• fees

    can you refund knowledge?

    what’s the final date i can drop a course at utsc with a full refund? i’ve been trying to find it but university websites are so confusing. related question, why is it that universities have the hardest websites to navigate? thanks

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    hey there,

    depending on your program, the dates might be different, but for most utsc students, the 100% refund date has passed – now you have until february 7th to get a 50% refund on a course, so try not to miss that one. i know it sucks, but sometimes refunds just don’t go how you’d like them to.

    double-check all the tables on this PDF though, to make sure that you don’t fall into another refund schedule with different dates.

    to answer your related question: there’s no good reason, other than that there’s like a BILLION web designers in different colleges, faculties, divisions, etc. who all work on their own department’s web site, which functions in its own unique way and is completely separate from all the other unique web pages at uoft.

    we’re like an incredibly large, confusing, annoying patchwork quilt. isn’t that quaint. come to aska for all your quality grandma content.

    cheers,

    aska

  • computer science,  fees

    fees creepin’ up on us from behind

    Hello again,
    I was just wondering if I could get your input on this. I am 4th year student at UTSC majoring in Mathematics, minoring in Computer Science and Statistics. I am pretty late but I was thinking about changing my minors to a Computer Science major.
    How much do you think it will cost in retroactive fees if I were to switch? And how much do you think OSAP would cover? I talked to several of my peers and they told me this enormous amount that they had to pay (when they switched into the program earlier). I really would like to switch, but I am scared it might be way too costly.

    Thank you!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    if you’re going into fourth year, you’ll be charged the deregulated computer science fee for your fourth year. you will also be charged retroactively for your second and third year, but it’s not as bad as you think:

    you will only be charged the difference between what you paid in your second and third years and the computer science fee (for each year). for simplicity’s sake, let’s say you paid $7000 in first year, and the computer science fee was $10 000. that means you would retroactively be charged $3000 for second and third year.

    you can take a look at the exact amount it will cost by checking the fee schedule for computer science and then subtracting your previous years’ fees from that amount, two times.

    so, it’s not as bad as it could be, but it’s still a lot of money.

    as for how much OSAP would cover: that all depends, and the answer is a bit complicated, so buckle in.

    OSAP will consider your higher fees when deciding how much funding to give you. however, the amount they give you may not be enough to cover what you need.

    also, OSAP does have a maximum amount that they give, meaning that it’s possible for you to max out. if your need exceeds that maximum amount, then you’ll have to turn to other ways to scrape the bucks together – typically, that’s UTAPS.

    you can use UTAPS’ funding estimator to figure how much you’re likely to get from them. if OSAP and UTAPS together still aren’t enough, you can appeal to OSAP.

    all that being said, we are coming up quite close to the deadline to register (August 17th for UTSC students), so i’d highly recommend you hightail it to your registrar’s office and talk about this with them right away. it’s also probably a good idea to talk with a financial aid advisor, to go over some of the finer points relating to OSAP, UTAPS and OSAP appeals.

    regardless of how much money you get from OSAP/UTAPS, you’re not going to get it right away. that’s a problem because your back balance needs to be paid off before you can defer using OSAP, so you’ll likely need to negotiate some kind of arrangement with your registrar’s office where they waive that requirement and manually register you, if possible.

    good luck with it.

    xoxo,

    aska

  • fees,  summer

    school isn’t cheap but neither is anything else

    how much are summer school courses at u of t? I hear rotman courses are generally more expensive- around $1300.. But what if i want to take Psy201 for example or PHL courses? Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    fortunately for you, the summer 2015 fees are still up, so you can peruse costs at your leisure there. actually, 0.5 commerce credits cost about $1500 this past summer (it’s more for international students).

    a regulated arts & science course however (that is, any course that is not under commerce, computer science or bioinformatics) is cheaper. 0.5 credits cost about $600 for domestic students and around $4000 for international students. that would include any psych or philosophy courses.

    keep in mind that costs go up a little bit every year, but they tend to creep rather than skyrocket, so the 2015 fee schedule is a pretty good indication of what you would be looking at in 2016.

    that’s pretty much the only redeeming fact about how much university costs: it doesn’t increase too quickly.

    cheers,

    aska

  • fees

    WHEN WILL OUR FEES BE UP

    Hi! I can’t seem to find any concrete numbers anywhere – how much do courses cost for the per-course fee at St. George Arts & Sci? Is there a date when the fees are posted or are they already up somewhere I can’t see?

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    hey there,

    we’re hoping the fees for 2015-2016 will be posted around mid-July, so keep checking the fees website for updates as we approach that time. unfortunately, i can’t give you an exact date. (believe you me, i’m as bummed about that as you are.)

    however, you can take a look at the most recent archived fee schedule (for the moment, that’s 2013-2014 – they haven’t archived the 2014-2015 one yet) to get an approximate idea of what you’re looking at. that year, one half-course cost about $600, not including incidental fees.

    the archive is usually a pretty accurate representation of what to expect for the upcoming year, except the numbers are always a little bit bigger than they were in the preceding year. which is…just…nifty.

    cheers,

    aska

  • fees

    a Magnificent Return

    My account was suspended a few years ago because I didn’t pay my tuition. Since then I’ve paid off all remaining charges. My question is: I’m interested in continuing my studies by my account is still suspended. How do I go about returning to school?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    you want to come back here? really? but you got out and paid everything off! surely there’s nothing left for you here, now.

    mad max fury road poster

    a student surveys the wasteland that is their studies

    alright, well, if you really want to keep your nose to the grindstone, you’re going to have to re-register at your friendly neighbourhood college registrar’s office. that’ll cost you about 30 seconds and $25. it’s about the most painless process you can undergo at uoft. and i’m counting 100-level open book exams in that.

    that financial hold on your account will have to be lifted by your registrar’s office, too, before you re-register. they can take a look at why the hold is there and figure out how to lift it. think of them as the jaws of life to your squished car. except after you’re saved, instead of being grateful you’re alive, you’ll have to go back to uoft.

    wishing you a Triumphant Return,

    aska

    P.S. you know the Starbucks at Robarts is closed now, right? you still sure you want to come back?

  • fees,  part-time

    full-time student, part-time napper

    If I take 3.0 FCE in 2015-2016, would I still be considered a full-time student even though I would be charged per-course based on the new changes regarding flat fees? Thanks in advance, Aska!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    yes, you would still be full-time.

    i’m not 100% what the context is for this question, but just in case you’re wondering, what your full-time status means in practical terms is that 1) your incidental fees will be a little bit higher than for part-time students and 2) you will still be considered full-time under OSAP.

    all the best,

    aska

    P.S. sorry for the wait on this question. these new-fangled fees rules are really THROWING ME FOR A LOOP, y’know?

  • fees

    i’m a permanent resident of tim’s and a nomad everywhere else

    Hello aska,

    I am currently an international student at U of T. I am planning to apply for permanent residency since I qualify. It’s gonna take some time for me to get it, so I might still have to pay international student fees this year before the first semester starts. But if I did get PR this fall, would I get a refund from university as I would be exempt from international fees?

    Thanks!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    the rule of thumb in 2014-2015 was that if you submitted sufficient documentation (i.e. if you’d already gotten the permanent residency or you were really, really close to getting it) to the registrar’s office before november 1st, then your fees were altered for the entire Fall/Winter term. so if you already paid some international fees for that term before that date, that would result in a refund.

    that’s a pretty good guideline for this year as well, but make sure to keep an eye on the fees website just in case there are any updates/changes in the process. ’cause the university sure does love to make those.

    cheers,

    aska

  • fees

    the fees’ knees

    This year, I’ve had the unfortunate experience of paying my tuition fees by myself (pretty much all my money from working goes straight to my tuition). At the beginning of the school year in fall, I made the minimum payment and have been making small payments ever since. I am a little bit worried that I might not be able to pay it all off in time (like I’ll probably have little bit left by the end). So what will happen if I don’t? Will I still be able to do my exams and after get my final grades on ROSI? Or will they prevent me from taking any exams and fail me in all my courses? Also when’s the last day that I can pay (I can’t find it on the fees website)? Can I make arrangement to have it paid off by another date?

    UTSC student.

    Thanks again!

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    they definitely will not prevent you from writing exams – no dumbledore business going on here.

    the last day to completely pay your tuition this year is april 30th (Table 1). if you are not able to make the full payment by april 30th, they will block any transcript requests and may refuse further registration (Note 2, Table 1).

    so you’ll definitely be able to complete your courses this year (i mean, barring any considerations of the strike), but you may have some trouble registering next year.

    if you don’t think you can completely pay it off by april 30th (or even if you’re uncertain), i’d strongly recommend making an appointment to talk with the financial counsellor at your college registrar’s office. they can give you more details about what happens if you can’t make the payment, explore financial aid options with you, and help you make some plans going forward.

    and hey – good on you for paying your way through education. we have a really high tuition and student pay is (usually) really low, so paying your way through school these days is pretty tough to pull off. nicely done.

    cheers,

    aska

  • fees,  OSAP

    sassing is truly an important pastime

    Okay I feel like this is a stupid question that I’ll probably find the answer to right after I send this email, but I’m having a mild panic attack about this, so asking around can’t hurt. Okay, so I’m at UTM and I just dropped a Y course, which brought my course load down from 70% for this semester to 50%, so I’m now considered a part time student. I’m not on OSAP, but I did get 30% off my tuition, I know you have to inform OSAP when your course load changes, or it can effect your funding in the following years. I downloaded and filled out the Financial Aid Change Form, I’m just not sure where I’m suppose to submit it or address it to. The Office of Registrar? The Financial Aid Office at the downtown campus? I’m just so vexed as to what to put on the front of the envelope.

    Thanks so much for your help. And if I do manage to figure this out on my own than sorry for wasting your time.

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    not at all! i actually don’t consider this a waste of time. even when people ask me which college is the best college, EVEN THEN i don’t consider it a waste of time. i find sassing them is time well spent.

    anyway, yes, that form is produced by the registrar’s office, and page 36 of this presentation says that any changes to your status relating to OSAP should be reported to them, so i think it’s safe to say the form should be going to the registrar.

    best,

    aska

  • fees

    why am i paying if i’m not even there

    Hello! So I’ll be done all of my credits to graduate after the fall semester of 2016. My question is – how does that work? Because I will not need to continue school into the winter semester, so will I still have to pay fees for that winter semester? Or will I be done and all set and just waiting for convocation? Ideally, I’d like to not have to pay tuition for a semester during which I am enrolled in no classes. Thank you! Bless your soul.

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    if you’re a faculty of arts & science student in the downtown campus who’s?NOT taking computer science or bioinformatics, then what you have been paying the university so far have been program fees.

    that means that if you are a full-time student in the fall/winter term – that’s 3.0 credits or above – then you pay one fixed fee that applies to all full-time students, whether they’re taking 3 credits or 7.

    if you will be taking UNDER 3.0 credits in the fall – which is likely – then you will be paying per course fees. that means you will get charged a certain amount of money for every course you take. if you don’t take any in the winter, you won’t get charged for the winter.

    easy as that!

    if you want to peruse an official (but much more boring and less #cool and #relevant than aska) document where you can verify this information, look here.

    xoxo,

    aska

  • fees

    pls i need money

    hi! im a part time student and i want to drop a y course and i know that the deadline has passed to get 100% full refund but is there a way for me to use that money for the y course to take up two more credits in the winter semester and just drop the y course? thanks

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    the deadline to drop a Y course and get any kind of a refund for part-time students was november 11th – now, you’re in the no refund zone. if you drop the course?now, you won’t get a refund, and if you add more courses in the winter term, you’ll be charged the full amount.

    sorry?man, no fee loopholes there. if you’re looking to save money, i would recommend looking very lost when you take the TTC – you can sometimes get free pity rides that way. that’s what i do.

    cheers,

    aska

  • fees

    part-time, full-time, red time, blue time

    Hello aska

    I’m currently a full time student. However I might have to go back to my hometown in the winter semester. Is it possible that I drop my courses for the next semester, then become a part-time student? And then maybe I ll be refund for the diffence between full time and part time student tuition fee??

    Thanks 🙂

    ???????????????

    hey there,

    assuming you’re a student on the downtown campus, then yes, it is possible. HOWEVER, before you go spending all that money that was earmarked for a full-time fee on an expensive Caribbean cruise, i should make a clarification.

    here at UTSG, we?charge fees for the whole year all at once. that means that you can’t – in a financial sense, at least – be full-time in one semester, and part-time in another. you’re either part-time or full-time for the Fall/Winter term.

    so if you’re taking 2.5 FCEs or less in the Fall and you take 0 in the Winter – that is, drop all your Winter courses – then yes, you would be considered part-time.

    BUT, if you’re taking at least 3.0 FCEs total in the Fall/Winter term – regardless of how many you take in the Winter – you would be full-time for the whole year, and would be charged the full-time program fee.

    if however, you plan to be under 3.0 FCEs total?for Fall/Winter, then you can go to your registrar’s office and request a fee change. also, you can take a look at the refund schedule here.

    cheers,

    aska

  • computer science,  fees

    computing your way to comp. sci.

    aska,
    I might not be able to take the required courses to meet the 1st Criteria for the Computer Science Major, so I’m planning on applying for this subject POST during my second year, when I meet the 2nd Criteria.
    So is it harder to get in the major for the second criteria than for the first? And if I apply during my second or third years, how do retroactive program fees work for Computer Science?

    ———————————————

    hey there,

    before i dive right into it, i just wanna clarify that you can only apply for subject POSts between April and September of any given year. so your next opportunity to apply to the comp. sci. major will be in the summer after second year. jsyk.

    it’s not necessarily harder to get in on the 2nd criteria. if you complete CSC207H1 and CSC236H1 with a combined average of at least 70% (and you’ve completed the required 1st year courses), then you will definitely be accepted into the major.

    that said, most people are accepted after first year, but if you do get that magic number of 70% as an average in those two second-year courses, then you’re in. so don’t let numbers discourage you.

    as for retroactive fees, basically what happens is that the comp. sci fee will be applied to your ROSI account, for every session you weren’t in computer science at uoft AFTER the session in which you accumulate four total credits.

    so if you get into comp. sci after second year, assuming you completed at least 4.0 FCEs in first year, and you didn’t do any summer courses, you would be retroactively charged the difference between the artsci fee and the comp. sci fee for your second year.

    you can take a look at the fee and all the subtle, subtle regulations relating to this on page 3 of this document. note that there’s a mistake in Note 2 on Table 1: you will not be charged Commerce fees, but rather comp. sci fees, which is the ~$11k that’s listed.

    c’mon, fees.utoronto. get it together.

    good luck on getting into comp. sci., my friend,

    aska