General Refund Policy

If students officially withdraw on or before the 14th day of the term, the tuition fee paid will be credited to your student account, less the $200 non-refundable tuition deposit ($100 for the Spring/Summer term). The registration fee and ancillary fees are non-refundable after the first day of class and will not be carried to a subsequent term after this date.

How to Request a Refund

It is the responsibility of the student to initiate the process of receiving an eligible refund by contacting Student Accounts ([email protected]). In your email, please ensure you provide your name and student number when requesting a refund.

General Refund Policy – First Term of Study (prior to or during the first semester of study) 

Scenario A: Your study permit or visa application has been refused AND you would like a refund.

• • You must submit the International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form to withdraw from the Algoma program within fourteen (14) calendar days of the start date of the semester in order to be eligible to receive a refund of the first semester fees (minus a $300 administrative fee).
  • If you submit the International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form more than fourteen (14) calendar days after the semester has started, the fees for that semester will not be refunded. You will still be entitled to receive a refund of fees paid for any future semesters (minus a $300 administrative fee).
  • The start date of your semester can be located as follows:
    • If you have not previously deferred, the start date is set out in your conditional offer letter of acceptance.
    • If you have previously deferred, the start date will be set out in your most recent letter of admission.

Scenario B: You have cancelled your student visa AND decided not to pursue studies before arriving in Canada AND you would like a refund.

• • You must submit the International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form to withdraw from the Algoma program within fourteen (14) calendar days of the start date of the semester in order to be eligible to receive a refund of the first semester fees (minus a $1,000 administrative fee).
  • If you submit the International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form more than fourteen (14) calendar days after the semester has started, the fees for that semester will not be refunded. You will still be entitled to receive a refund of fees paid for any future semesters (minus a $300 administrative fee).
  • The start date of your semester can be located as follows:
    • If you have not previously deferred, the start date is set out in your conditional offer letter of acceptance.
    • If you have previously deferred, the start date will be set out in your most recent letter of admission.

Scenario C: You have received a Canadian study permit based on a valid offer letter from Algoma AND you have landed in Canada AND you wish to study at a different Designated Learning Institution (DLI).

• • You must submit the International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form to withdraw from the Algoma program. You will not be eligible to receive a refund of any first semester fees. However, you will be eligible to receive a refund of any deposit made in excess of the first semester fees (minus a $1,000 administrative fee).

Scenario D: You have received a Canadian study permit based on a valid offer letter from Algoma AND you have landed in Canada AND you have cancelled your visa AND you wish to return to your home country.

• • You must submit the International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form to withdraw from the Algoma program. You will not be eligible to receive a refund of any first semester fees. However, you will be eligible to receive a refund of any deposit made in excess of the first semester fees (minus a $1,000 administrative fee).

Scenario E: You are finishing your program AND you are completing your final semester AND have overpaid fees.

• • You must submit the International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form after the fourteenth (14th) day of the final semester to request a refund for the overpaid fees. No administrative fee will be charged to process the refund.

*Exceptional Circumstances

If you do not fall under one of the above scenarios AND there are exceptional circumstances surrounding a request to withdrawal and refund, you may submit an appeal to the Financial Appeals Committee.

• • Using the International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form, you must submit a written appeal to the Financial Appeals Committee with all relevant documentation to support your claim within one academic year of withdrawal.

*General Refund Appeals

If you wish to appeal your refund decision you must do so via the Financial Relief and Appeals Process. Please ensure you read the process carefully. 

Refund appeals will only be considered within one academic year of your withdrawal. 

All decisions rendered at the Financial Relief and Appeals Committee are final.

General Refund Policy (continuing students – second semester and beyond)

One-thousand dollars ($1,000 CAD) of second-term tuition is classified as non-refundable and automatically withheld/forfeited to Algoma University if a student withdraws.

• • Upon withdrawal, the amount of any refund owing will take this condition into account and the refund will be calculated according to the deadline date by which the International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form has been received by the Office of the Registrar.
    • You must submit the International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form to withdraw from the Algoma program within fourteen (14) calendar days of the start date of the semester in order to be eligible to receive a refund of the fees for that semester (minus a $1,000 administrative fee).
    • If you submit the International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form more than fourteen (14) calendar days after the semester has started, the fees for that semester will not be refunded. You will still be entitled to receive a refund of fees paid for any future semesters (minus a $1,000 administrative fee)

General Guidelines

• • If your refund request does not follow any of the above scenarios, please reach out to [email protected] for guidance.
  • If the University cancels a program or course, affected international students will be offered a choice of a program change or a full refund of fees paid. No administrative fees are applied in this scenario.
  • If you do not maintain an academic standing that allows you to progress into the following semester, you will be required to attend a mandatory meeting with an International Student Advisor to ensure you understand the available options and any immigration implications. You will no longer be an Algoma student. If payment has been previously made for future semesters, you will be entitled to receive a refund of such fees (applicable only to future semesters), minus a $1,000 administrative fee.
  • Processing times for refunds vary but you can expect a minimum of 8–12 weeks from the date that Algoma University receives all information required to process the refund.
  • The registration fee and ancillary fees are non-refundable after the first day of class and will not be carried to a subsequent term after this date.
  • No refunds are given for class withdrawals after the last date for refunds as per the Academic Calendar’s 22/23 Tuition Fee Refund Schedule on page 13 of the Academic Calendar.

Returning Student Course Withdrawal

This refers to the date that returning students can withdraw from a course(s) and receive a credit for the course(s) to your student account. This does not apply to the admission deposit.

How to Request a Refund

If you are an international student and scenario(s) A-E apply and you would like to request a refund, please complete the following form:

International Student Withdrawal and Refund Request Form

• • Prior to paying a deposit, students can defer their offer of admission once to the next available intake with no formal reason required.  
  • Once a student has paid the deposit for a program, the student may defer starting the program to future semesters as many times as the student’s wishes with no formal reason required.  
    • Deferral of admissions are subject to program availability, campus availability, and seat availability at the time of the request. Deferring an offer of admission does not guarantee a seat in the preferred program, campus, or intake and may result in receipt of an alternate offer.

If you would like to defer your admission, please fill out the Deferral Form.

Please Note:

• • No processing fees will be charged. The deposit will be kept in your student account for the next available intake. 

Under no circumstances will international scholarships be deferred. Students must accept the terms and conditions of admission and the scholarship awarded for the year the offer was made. Please refer to International Scholarships for more information.

The steps below outline our international refund process and how your refund will be deposited to your bank account once Algoma University has finalized processing your refund. 

1. You will receive an email from PayMyTuition ([email protected]). This email will provide further instructions on how to complete your refund:

2. You may choose to deposit the funds into someone else’s bank account. When you are directed to the PayMyTuition refund form, you will have the option within the Beneficiary Information tab to select someone else as the recipient and input their bank information.

3. Enter beneficiary details: Complete the online refund beneficiary instruction form which requires currency, identification documentation (either a passport or driver’s license), banking and beneficiary information.

4. Complete verification: Upon receipt of your completed beneficiary instructions, PayMyTuition will verify your request for accuracy. They will complete fraud and compliance checks to comply with various anti-money laundering and compliance laws.

5. Payment confirmation: PayMyTuition will send you a confirmation email once your beneficiary information has been verified and approved. You will receive a PDF summary that is password protected. This PDF can be accessed using the bank account number that you provided in Step 2 as the password.

6. Refund processed: Once your refund has been processed, you will receive a notification that your refund is complete. Please allow 3-5 business days for the payment to be deposited into your account.

If you encounter any difficulties with your refund, please contact [email protected] for assistance.

The Financial Relief & Appeals Committee (FRAC) is an ad-hoc committee of Algoma University consisting of employees from Finance & Planning, Student Success and the Office of the Registrar.

The main mandate of the committee is to consider financial appeals from students who are experiencing financial difficulties due to an exceptional circumstance or there are exceptional circumstances surrounding their request for a refund, withdrawal or continued education.

Students who are experiencing financial difficulties or any of the other scenarios as indicated in this procedure are able to submit their case to the committee. Please read the Financial Relief & Appeals Process CAREFULLY before applying.