Tuition and Fees 2020/21 FAQs

About your 2020/21 Fees

In recognition of the disruption COVID-19 has caused, representatives from the university, the Students’ Union, and the Graduate Students’ Association have worked together to review and set all incidental fees with the goal of providing some financial relief and helping students manage this challenging time.

The incidental fees information on this page has been updated to provide more detail about each fee, including what it funds, who makes the decisions about the fee levels and contact information for student/parent inquiries. You can also contact Service Laurier for more information.

For students experiencing financial challenges, we continue to offer financial supports. Visit Financial Supports for Students for information about what is available to you.

There is an established process for reviewing fees. The Non-Tuition Fee Protocol (NTFP) committee reviewed all non-tuition fees. The NTFP committee includes representatives from the university, the Students’ Union and the Graduate Students Association. Consideration was given to whether the services that are funded from the fees could continue to be provided in a remote environment.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can’t I opt-out of non-mandatory fees?

The provincial government’s Student Choice Initiative would have allowed students to opt out of fees the government deemed “non-essential.” This initiative was struck down by the courts in November 2019 in a ruling that is currently being appealed by the Government of Ontario.

While we continue to monitor the appeal process, all non-tuition ancillary fees will appear on invoices for the fall and winter terms. There is no option to opt out of these fees unless otherwise stated.

For more information, review the Student Choice Initiative FAQ.

Why aren’t incidental fees being suspended during COVID-19?

Some fees have not been assessed or have been temporarily reduced this term to recognize that services won’t be available or fully accessible for at least part of this upcoming year. Other fees will be used to support essential services that remain accessible to students online. Continuing to provide these services means continuing to pay staff as well as investing in new technologies and approaches to adapt to the challenges of the pandemic. Fees are also required to ensure the university can re-open and restart in-person services as soon as possible when conditions allow.

We have reviewed competitor data and are confident that this year’s incidental fee rates continue to be similar to or lower than other Ontario universities.

Will I be charged a late fee registration fee?

No. All late registration fees are waived for the Fall 2020 and Winter 2021 terms.

Why am I paying fees for buildings I can’t access?

Building fees charged to Brantford and Waterloo students are being used to fund the maintenance and necessary upgrades to the buildings on their respective campuses. We recognize that most students won’t have access to these buildings while courses are offered primarily online, but the fees are required to ensure the university can re-open and restart in-person classes and services as soon as possible when conditions allow.

Why is the Athletics Complex Fee required?

The Department of Athletics and Recreation continues to work diligently to provide innovative and inclusive hybrid programming options to allow students the opportunity to take a break from their academic commitments and remain healthy at home.

These opportunities include, but are not limited to:

Athletics fees support the staff and program costs associated with delivering recreation services online, as well as to maintain the building and equipment and to prepare for a future re-opening to the public.

The Department of Athletics and Recreation will provide an innovative experience for students to stay active, challenge themselves, and embrace the culture of being a Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawk. If you have specific inquiries contact services@laurierathletics.com.

Athletics and Recreation also remains committed to re-opening our facilities. We continue to work closely with our pandemic recovery committee, along with the Public Health guidelines, to coordinate the necessary precautions for a safe return to in-person activity. Please note: plans for re-opening the Athletics Centre are being developed independently of any other campus buildings. Visit laurierathletics.com in the coming weeks for return to activity plans in the fall semester.

Why don’t my student fees include access to a Grand River or Brantford Transit pass?

Decisions related to transit passes are made by the Students' Union, and the following information can be found on the Students' Union website:

“With the indefinite transition to remote academic delivery prompted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Students’ Union worked with Wilfrid Laurier University and Grand River Transit to temporarily pause the assessment of the bus/transit passes in Brantford and Waterloo for the fall 2020 term only. The mandatory U-PASS fees were passed by undergraduate student referendum on the basis that access would be universal. The highly discounted pass is only available because everyone pays, which is why students do not have the ability to opt-in or opt-out of the fee.

Similar to other universities in Ontario, Laurier is proceeding with a mostly online or virtual semester for fall 2020. Undergraduate students are not required to travel to campus to complete their coursework. While we are aware that many students will choose to live in the city where their campus is located, we do not believe the transit passes will provide the same universal benefit for a majority of the undergraduate student population. In a careful attempt to prioritize student financial security, we worked to temporarily suspend certain fees to provide a degree of relief.

For those students who still require transit service in Waterloo, Grand River Transit is now offering a discounted university and college student rate. This special pass, valid from September 1 through December 31st is available to be purchased online from Grand River Transit for $300 and can be picked up at the OneCard office.

For those students who still require transit service in Brantford, Brantford Transit is offering the high school rate of $175.00 to university students. Laurier students can obtain the pass by visiting the Customer Service Kiosk, located in the Brantford Transit Bus Terminal located at 64 Darling Street and by showing their OneCard to receive the B-Cards as they do in the summer semester.

We also encourage students to evaluate their ridership needs for the fall and determine if pay-per-use is the most affordable option.”

I’m enrolled in a co-op program but my co-op has been cancelled or moved online, why do I still need to pay co-op fees?

The co-op fee for each term is associated with enrollment in the co-op program and employment is not guaranteed, although employment rates are consistently high, even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Currently, about 93% of co-op students on a work term are working remotely and we expect most students will work remotely for the fall 2020 work term.

While some students have had their jobs rescinded, they have had an opportunity to apply for and secure alternate positions where feasible, and may petition the co-op office to have their work term rescheduled to another approved term if they have been actively applying but have not obtained employment.

For more information about coop programs, visit the co-op page.

I am paying for Academic and Career Support through my faculty, will I still have access to those resources?

Yes. Your faculty will find a way to adapt these resources to be delivered remotely.

Lazaridis School: I won’t have access to PRISM resources, do I still need to pay this fee?

Yes, the fee for PRISM resources will be charged while learning is done primarily online. Student's have the option to opt-out of this fee using the opt-out portal.

Lazaridis School: If I can’t be on campus next term, do I need to pay the Activity Fee for Social Programming?

No. The Activity Fee for Social Programming for Lazaridis School students will not be charged while learning is done primarily online.

What will the Music Student Experience Fee be used for now that classes will be online?

The Music Student Experience Fee will provide operational funding for student initiatives and cover conference fees for students who wish to attend events virtually. They will also go toward bringing in special guest performers and lecturers for virtual master classes. As before, distribution of Music Student Experience Fee is at the discretion of the Dean of the Faculty of Music.

Why is full tuition being charged for online courses?

Laurier is committed to delivering high-quality, engaging courses in a virtual format to ensure that students can successfully complete their degrees and diplomas. The costs of delivering each program have actually increased due to additional expenditures on staff training, enhancements to online capability, and the development of new supports for students and faculty. To cover these program costs and the ongoing costs of maintaining campus facilities, Laurier has kept tuition fees in line with last year’s tuition. This is the same approach that has been taken by all other Ontario universities.

Visit the tuition page for more information about tuition fees.

We recognize that financial burdens are being felt more acutely during this period and that is why we have invested in additional financial aids for our students. If you require any assistance to cover the cost of your education, visit Financial Supports for Students for information about what is available to you.