Refund Policy & Schedules

REFUND POLICY:

It is the responsibility of the student to familiarize themselves with University Fees (Schedule of Academic Fees), Payment Due Dates, Fees Policies, and the Refund Schedules (see below). All students agree to abide by these policies by the act of registration and are responsible for reporting any discrepancies. Please note that the Academic and Financial Dates are different.

To be eligible for full or partial refund, the student must first drop courses and or withdraw from their program, and there must be a credit balance on the overall account. 

All charges and outstanding fees accrued to the drop date or date of withdrawal will remain due and payable on the student's account. The partial or total reimbursement of tuition fees depends on the official date of withdrawal as registered on the student's file.

Refunds are issued to the Student Account Holder and are processed by PayMyTuition. Domestic students will receive an Interac e-transfer to the students Lakehead University email address. International students will receive further instructions from PayMyTuition by email.  Some exceptions* apply depending on the incoming payment method.

*Exceptions
 
  • Credit Card: Payments made by credit card will be refunded back to the original credit card used to make the payment
    • Convera: Payments made using Western Union/Convera will be refunded through the Western Union/Convera portal
    • Sponsor: Payments made by a third-party sponsor will be refunded back to the sponsor
    • Government Student Aid: If you are receiving government student aid (e.g. OSAP), your account will be reviewed for refund eligibility. Student refunds may be fully or partially sent to the National Student Loans Service Centre as per policy requirements. Refund regulations are outlined in the Master Student Financial Assistance Agreement (MSFAA) and the Signature/Consent pages.
    •  Scholarships/Awards/Bursaries: If you are receiving Lakehead University award(s), your account will be reviewed for refund eligibility. Student refunds may be fully or partially retracted to recuperate the award(s) issued as per the terms and conditions of Lakehead University awards.

 

No refund of Compulsory Student Fees will be given after the final date to register in the term. Please see the Academic Schedule of Dates (Registration and Withdrawal Dates) for a list.

 Field Trip or other Departmental charges may be refunded at the request of the Department only.

For courses shorter than 3 weeks, there is no refund after the second day of classes. No withdrawal without academic penalty will be allowed after the second day of classes.

Students withdrawing from audit courses are not eligible for any refund of fees.

For students enrolled in Undergraduate courses/programs, the amount of the tuition adjustment will be determined by the date on which the course has been dropped and whether the course load drops below or is less than 4.0 FCEs. The amount will be adjusted based on the section term of the course(s) and will be pro-rated in accordance with the Undergraduate Refund Schedule below. Please note that if the course load does not drop below 4.0 FCE, there is no adjustment for dropped courses. 

For students enrolled in Masters or PhD Degree courses/programs, the amount of the tuition adjustment will be determined by the date on which the course or program has been dropped. The amount will be prorated in accordance with the Masters & PhD Refund Schedule. Aside from withdrawal from the program, Masters & PhD Students must register and pay per term, until graduation. Accordingly, there is no adjustment of fees for early completion within the last term of study.

Students registered in Co-operative Education courses are entitled to a full adjustment of the Co-op Program Participation Fee if the withdrawal occurs prior to the published financial withdrawal date listed in the Undergraduate Schedule.

Course withdrawal dates for Fall, Fall/Winter, Winter and February terms without academic penalty for Distance Education courses are the same as those for the regular academic session below. 

Please note that students should not deliberately over pay their student account.  In cases where payments exceed the amount of the student’s tuition and residence fees for the session, or where no fees are billed, or where payment for student living expenses, or books/supplies are made to the University, the University reserves the right to hold the credit on account for (a) subsequent academic session(s), or to return the funds to the original payer, by the original method of payment. Normal Refund Administration and International Wire Transfer fees will apply.

REFUND SCHEDULES:

As per the Schedule of Miscellaneous Fees, a Refund Administrative Fee of $30 will be assessed when dropping courses, or withdrawing from the University. Additionally, if the refund pertains to an International Wire Transfer (International Electronic Transfer), the International Wire Transfer Fee of $75 will also be assessed.

DEPOSITS:

All confirmation deposits, and residence deposits are NON-REFUNDABLE*.

*Exception: If you are an international student whose study permit/student visa has been denied prior to the start of the term, you may request a refund to accounts@lakeheadu.ca. Proof of visa denial must be provided.