Seneca College

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

Key definitions

Full-time student

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.

Part-time student

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.

International student

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.

Domestic student

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

Fees

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

Overload registration status

Assigned to a student registered in more than 100 per cent of the total number of courses or credit hours in a program in a semester, according to the student’s program.

Academic year

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

Policy

General

• Tuition fees are recommended by the Registrar’s Office in accordance with the Ministry of Training Colleges and Universities’ (MTCU) tuition fee framework and are approved by the Senior Executive Committee and the Board of Governors.
• Compulsory ancillary fees are established in accordance with the MTCU’s Compulsory Ancillary Fee Protocol and are approved by the Senior Executive Committee and the Board of Governors.
• Program ancillary fees are established by the programs for specific materials not covered by tuition but are required to complete the program successfully. Program fees are approved by the Ancillary Resource Planning Committee.
• All tuition-related fees must be paid by the due dates as outlined in the important dates schedule published on the Seneca website for each term. Payment received after the published deadlines are subject to late fee charges. If fees and/or fines remain unpaid after the published deadlines, enrolment restrictions will be applied and can include loss of system access and withholding of official transcripts and credentials.
• Outstanding student accounts will be forwarded to a third-party collection agency.

Paying fees

• When fees are due for an entire academic year, students may opt to pay for only one academic term at a time.
• A tuition fee deposit must be paid once in an academic year by all postsecondary students in a full-time program. Tuition fee deposits are non-refundable even if the student does not attend Seneca.
• Students who have applied and are eligible for Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) funding are 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 be paid by the first day of the term. Payment for any fees not covered by OSAP is the responsibility of the student.

Students with disabilities

Any student with a permanent disability, who requires additional terms to complete their program because of a learning accommodation, is eligible to pay a reduced tuition fee of $20 per course for a reduced course load, plus ancillary fees. This rate only applies once they have paid the full tuition fees to complete the program in the approved duration. Such instances must be documented and tracked through Counselling and Accessibility Services.

Tuition refunds

• Tuition deposits, tuition, ancillary and program fees are non-refundable after the published deadline to make payment within a given term. If a student has not paid the fees in full, they will be required to pay the outstanding balance on their student account for the semester or be subject to the collections process.
• Students may submit a request for a tuition fee refund in writing and with supporting documentation to the Registrar’s Office.
• Students who submit formal notification of withdrawal within published deadlines from a full-time postsecondary program are entitled to a refund of tuition and ancillary fees as follows:
  • For domestic students who have withdrawn within published deadlines or prior to the start of term, a full refund of tuition and ancillary fees, less the designated non-refundable tuition deposit, will be issued
  • For international students who have withdrawn from Seneca within published deadlines or prior to the start of term, a full refund of tuition and ancillary fees, less a designated administrative fee, will be issued
  • For International students who present documented VISA denial prior to the start of term, a full refund of tuition and ancillary fees, less a $200 administrative fee, will be issued
  • Continuing education students will have varying deadlines for a refund depending on the length and duration of the course. Refer to Appendix B for more information.
• A full refund will be issued for any tuition and ancillary fees paid in advance for future terms. Students who have paid for future terms will be eligible for a refund for future terms if they formally withdraw before the start of classes. Students who formally withdraw from courses after published deadlines from the start of the term will be entitled to a full refund of any fees paid in advance for subsequent terms.
• A tuition fee refund may be considered outside the normal timeframes in extenuating medical or personal circumstances. Requests must be submitted in writing with supporting documentation (Review withdrawal procedure). Should such a refund be granted, it may be a prorated calculation based upon the length of time of attendance.
• If, as 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 enrolled.