go to your College Registrar’s Office and change to Course Fee.
- If you have “F+Y (as of October 5) +S” course enrolments that are at 2.5 credits or fewer, and you intend to add more S courses, you should remain at Program Fee status so you can do this over ROSI.
- If you have “F+Y (as of October 5) +S” course enrolments that are at 2.5 credits or fewer, and you are unsure about whether you intend to add more S courses, you should remain at Program Fee status so you can add courses over ROSI.
How will my fees be re-calculated if I change from Program to Course Fees?
If you change from Program to Course fees, you will be charged as if you had always been on Course Fees for the entire academic session. That means that we will change the basis of your fees assessment, re-add all those courses you may have dropped since the end of the 100% course fee refund period, and then re-drop them effective the date you dropped them originally. October 5 is no longer the relevant date for course changes; the original course fee Refund Schedule will be in effect for students who move to Course fee and their fees will be entirely re-calculated, including refunds or charges as though they had always been on a Course Fee basis.
Does this affect my other compulsory (i.e. ancillary) fees?
This affects your academic fees only. Those other compulsory fees ("ancillary and incidental fees") that are levied on students are calculated according to their Full-Time or Part-Time status and college affiliation. Some other cost-recovery course fees (such as a lab materials fee) apply only to students enrolled in those specific courses. These fees are assessed immediately in September and do not change with a recalculation of academic fees.
How does this affect my status as a Full-Time or Part-Time student?
Your status as a Full-Time or Part-Time student is determined separately from your academic fees. It is calculated on your course load and is relevant to your non-academic ancillary fees, your eligibility for provincial financial aid (OSAP), and your student status for income tax purposes, etc. For these matters, the official definition of FT is "enrolled in 3.0 courses or more", and PT is "enrolled in fewer than 3.0 courses".
What if I have other questions?
Always, your College Registrar is your reliable, first stop for all information and advice.
