Fee Regulations

14.1 Schedule of Fees

The annual Schedule of Fees, updated each year in June, is available on the Student Accounts website, studentaccount.utoronto.ca.

14.2 Fees and Registration

Students are informed of fees payable online through ACORN (www.acorn.utoronto.ca).

University of Toronto students normally pay tuition fees from a Canadian Bank account, with a Canadian dollar denominated Mastercard or Visa credit card, or with Higher Ed Points. Fee options for making a fee payment within Canada are found on the Student Accounts website. Holders of certain scholarships, awards, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, or loans may request to register without payment through their graduate unit.

To be registered, students must pay at least the Minimum Payment to Register Amount displayed on their current session ACORN invoice or have an approved request to register without payment in place before the SGS registration deadline. By virtue of being registered, a student thereby agrees to abide by all of the academic and non-academic policies, rules, and regulations of the University of Toronto, the School of Graduate Studies, and the graduate unit in which the student is registered.

14.3 Academic Fees Structure

Because the course of study in many graduate units is program/student specific and often cannot be described in terms of a specific number of courses, and because graduate education more often than not results from the sum of experience encountered during the program, School of Graduate Studies fees are assessed on a program basis rather than on the number of courses taken.

Degree students and special students who pay the full-time fee for the previous Fall or Winter session do not pay fees for the Summer session. However, part-time special students pay Summer fees. In addition, part-time degree students who register for the Summer session, but who have not registered in both sessions of the previous academic year, pay Summer fees.

A degree program is defined on a sessional basis and the full fee is charged regardless of the number of courses taken. All students (except special students not proceeding to a degree) are accepted into a program with a defined program length (see General Regulations section 5.3 Program Length). This period establishes the minimum degree fee that must be paid before graduation.

14.4 Minimum Degree Fee

14.4.1 Master’s Programs

The minimum degree fee is the academic fee associated with the program length for each graduate master’s program and represents the minimum amount of academic fees that every student, regardless of registration option or status, must pay upon completion of the program prior to graduation. Full-time program length is associated with the minimum degree fee that is based on the Fall session as the start of the program, even if some students commence the program in the Winter or Summer session.

14.4.2 Balance of Degree Fee

Master's students who finish the degree program requirements in less time than the defined program length, regardless of registration option, will be subject to a balance of degree fee. The balance of degree fee is the minimum degree fee minus program fees already paid by the student. The balance of degree fee is assessed just prior to graduation. The payment due date for the balance of degree fee is three months from the student's convocation. If the fee is unpaid, students are charged the monthly service fee of 1.5% compounded (19.56% per annum).

Master’s students who take longer than the defined program length to complete their degree will pay more than the minimum degree fee. In these cases, the difference will not be refunded.

For international students who change to domestic status during their study period, the minimum degree fee will be assessed as follows:

  • if the legal status change occurred within the program length, the minimum degree fee will be based on the domestic program fee;

  • if the legal status change occurred after the program length, the minimum degree fee will be based on the international program fee.

14.4.3 Doctoral Programs

The minimum degree fee for PhD and professional doctoral programs is the academic fee associated with one year (three sessions) of full-time studies and represents the minimum amount of academic fees that every PhD or professional doctoral student, regardless of registration status or option, must pay upon completion of the program prior to graduation.

All students are subject to tuition and fees for each session and year of registration, including sessions following the defined program length, until the program is completed.

14.4.4 Degree or Special (Non-degree) Students

The SGS-approved transfer of graduate academic credit as a degree or special (non-degree) student does not alter or reduce the required minimum degree fee.

14.5 Full-Time Student Fee

The full-time student fee is the fee charged to a full-time student. See also: Minimum Degree Fee above; Fees for Final-Year Doctoral Students below; and Fees for Students on Extension below, regarding fees for graduate students on extension.

14.6 Dual Registrations

Dual registrants will be required to maintain their registration for the master's degree, register also for the PhD degree, and pay only the appropriate PhD fees.

14.7 Full-Time Students Commencing a Degree Program in January

Students commencing a degree program in January will pay half the appropriate fee for the year.

14.8 Summer Students

Students commencing a degree program in the Summer and taking courses will pay the Summer session fee. These fees are in addition to the annual fees which will be assessed in September.

Students commencing a degree program in September but who start research in the preceding Summer do not pay fees for the Summer session. Continuing degree students and special students who pay the full-time fee for the previous Fall or Winter session do not pay fees for the Summer session. However, part-time special students pay Summer fees. In addition, part-time degree students who register for the Summer session but who have not registered in both sessions of the previous academic year pay Summer fees.

Students returning in the Summer session from an approved leave (see General Regulations section 6.1.15 Leave Policy) do not pay Summer session fees.

14.9 Part-Time Degree Students

Students undertaking their studies on a part-time basis are required to pay the part-time academic and incidental fees each year they register until the completion of their program. See also Minimum Degree Fee above.

14.10 Flexible-Time PhD Degree Students

Students undertaking a flexible-time PhD program are required to pay full-time academic and incidental fees during the first four years of the program and may pay part-time academic and incidental fees thereafter up to the time limit for the degree.

Extensions are permitted under existing policy: students granted an extension may register full-time or part-time and pay fees accordingly.

See also: Minimum Degree Fee above; and General Regulations section 6.1.11 Extension of Time for Completion of Degree Requirements.

14.11 Special Students

Full-time special students pay the full academic fee per session. Special students enrolling on a part-time basis will pay for each course or half course. Fees paid as a special student cannot be applied to any subsequent degree program.

Refund dates are different for part-time special students. For details, visit the Student Accounts website.

14.12 International Students

Certain categories of international students are charged academic fees equal to those for Canadian citizens and permanent residents. For more information and to see whether you may be eligible for an international fee exemption, please consult the Student Accounts website.

If an international student's status in Canada changes during a session, exemption from the higher fees may be granted. The fees will be adjusted in the current session, provided the status change occurs before November 1 in the Fall session or before February 1 in the Winter session.

Status changes with supporting documents must be reported to the SGS Student Academic Services Office prior to the above deadlines. However, if a status change effective before these dates is reported with a minor delay, a fee adjustment may still be possible.

International students who receive an international fee exemption may be responsible for paying the minimum degree fee based on international fees, depending upon the timing of the international fee exemption. For further information, please refer to section 14.4 Minimum Degree Fee.

14.13 Incidental Fees

Compulsory incidental fees are charged for the Graduate Students' Union, Health Services, Hart House, the Athletic Centre, and other student services. See the University’s Policy for Compulsory Non-Academic Incidental Fees.

14.14 Minimum Required Payment

Students have the option to make payments on a sessional basis.

The Fall-Winter minimum required payment consists of any arrears plus Fall session tuition fees.

For students registering in the Winter session only, the minimum required payment consists of arrears plus Winter session tuition fees.

For students registering in the Summer session only, and for students starting in the Summer session, the minimum required payment consists of arrears plus 50% of Summer session tuition fees.

For details regarding fee payment and service charge billing deadlines, students should visit University of Toronto Student Accounts.

Students should check ACORN for account balances and details to avoid service charges.

14.15 Service Charges

If not paid in full, any outstanding account balance, regardless of the source of payment, is subject to a monthly service charge of 1.5% compounded (19.56% per annum). This is the case even if students have registered without payment on the basis of an Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) or other provincial government loan, a US government loan, or University funding package.

For details regarding fee payment and service charge billing deadlines, students should visit University of Toronto Student Accounts.

Students should check ACORN for account balances and details to avoid service charges.

14.16 Late Registration

Any student registering after the deadline date specified in the academic calendar (sessional dates) is required to pay a late registration fee of $44.

14.17 Fees for Graduating Master's Students

Master's students who are recommended for graduation by the deadline date for Fall Convocation will not be assessed fees for the Fall session. Master's students who miss this deadline are required to register for the Fall session and pay the appropriate fees.

14.18 Fees for Final-Year Doctoral Students

Doctoral student academic fees for the final year will be pro-rated, based on a 12-month academic year, for the number of months that elapse between September and (including) the month in which the final thesis (including corrections required by the Final Oral Examination committee) is submitted to the School of Graduate Studies. Fees for the final month will not be charged if the requirements are met before the 16th day of the month. Incidental and ancillary fees will be charged per session and are not pro-rated monthly.

Academic fees for the final extension year will be pro-rated, based on 50% of the domestic fee for the 12-month academic year, for the number of months that elapse between September and (including) the month in which the thesis (including corrections required by the Final Oral Examination committee) is submitted to the School of Graduate Studies. Fees for the final month will not be charged if the requirements are met by the 15th day of the month. Incidental and ancillary fees will be charged per session and are not pro-rated monthly.

14.19 Fees for Students on Extension

All full-time graduate students on extension, both domestic and international, will be registered as full-time students and charged an academic fee equal to 50% of the domestic fee and full-time incidental and ancillary fees during each year of extension. Part-time students will pay the relevant part-time, incidental, and ancillary fees.

14.20 Reinstatement Fees

Reinstated students in programs requiring continuity of registration must pay a reinstatement fee equivalent to the academic fee owing for any session(s) in which they did not register, including program extension session(s), as well as the appropriate fee for the current year.

Academic fees charged for sessions before the time limit will be assessed at 100% of the annual academic fee according to the program delivery option (full-time or part-time) and student status (domestic or international).

Academic fees charged during the program extension period for full-time students will be calculated at the rate of 50% of the annual domestic fee, for both domestic and international students, plus full-time incidental and ancillary fees and the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP), if applicable.

Part-time students are charged the relevant part-time academic fees during the program extension period plus part-time incidental and ancillary fees and UHIP, if applicable.

Reinstated students in programs not requiring continuity of registration are charged academic fees plus incidental and ancillary fees and UHIP, if applicable, for the year in which they are reinstated.

See also General Regulations section 6.1.10 Failure to Register.

14.21 Outstanding Fees and Charges

See General Regulations section 11.5 Policy on Academic Sanctions for Students Who Have Outstanding Obligations to the University.

14.22 Receipts for Income Tax

Tuition Fee Certificates are available online from ACORN.

14.23 Transcripts

A $15 fee is charged for each copy of a transcript of record. These fees are subject to change.

Transcripts will not be issued for students whose fees are in arrears.

Transcripts may be ordered online from ACORN or at the University of Toronto Transcript Centre, 172 St. George Street, Toronto, Ontario M5R 0A3.