Program and Course Withdrawal and Refund Procedure
- Approver:
- Academic Coordinating Committee
- Policy Owner:
- Vice-President, Academic
- Policy Lead(s):
- Executive Director, Registrarial Services
- Defining policy:
- Effective date:
- 2015-12-16
- Date of last approval:
- 2026-11-19
- Status:
- Approved
Procedure Statement
This procedure defines the process for and consequences of a student-initiated withdrawal. The timing of these actions determines the effect on the student academic record, including the student’s enrolment status and eligible refund amounts. ​
Procedure Scope
This procedure applies to all cohort students except for students registered in Apprenticeship programs and McMaster BScN program offered through Conestoga.
Definitions
ÌÇÐÄvlog¾«Æ· maintains a glossary of terms specific to the institution. The ones in use for this document are defined below.
- Cohort Program
- An intake of a group of students enrolled in a specified program of study with a defined start and completion date.
- Compulsory Ancillary Fees
- Ancillary fees that a student is required to pay to enrol in or successfully complete any course or program of instruction. There are two types of compulsory ancillary fees
- Program ancillary fees which are compulsory for students in applicable programs; and
- Institutional ancillary fees which are compulsory for all students.
- Course
- A distinct and discrete teaching and learning framework, containing content approved by an expert source, usually structured to be delivered over an identified period of time, with measurable learning outcomes and formal student evaluation.
- International Student
- A foreign national who is authorized under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (Canada) to enrol as a student in an educational institution in Canada.
- Late Fee
- A non-refundable fee assessed to student accounts in default.
- Optional Ancillary Fees
- Fees for services that students may choose to access.
- Program/Program of Study
- An academic program that leads to issuance of a post-secondary credential or certificate for a particular area of study.
- Student Fee Invoice
- An accounting record of charges for tuition, compulsory and optional ancillary fees.
- Student Status
- Full-time Cohort Student: Admitted to and enrolled in a minimum of 70 percent of the hours, or 66 2/3 per cent of the courses in the current session/level of the program of study.Part-time Cohort Student: Admitted to and enrolled in a program of study and does not meet the full-time cohort student status.Part-time Non-Cohort Student: Enrolled in course(s) but not admitted/enrolled in a full-time program of study.
- Tuition Deposit
- An amount that is paid as part of the student’s total tuition fees for the academic year to secure a student’s enrolment at a college.
- Tuition Fees
- Fees charged to students representing their contribution towards the operating and capital costs of academic program delivery and general overhead for the institution.
- Voluntary Withdrawal
- Termination of studies initiated by the student
- Withholding Fee
- A fee assessed if a student withdraws after the start of the term and prior to the withdrawal date for a refund.
Responsibilities
Registrar's Office
- Ensures procedures, processes and timelines are adhered to.
- Maintains the accuracy and confidentiality of all student records.
- Interprets and ensures administration of Ministry policies and College fee policies and procedures.
- Ensures fee schedules are prepared, fee assessments/invoices are prepared, fees are collected, and refund processes are developed and adhered to.
- Ensures refund processes are communicated.
- Ensures adherence to refund procedures and processes.
- Primary contact to clarify refund information and processes.
- Enters withdrawal information following established procedure and processes ensuring accuracy and confidentiality of student records.
Students
- Follow program withdrawal and refund dates.
- Complete all applicable processes and forms, including closing applications, Withdrawal Request Form and Request Request Form within the outlined dates. This includes students who have been denied OSAP assistance.
Procedure
Refunds will not be issued to students with a credit balance on their account who are enrolled in a future term with fees owing. Credit balances will be applied to future terms with fees owing.
Full-time students dropping courses by the refund deadline date may affect their status in the program. If as a result of a course drop, the student’s status changes to part-time, fees will be calculated on an hourly basis. If there is a difference between full-time fees paid and fees charged, a credit to the account will be posted (See below for specific details).
Students withdrawing from non-semestered Certificate and Preparatory programs receive tuition refunds pro-rated according to the weekly rate less the non-refundable tuition deposit fee noted above.
Full-time international student withdrawals and relevant refund procedures may be impacted by current Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada guidelines, processes and policies (See relevant Appendices below for details).
Full-Time Students in a Cohort Program
1. Program Withdrawal (First-Year/First Semester)
1.1. If a ‘No to Confirm’ withdrawal is received by the admissions officer prior to the deposit due date:
1.1.1. student will be deregistered;
1.1.2. any fees paid will be refunded.
2. Program Withdrawal (All Full-Time Students)
2.1. If withdrawal is received by the Registrar's Office after the deposit due date but prior to the program withdrawal refund deadline:
2.1.1. student will be withdrawn from the current and future term(s);
2.1.2. fees paid will be refunded less the withfolding fee;
2.1.3. tuition fees paid for future terms will be refunded.
2.2. If withdrawal is received by the Registrar's Office after the program withdrawal refund deadline but prior to the academic penalty deadline:
2.2.1. student will be withdrawn from the current and future term(s);
2.2.2. no refund will be given for fees paid for the current term;
2.2.3. tuition fees paid for future term(s) will be refunded;
2.2.4. "W" grades will be reflected on the transcript.
2.3. If withdrawal is received by the Registrar's Office after the academic penalty deadline:
2.3.1. student will be withdrawn from the current and future term(s);
2.3.2. no refund will be given for fees paid for the current term;
2.3.3. fees paid for future term(s) will be refunded;
2.3.4. the grades earned will be reflected on the transcript.
3. Program Withdrawal - Visa Refusal (First-Year/First Semester, International Students)
3.1. ​Student submits request for withdrawal and the required visa refusal documentation 
3.1.1. ​Visa refusal documentation includes valid student permit refusal from the Government of Canada.
3.2. ​Fees Officer verifies the study permit refusal and ensures the application is closed.
3.3. ​If the visa refusal letter is valid, the Registrar’s Office;
3.3.1. De-registers the student
3.3.2. ​Adds a visa refusal note to the student record;
3.3.3. ​Processes a refund, less a $200 non-refundable administrative fee;
3.3.4. ​If required visa refusal documentation is not provided, a refund less the non-refundable deposit will be processed.
4. Program Withdrawal - Visa Extension Refusal (Studying with Implied Status, International Students)
​4.1. Student submits request for withdrawal and the required visa refusal documentation 
4.1.1. ​Visa refusal documentation includes valid study permit refusal from the Government of Canada.
4.2. ​The Enrolment Officer verifies the study permit refusal and updates the student record.
4.3. ​If the visa refusal letter is valid, the Registrar’s Office;
​4.3.1. Withdraws the student, based on the request for withdrawal date;
​4.3.2. ​Assigns the $200 non-refundable administrative fee, and applicable non-refundable ancillary and supply fees.
​​4.3.3. If required visa refusal documentation is not provided, a refund less the non-refundable deposit will be processed.
4.4. Student submits request for refund and the required visa refusal documentation
​4.4.1. Visa refusal documentation includes valid study permit refusal from the Government of Canada.
​4.5. The Registrar’s Office verified the study permit refusal and withdrawal date.
​4.5.1. If the visa refusal letter is valid and the withdrawal is completed, the Registrar’s Office;
​4.5.2. Add a visa refusal note to the student record;
​4.5.3. Processing a refund, less the $200 non-refundable administrative fee, and applicable non-refundable ancillary and supply fees.
5. Course Withdrawal
5.1. If a student drops a course before Course Add/Drop date:
5.1.1. enrolment is not recorded on the student record;
5.1.2. fees for the course are adjusted if a full-time cohort student’s status changes to part-time;
5.1.3. course fees for part-time cohort students are refunded less the withholding fee.
5.2. If a student drops a course after the Course Add/Drop date and prior to the academic penalty date:
5.2.1. fees will not be refunded, nor will they be reduced if outstanding;
5.2.2. a ‘W’ will appear on the transcript;
5.2.3. the status (full-time/part-time) of the student will not be affected.
5.3. If a student drops a course after the Course Add/Drop date and after the academic penalty date;
5.3.1. fees will not be refunded, nor will they be reduced if outstanding;
5.3.2. ​the grade earned will appear on the transcript;
5.3.3. ​the status (full-time/part-time) of the student will not be affected.
6. Exceptions to the Withholding of Fees (Refunds)
​Students who withdraw from their studies past the refund deadline due to extenuating circumstances such as illness, accident, or family crisis can request a review of the withholding of fees. Requests must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar using the Fee Exceptions Request form within 30 days of the student's withdrawal date.  ​Submissions received after this date will ²Ô´Ç³Ù be considered. 
7. ​The student's submission must detail facts, particularly dates, circumstances and how these circumstances affected the student's ability to continue in their program. Evidence verifying these circumstances must be provided. Incomplete submissions will not be reviewed. Circumstances of financial hardship, including personal or familial, are not eligible for fee exceptions. Considerations will only be made under the following:
7.1. ​Documented medical cause where the student was under direct medical care. Examples of documentation include: a letter from a doctor or certified medical practitioner that includes the dates where the student was under medical care and unable to continue in their studies.
​7.2. Documented personal issue. The documentation must be based on an extraordinary event and must include dates. For example, documentation could include a copy of an obituary and travel documents in the case of travel for a death in the immediate family.
​8. The Registrar’s Office will convene a meeting of the committee to review submissions.
8.1. ​Consultation with the appropriate departments and/or additional information may be requested from the student which may impact the timeline for decision making.
9. ​A final decision will be communicated to the student. This decision is not subject to further appeal.
9.1. ​Only the deposit and tuition fees will be considered for a refund and may be prorated based on the individual student's circumstances. The Conestoga Student Incorporated (CSI) Health Plan, International Health Plan, ancillary and non-essential fees will not be refunded.​
Relevant Legislation and Related Documents
Revision Log
| Date | Details |
|---|---|
| 2015-12-07 | Policy and Procedure Committee – Approved |
| 2015-12-16 | Academic Coordinating Committee – Approved |
| 2019-12-18 | Academic Forum |
| 2020-01-13 | Academic Coordinating Committee |
| ​2025-11-12 | ​Academic Forum |
| ​2025-11-19 | ​Academic Coordinating Committee |