Refunds & withdrawals

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General information

It is the student's responsibility to become familiar with the policies and procedures which outline course and program fee withdrawals and refunds.

Students considering a program or course withdrawal are strongly advised to consult with their program coordinator in addition to the records officer in the Office of the Registrar. Important: Not attending classes or notifying only your professor or program coordinator of your intent to withdraw are NOT acceptable methods for formally withdrawing from a class or program.

OSAP recipients should check with a student financial aid officer, as withdrawing may affect their current or future OSAP status. If students withdraw after the refund date, they are responsible for any outstanding fees and for repayment of funds to OSAP, if applicable.

International students should consult with the International Office, as withdrawing may affect their status in Canada. For international student refunds and withdrawals, please refer to: Fees and payment info.

A student may not withdraw from their program by dropping courses. Program withdrawals must be submitted to the Office of the Registrar on or before the tenth official day of the session by submitting a completed Withdrawal Form. There are no refunds after the tenth official day of the start of the term and students are liable for payment of outstanding fees. There are no exceptions to the refund policy for students who register late. Full-time program fees are a package cost and dropping a course(s) does not qualify for a refund if a student remains in full-time status (this includes students approved for transfer credits). Unused student contact hours are not transferable from one term to another.

Please note: A $500 withdrawal fee ($2,500 for international students) is automatically withheld once payment is made. Late fees are non-refundable.

How to request a refund
  • Log in to the Student Portal.
  • Select the Services tab.
  • Select the My Forms button. Enter your Conestoga email and network password.
  • Select Request for Refund.
  1. Select a Reason for Request.
    1. If you select Program Withdrawal / Transfer, you must first submit a Withdrawal form before you can submit your Request for Refund.
    2. If you select Visa Refusal (International students only), you will need to upload a copy of your Visa refusal letter.
  2. In the Refund amount requested box, enter the dollar value. Ensure the amount entered corresponds with your credit balance. You can verify your credit balance in the Student Portal under the Financial tab.
  3. In the Comments box, be sure to enter your current mailing address.
  4. Once you have entered all required information, select the Submit button at the bottom of the page.
  5. You will receive an email notification that your request has either been approved or denied.
Refund payments

This chart outlines how refunds are received, based on the original payment method*. 

Original payment method
Refund method
​CIBC International
  • ​Your refund will be sent back with Convera (see below).
​Convera (formerly Western Union)
  • Your refund will be sent after you provide your banking information to Convera.
  • Convera will email you directly to update your banking information to deposit your funds to an international bank account.
  • Convera will email your Conestoga College email address, or if it is invalid, your personal email on file.
Credit card
  • Your refund will be sent back to the original payment source.
Flywire
  • Your refund will be sent back to the original payment source.
  • If the provider is not able to deposit the funds to the original source, Flywire may reach out to you directly for additional banking information.
OSAP
  • Refunds for students who received OSAP can be forwarded to OSAP through the National Student Loan Service Centre (NSLSC).
Web banking
  • Your refund will be sent back as an INTERAC e-Transfer. You will receive an email with a link to deposit your fees.

* Subject to change based on the operational needs of the Finance Team. 

Full-time students in a cohort program

Important: Refunds will not be issued for a credit balance to students who are enrolled in future sessions with outstanding fees. Credit balances will be applied to outstanding fees, regardless of the due date.

Students initiating a voluntary withdrawal by the refund deadline will receive a refund for the total tuition and compulsory incidental fees paid in the current academic year, less the non-refundable deposit.

  • Please email studentfees@conestogac.on.ca
  • For OSAP recipients, the applicable refund will be directed to the National Student Loans Service Centre to reduce indebtedness. OSAP students should contact osap@conestogac.on.ca to inquire about the impact of a withdrawal on their OSAP status.
  • For sponsored students, the applicable refund will be directed to the sponsoring agency.

Full-time students dropping courses by the refund deadline date may affect their status in the program. If the 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 refund will be issued. (See below for specific details.)

Students withdrawing from non-termed certificate and preparatory programs receive tuition refunds prorated according to the weekly rate, less the non-refundable $500 fee noted above.

Withdrawal details

Program withdrawal (first-year/first-level student)
  1. If a No To Confirm withdrawal is received by the admission officer prior to the deposit due date:
    1. student will be deregistered; and
    2. any fees paid will be refunded.
  2. If withdrawal is received by the admission officer after the deposit due date but prior to the program start date:
    1. student will be withdrawn; and
    2. fees paid less the non-refundable deposit will be refunded.
  3. If withdrawal is received by the student records officer after the program start date but prior to the program withdrawal refund deadline:
    1. student will be withdrawn from current and future levels;
    2. fees paid less the non-refundable deposit will be refunded; and
    3. tuition fees paid less the non-refundable deposit for subsequent level(s) will be refunded.
  4. If withdrawal is received by the student records officer after the program withdrawal refund deadline but prior to the academic penalty deadline:
    1. student will be withdrawn from current and future levels;
    2. no refund will be given for fees paid for the current level; and
  5. If withdrawal is received by the student records officer after the academic penalty deadline:
    1. student will be withdrawn from current and future sessions;
    2. no refund will be given for fees paid for the current level; and
    3. an academic penalty will apply.

Note: As outlined in the Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) request form, students who receive a PAL from Conestoga College will not be eligible for a refund of their non-refundable deposit.

Program withdrawal (student in levels beyond level one)
  1. If withdrawal is received by the records officer after the deposit due date but prior to the fees due date and course enrolment:
    1. student will be withdrawn from the current and future levels; and
    2. fees paid less the non-refundable deposit fee will be refunded.
  2. If withdrawal is received by the records officer after deposit and fees due dates but prior to the program withdrawal refund deadline:
    1. student will be withdrawn from the current and future levels; and
    2. fees paid less the non-refundable deposit will be refunded.
  3. If withdrawal is received by the records officer after the program withdrawal refund deadline and prior to the academic penalty deadline:
    1. student will be withdrawn from current and future level(s);
    2. no refund will be given for fees paid for the current level; and
  4. If withdrawal is received by the records officer after the academic penalty deadline:
    1. student will be withdrawn from the current and future level(s);
    2. no refund will be given for fees paid for the current level; and
    3. an academic penalty will apply.
Course withdrawal (full-time cohort student)
  1. If a student drops a course before the course add/drop date:
    1. enrolment is not recorded on the student record; and
    2. fees for the course are refunded if the student’s status changes to part-time.
  2. If a student drops a course after the course add/drop date and prior to the academic penalty date:
    1. fees are not refundable, nor will they be reduced if outstanding;
    2. a ‘W’ will appear on the student record; and
    3. the status (full-time/part-time) of the student will not be affected.
  3. If a student drops a course after the course add/drop date and after the academic penalty date:
    1. fees are not refundable, nor will they be reduced if outstanding;
    2. a grade of ‘F’ will appear on the student record; and
    3. the status (full-time/part-time) of the student will not be affected.
Course withdrawal (part-time cohort student)
  1. If a student withdraws from a course before the course add/drop date there is no record of enrolment and fees for the course are refunded less the withholding fee.
  2. If a student withdraws from a course after the course add/drop date and prior to the academic penalty date:
    1. fees are not refundable, nor will they be reduced if outstanding;
    2. a ‘W’ will appear on the student record; and
    3. the status (part-time) of the student will not be affected.
  3. If a student withdraws from a course after the course add/drop date and after the academic penalty date:
    1. fees are not refundable, nor will they be reduced if outstanding;
    2. a grade of ‘F’ will appear on the student record; and
    3. the status (part-time) of the student will not be affected.
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 may wish to 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 not be considered. 

  1. 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:
    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.
    2. Documented personal cause. 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.
  2. The Associate Registrar, Client Services & Student Fees will convene a meeting of the committee to review submissions.
    1. Consultation with the appropriate departments and/or additional information may be requested from the student which may impact the timeline for decision making.
  3. A final decision will be communicated to the student. This decision is not subject to further appeal.
    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.
  4. All other fee questions should be addressed to studentfees@conestogac.on.ca, or for a continuing education or part-time studies course, contact ce@conestogac.on.ca.