Canadian campus students are billed in one of three ways:
- Student Direct Stream (SDS)
- Non-Student Direct Stream (non-SDS)
- Returning students
All students are billed via the Student Hub and must log into their respective accounts in order to view their billing details and to make payments. Details on how to navigate making a payment can be found in the Student Hub Visual Aid.
SDS Billing
SDS is an expedited study permit processing program for those who are applying to study in Canada at a post-secondary designated learning institution. Some international students can get their study permits faster by using the SDS process. Details and a full list of SDS-approved countries can be found on the Office of Global Services SDS webpage.
Students who apply through SDS will be invoiced once they accept their offer. Students must pay their estimated first-year tuition fees in full by the invoice deadline date (two weeks after the invoice has been issued). For their study permit application, students can then submit a copy of their First Year’s Estimated Fees invoice, along with their CIBC Proof of Payment email confirmation as their receipt.
First Year Estimated Fee invoices are based on current academic year rates, at the time Proof of Acceptance letters and Estimated First Year Fee invoices are issued. New academic year rates are released in late Spring/early Summer and are made availabe on the Student Financial Services’ Tuition and Fees for Students Studying at Canadian Campuses webpage. Depending on when a student receives their POA/First Year invoice, students can expect a slight difference between the Estimated First Year Fee amount (on POAs or Estimated First Year Fees invoices), from the actual charges once the new academic year begins. Students are responsible for paying the actual academic year rates accordingly.
Non-SDS Billing
Students who are not from an SDS-approved country, or are from an SDS-approved country but do not wish to apply for SDS status, will be issued a deposit invoice after accepting their offer. Non-SDS international students will pay a $500 CAD deposit, while domestic students will pay a $200 CAD deposit, to hold their seat in the program. Invoices will be issued on a per term basis, approximately one month before the term begins. The full term fees are due two weeks after invoicing has been issued. It should be noted that both both A and B session courses are billed at the start of the term.
If you have applied to more than one program, it should be noted that you will be issued a deposit invoice for each program. Accepting a program will not remove the subsequent deposit invoices. Students must cancel the applications to the additional programs to have their billing details updated in their accounts. Non-SDS students cannot pay any portion of their tuition prior to being invoiced (as per the standard NU Billing Cycle – approximately one month before the term of study).
Returning Students
All returning students (second year) will be billed on a per term basis, approximately one month before the term/quarter begins. The full term fees are due two weeks after invoicing has been issued, this includes both A and B component courses.
Outstanding Fees/Holds
If invoices are not paid in full by their respective deadlines, holds will be placed on student accounts after 30 days of nonpayment. A hold on your account will restrict you from enrolling in subsequent term courses and accessing academic grades and documents. Holds will not be lifted until outstanding balances have been paid in full.
*Please note that payments can take approximately one week to post to your student account, as it must clear international banking protocols. Holds will not be lifted until the payment is cleared and posts to your account and will not be lifted in advance. Students should settle accounts by their respective invoice due dates to avoid any complications or disruptions to access and/or services.
To have your hold lifted, please notify SAC via the SFS Inquiry form with a copy of your CIBC Proof of Payment confirmation email. Please ensure to include the term, subject and your NUID in your subject line (i.e., Fall 2023 – Request to Lift Hold, NUID 123456789).
Tuition Fees
Tuition and fees for students studying at Canadian campuses are available online for easy reference. Students are charged the annual rate per credit for their studies. It should be noted that fees are subject to changes each year. Second-year fees may differ from first-year fees. The rates are updated online in late spring/early summer. Depending on when acceptance has been established, a First Year’s Estimated Tuition invoice may differ from actual billing that is issued at the start of a study period. This is due to the fact that the following year’s fees may not be available at the time your First Year’s Estimated Tuition invoice is generated.
Invoicing/Billing Cycles
For incoming students, invoices will be issued based on application details. As such, SDS applicants who have applied to more than one program will receive invoices for all programs that have been applied to. Students will be required to update their application details and withdraw the applications for programs they do not wish to proceed with, in order for billing details to be updated accordingly. Similarly, non-SDS students will receive a deposit invoice for all programs they have applied to. Students are only required to make a deposit payment towards the actual program they select to pursue. However, the subsequent deposit invoices will not be updated until students withdraw their applications for all other programs than the one they are choosing to proceed with.
Term invoices are sent out based on your enrollment on a monthly basis. As such, if you are enrolled in four courses at the start of August (for September studies), you will only be invoiced for those four courses. If you later enroll in additional courses for the September study period (after the initial invoice has been issued), you will receive that invoice the following billing cycle.
Similarly, any course drops that occur after the initial invoice has been issued and are eligible for a refund (in full or partial), will also be reflected in the following month’s billing cycle. In these scenarios, students are advised to pay the amount of the courses that they are keeping. Once the invoice with the course drop is posted in the following billing cycle, the account should reconcile.
Please note that SAC cannot combine invoices. As such, students must pay each invoice separately. The payment portal only reflects invoices within the last three months. If you do not see some or all of your invoices, you can view older, outstanding, or partially paid invoices by changing the date in the activity calendar to the month of the invoice.