Tuition Fee and Refund Policy

To establish the framework for the administration of fee assessments, fee payment and fee refunds.

This policy applies to all full- and part-time domestic and international students registered in a program or a course at Seneca.

Is a means of preventing and removing barriers that impede students with disabilities from participating fully in the educational environment in a way that is responsive to their own unique circumstances. The principle of accommodation involves three factors: dignity, individualization and inclusion. Students who require academic accommodation must be registered with Accessible Learning Services.

Three consecutive terms of study beginning in September and concluding in August of the following year.

A student who is a Canadian citizen or person with permanent resident status.

Funds owed to Seneca, including the tuition deposit, tuition, compulsory ancillary fees and, if applicable, program fees.

An individual who is registered in at least 66.66 per cent of the assigned course requirements for a specific term or at least 70 per cent of the scheduled contact hours of an approved postsecondary program.

A student attending a postsecondary program or course on a valid study permit, who is not a Canadian citizen or person with a permanent resident status.

An individual who is registered in less than 66.66 per cent of the assigned course requirements for a specific term and less than 70 per cent of the scheduled contact hours of an approved postsecondary program.

Assigned to a student registered in more than 100 per cent of the total number of courses for a term, according to the student’s program.

1. When fees are due for an entire academic year, students may opt to pay for only one academic term at a time.
2. A tuition fee deposit must normally be paid once in an academic year by all postsecondary students in a full-time program.
3. Tuition fee deposits are normally non-refundable even if a student does not attend classes.
4. Students who have applied and are eligible for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding are normally still required to make a minimum tuition deposit payment by the established deadline to hold their seat in the program. The balance of fees must normally be paid by the first day of the term.
5. Payment for any fees not covered by OSAP is the responsibility of the student.
6. All tuition-related fees must normally be paid by the due dates as outlined in the important dates schedule published on the website and student intranet for each term.
7. Payment received after the published deadlines are subject to late fee charges.
8. If fees and/or fines remain unpaid after the published deadlines, enrolment restrictions will normally be applied and may include loss of system access, including to online classrooms, and the withholding of official transcripts and credentials.
9. Outstanding student accounts will normally be forwarded to a third-party collection agency.
10. Seneca may consider fee payments outside the standard timeframes in extenuating medical or personal circumstances. Should such an exception be granted, the student is responsible for meeting the adjusted payment deadlines.

1. Any student with a permanent or persistent disability that requires an academic accommodation for a reduced course load, may be eligible to pay a reduced tuition fee of $20 per course, plus ancillary fees for additional terms beyond the standard program length. This rate only applies once the student has paid the full tuition fees to complete the program,
2. Such instances will be documented and tracked through the Registrar’s Office and Accessible Learning Services.

1. Tuition deposits, tuition, ancillary and program ancillary fees are normally non-refundable after the published deadline for withdrawing from a program of study within a given term.
2. If a student has not paid the fees in full, they will normally be required to pay the outstanding balance on their student account for the term or be subject to the third-party collections process.
3. Students can submit a request for a tuition fee refund in writing and with supporting documentation to The Service Hub at theservicehub@senecapolytechnic.ca. 
4. Students who submit a formal notification of withdrawal from a full-time postsecondary program within published deadlines are entitled to a refund of tuition and ancillary fees as follows:
   • for domestic students who have withdrawn from their program within published deadlines or before the start of term, a full refund of tuition, ancillary fees and program ancillary fees, less the designated non-refundable tuition deposit, will be issued
   • for international students who have withdrawn from their program within published deadlines or before the start of term, a full refund of tuition, ancillary fees and program ancillary fees, less a designated administrative fee, will be issued
   • for international students who present a documented student visa denial before the start of term, a full refund of tuition and ancillary fees will be issued
   • for students taking courses in the Faculty of Continuing Education, there will be varying deadlines for a refund depending on the length and duration of the course.
5. A full refund will be issued for any tuition, ancillary fees and program ancillary fees paid in advance for future terms after the initial term of enrolment in the academic year.
6. Seneca may consider a tuition fee refund outside the standard timeframes in extenuating medical or personal circumstances. Should such a refund be granted, it may be determined by a prorated calculation based upon the length of time of attendance.
7. Exceptions to this policy will normally not be made for students who register late.
8. If, on the date of the registration/enrolment deadline, a student’s course load changes to part-time status, a tuition fee refund may be issued, based upon the number of courses in which they are enrolled.
9. In order to be compliant with Canada’s Anti-Money Laundering policies, all refunds will normally be sent back to the credit card or bank account from which the funds were originally paid.
10. Students may not attend and/or participate in any classes once they have withdrawn.

• None.

• Compulsory Program Ancillary Fee Policy
• Grading Policy

• Refund criteria for Full-time or Part-time Load Day Students withdrawing from a program
• Refund criteria for withdrawal from the Faculty of Continuing Education
  
• Seneca’s Office of the Registrar – Fee Payments
• Seneca’s Full-time Program Withdrawal
• Seneca’s Part-time Studies Withdrawal
• Seneca’s Teaching English as a Second Language – Refunds
• Start at Seneca – Fees and Program Costs
• Tuition and Ancillary Fees Minister’s Binding Policy Directive
• Tuition and Ancillary Fees Reporting Operating Procedure

Approval Date: August 1, 2018

Last Revision: September 2023