Academic Tuition Fee Categories

There are two academic tuition fee categories at York University: Domestic and International.

Domestic Tuition

The domestic tuition rate is charged to students who are specifically exempted from the international student charge by the regulations of the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities.

International Tuition

The international tuition rate is charged to students who are not exempted or who are unable to provide documentary proof of exempted status to the Office of the University Registrar.

Based on the Ontario government policy and regulations, the Office of the University Registrar administers all eligibility for exemption from international fees, tuition rate reassessment and deadlines for submitting documents. The Office of the University Registrar also administers requests for documentation from any student in order to verify their status.

Please note that tuition/fees may also vary depending on the Faculty, program or course selections, or on the entry year into your program of study that you are registered in.

Changing Your Fee Status to the Domestic Tuition Rate

You are eligible for the domestic tuition rate if you fall into one of the provincial government’s exempt categories listed below. Satisfactory proof of your status to the Office of the University Registrar is required by the deadline dates seen below:

Fall/Winter Session Deadline Dates

  • October 31 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for a complete fall/winter session.
  • January 31 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for a winter term only of the fall/winter session.

Summer Session Deadline Dates

  • June 30 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for a complete summer session.
  • July 16 is the deadline for reassessment at the domestic tuition rate for certain summer session courses which begin later in the session, e.g. July 2. Questions regarding specific courses should be directed to the Office of the University Registrar.

Note: all changes or corrections to your tuition rate on your student record must be done before the deadline dates above. Any changes or corrections made after these dates will only be applicable to the next term or session and will not be retroactive to any previous term or session.

Documentation Required

If you request exemption from the international tuition rate under one of the government approved categories, the Office of the University Registrar has the final decision regarding the official documentation necessary to support such a request. All documents presented in support of consideration for exemption or if requested by the Office of the University Registrar as proof of status, must be submitted to the Office of the University Registrar before payment of academic tuition. If you are unable to provide the required documentation before paying your academic tuition, you are required to pay at the international tuition rate.

Retaining Your Eligibility for the Domestic Tuition Rate

In order to retain an exemption from the international fees for a subsequent term or session, you may, at a later date, be required to submit supplementary or new documents to prove that your status has been maintained.

If you present acceptable documentation for exemption from the international tuition rate, and this documentation contains an expiry date, it is your responsibility to bring updated documentation to the Office of the University Registrar no later than 10 working days after the expiry date on the original documentation. This must be done to maintain your eligibility for the domestic fees.

University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) Charges

If your tuition fee rate on your York record has been changed to domestic and you have been charged for the University Health Insurance Plan on your student account, you must contact York International’s University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) office to make any changes. The Office of the University Registrar cannot make any changes or revisions to the health charges on your account. Please visit the UHIP website at http://yorkinternational.yorku.ca/uhip.

Domestic Tuition Fee Categories

Note: these exemption categories and definitions are subject to change at any time on a decision by the government of Ontario.

Definition of Dependents

Some categories state the both the person who has the status and their dependents are eligible for the domestic tuition rate. If you are a dependent of someone who falls under one of the categories eligible for domestic fees, you will be required to present documentation to verify your dependent status.

The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities's regulations define dependents as follows:

  • a spouse;
  • a common-law partner (An affidavit signed by both spouses, confirming that they are living together in a conjugal relationship for not less than three years, or that they are living together in a conjugal relationship and are raising any children of whom they both are the natural or adoptive parent, is required to verify their common-law status);
  • a dependent child or the dependent child of a spouse or common-law partner;
  • a dependent child of the dependent child referred to above.

Dependent Child

A dependent child is a child who is a biological child who has not been adopted by a person other than the spouse or common-law partner, or an adopted child; and who is in one of the following situations of dependency:

  • under age 22 and not a spouse or common-law partner;
  • enrolled continuously at a college, university or other educational institution and dependent substantially on the financial support of the parent since before age 22 or since becoming a spouse or common-law partner if that occurred before age 22;
  • a person with a disability who has been financially supported substantially by his or her parents, and who is unable to be self-supporting because of the disability.

Categories Eligible for Domestic Fees

Under the regulations of the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, a student is eligible for domestic tuition rate if they are:

  1. A citizen of Canada within the meaning of the Citizenship Act or a person registered as an Indian within the meaning of the Indian Act.
  2. A person who is the legal dependent of a Canadian citizen. Please see the definition of dependent above.
  3. A person who has been granted permanent resident status in Canada within the meaning of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
  4. A person who is the legal dependent of a permanent resident. Please see the definition of dependent above.
  5. Students or their parents or spouse who are permanent resident applicants are eligible for domestic fees only if they have received a letter/email with communication addressed to the primary applicant from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada indicating that they have been approved in principle.

    Note: Other  documentation relating to permanent resident applicants should be verified by an Immigration Specialist at York International or at the Schulich School of Business prior to submission.
  6. A person who is the legal dependent of an applicant for permanent resident as outlined in category 5. Please see the definition of dependent above.
  7. A person who is admitted to and remaining in Canada, with official accreditation from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, who has entered Canada or is in Canada to carry out official duties as:
    • a diplomatic or consular officer; or as a Canadian government-accredited representative or official of a country other than Canada, of the United Nations or any of its agencies, of any intergovernmental organizations of which Canada is a member; or as a dependent (please see above for the definition of dependent);
    • or a member of the staff of any such diplomat, consular officer, representative or official accredited to Canada by the Canadian government;
    • or a member of a foreign military force or of a civilian component thereof admitted to Canada under the Visiting Forces Act or any dependents of such personnel (please see above for the definition of dependent)​

      Note: if a student has been exempt under this category, and their exemption status changes during the course of their program by circumstances beyond their control (for example: the dependent of a diplomat whose parent is assigned to another country), the student continues to be exempt from the payment of international student tuition until the completion of the program of study that they are registered in. Contact the Office of the University Registrar regarding official documentation required.
  8. A person and his/her dependents (please see definition of dependent above) who is authorized to work in Canada and has been issued a work permit by the federal government. The following groups are excluded from this category. If you, your parent or your spouse holds a work permit for one of the following reasons you are not eligible for domestic fees:
    1. A visitor who is a graduate teaching assistant;
    2. An international student holding a work permit to complete his/her co-op, internship or medical residency employment;
    3. An international student holding an open work permit for post-graduate work (usually for up to three years of work opportunities upon graduation);
    4. An international student whose spouse or common-law partner has received a work permit as a result of the international student holding a valid study permit;
    5. An international student holding an “Off-Campus Work Permit”.
  9. A person and his/her dependents (please see above for the definition of dependent), who is officially recognized and documented by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to be a Protected Person or a Convention Refugee.

How to Apply

  1. You must fit at least one of the definitions in the Categories Eligible for Domestic Fees section above.
  2. You should review the deadlines in the Changing Your Fee Status to the Domestic Tuition Rate section above. The date you submit the supporting documentation for tuition fee status re-assessment determines the academic session or term when the re-assessed tuition fee status will take effect.
  3. You will apply online using the Proceed to Application Form link below. A Passport York login is required to access this application form; if you are a prospective student who does not yet have a Passport York account, please contact the Office of Admissions for help with changing your tuition fee status.
  4. You will need to provide supporting documentation for your request. The online application form will tell you what documents are acceptable for your category, and how to upload the documents.