Tuition refund request | Undergraduate
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The Registar's office reviews requests for refunds of tuition fees and tuition penalties for classes dropped due to extenuating circumstances beyond a student's control.
Before you fill out this form, please review the criteria:
Criteria
Criteria and Time Limit for Tuition Refund Requests
In order to be eligible for a tuition refund request, the following must apply:
- The student must apply within one calendar year of the date the course(s) were taken.
- If you are requesting a tuition refund for multiple terms, then you will need to submit a separate application for each term.
- The student's request is based on one of the eligible reasons per the criteria below.
- Only students with active SFU computing IDs will be able to open the appropriate Tuition Refund or Appeal Application.
- The course(s) in question must be either dropped, withdrawn (WD on transcript), or withdrawn under extenuating circumstances (WE on transcript).
If your course(s) in question are not dropped, WD, or WE:
Withdrawals Under Extenuating Circumstances (WE) |
A decision regarding a WE request must be reached before a student can apply for a tuition refund. For more information, please consult the WE website. If you are submitting a tuition refund appeal application following a WE application, you may submit the same Healthcare Provider Statement included with your WE application. |
Retroactive WEs and Tuition Refund Requests |
If a student receives a retroactive WE for courses taken in the previous calendar year and wishes to request a refund through our office, please submit a tuition appeal. Please note that tuition refund requests for retroactive WEs must be received within one calendar year from the last day of classes in the semester for which you have received a WE, regardless of when the WE process is initiated or completed. |
Eligible grounds
Medical
Medical requests must be accompanied by the Health Care Provider form. Please note we do not require detailed medical records or the disclosure of a diagnosis, rather the University requires that the form confirm the specific dates on which the student visited the health professional and should include details on the following:
- the degree to which the health issue (or treatment, in the case of medication, for example) is likely to have affected the student's ability to study, attend classes, or sit examinations;
- the length of time over which the student's abilities were likely hampered by the condition
- the fitness of the student to resume studies
If the condition began prior to the semester of the tuition refund request, there needs to be documentation of how the condition has worsened or changed in an unforeseeable way. It is expected that students with pre-existing conditions work with the resources available to them in order to develop an academic plan accomodating their condition and needs.
- We encourage students to reach out to Health and Counselling and the Centre for Accessible Learning for support services.
Compassionate
- Death of a loved one, including immediate or extended family member, or close friend. A death certificate or obituary in English is required as documentation. If these documents cannot be obtained, please contact our office at irreac@sfu.ca so that we may assist you in finding a potential alternative.
- A sudden change in personal or familial responsibilities, such as taking care of an ill loved one or taking over childcare responsibilities for an ill loved one.
- Other unanticipated events not mentioned above will be considered, provided there is clear documentation.
Other extraordinary circumstances, including but not limited to:
- Unanticipated transfers or deployments for military and first responder personnel.
- Administrative errors.
Ineligible grounds
Financial reasons
Financial concerns alone are not considered an eligible reason for a refund request. For students facing financial hardship, we encourage connecting with Financial Aid & Awards for advising and support.
Being unaware of tuition refund dates and deadlines
In order to enrol in courses, students must agree to the Student Declaration and Responsibility to complete enrollment actions. The Student Declaration and Responsibility states that students are responsible for knowing and adhering to all deadlines and policies in reference to enrollment and fees.
Nonpayment or Nonattendance
Failure to pay tuition by the tuition payment deadline will not result in an automatic course drop, and failure to pay tuition is not a valid reason for a refund. Students are responsible for all fees incurred by their enrollment actions. Similarly, failure to attend classes in which a student is enrolled is not a valid reason for a refund request.
Issues pertaining to course content or instructor performance
Please refer concerns and feedback to the relevant department
Workload, difficulty, or scheduling issues
It is the student's responsibility to manage their workload, difficulty level, and scheduling needs, and as such these are not considered eligible reasons for a refund request.
Courses not fitting academic program or graduation plan
It is the student's responsibility to understand requirements and work with advisors if necessary to ensure enrollment decisions are suited to their academic plan
Overenrolling to attend classes before dropping in order to save seats in preferred classes
Students should only enrol in courses they intend to take. Please note that students are responsible for tuition and fees for courses that they were enrolled in from the waitlist. For this reason, it is advised that students drop themselves from any waitlist for courses they no longer intend to take. Overenrollment to secure preferred enrollment opportunities is not a valid reason for a refund request.