Certification of Exemption from International Graduate Tuition Fees

All claims for exemption from international graduate student tuition fees must be accompanied by acceptable original documentation, dated and received by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies within the established deadlines for the application term.

  • Fall: Oct. 31
  • Winter: Jan. 31
  • Intersession: May 21
  • Spring: June 30
  • Summer: July 21

Legal Dependents

For the purposes of this form, legal dependents are defined as:

  • A spouse (marriage certificate must be provided);
  • A common-law partner (verified by an affidavit signed by both spouses confirming that they are living together in a conjugal relationship for not less than one year or that they are living together in a conjugal relationship and are raising any children of who they both are natural or adoptive parents);
  • A dependent child or the dependent child of a spouse or common-law partner; or
  • A dependent child of the dependent child referred to above.
A dependent child is a child who is a biological child who has not been adopted by a person other than the spouse of 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 substantially dependent on the financial support of the parent since before age 22 or since becoming spouse or common-law partner if that occurred before age 22; or
  • 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.

Documentation provided will be reviewed to ensure that it is sufficient to prove a dependent relationship. A dependent child will be required to provide documents that validate age. If the dependent child is over 22 years of age, proof of continuous enrolment at an academic institution is required.

Process Review

In cases where the immigration status of an international student, who had previously been exempt from international tuition fees, changes part way through his/her program of study due to circumstances beyond their control (e.g. the dependent of a diplomat whose parent is reassigned to another country) grandparenting provisions may be warranted. For students who meet the criteria and can substantiate their claim, their exemption from international tuition fees will continue until the completion of that program, at which time the grandparenting provision will end. Requests of this nature are reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.