At the University of Toronto, registration refers to fee payment. Once tuition fees are paid, a student becomes Registered. Students are expected to register prior to the commencement of their program and at the beginning of each subsequent academic year until all program requirements are completed. A more detailed explanation of tuition fees can be found in section 10. Financial Matters.
Becoming Registered
It is the student’s responsibility to ensure that they are registered in their program of study by the registration deadline (early-September) of every academic year. To register, one must either pay the minimum academic program and incidental fees, or request to ‘Register without Payment’ (see below).
Making a Fee Payment
Logon to ACORN to review and print your invoice. Fee payments are made at your financial institution. Your payment should amount to at least the ‘Minimum Payment to Register’ as indicated on your invoice. We recommend that you make your payment by the last Friday in August to allow time for the payment to be processed and received by the university by the registration deadline.
If your payment is less than the full Fall session fee, you will be subject to a monthly service charge on your outstanding Fall fee balance of 1.5% compounded (19.56% per annum), assessed as of the 15th of every month, beginning in October.
The University of Toronto has partnered with Moneris (service provider) to provide students with an online credit card fee payment option. The online Mastercard and Visa Canadian Dollar fee payment service is only available on ACORN and includes a separate and non-refundable convenience fee at a rate of 2.25% of the fee payment collected directly by Moneris.
Information about this service, and how to make the fee payment by credit card can be viewed at:
Register without Payment (Tuition Fee Deferral) – OSAP (and other Provincial loan) Recipients
If you are receiving OSAP, other Provincial loans or US Government loans, you may temporarily defer your fees, via ACORN, before the registration deadline. A fee payment must be made by September 30th. Monthly service charges will be applied to outstanding Fall session fee balances starting October 15th, as noted above.
Incoming students must also ensure that all necessary conditions of admission are satisfied prior to the registration deadline or your registration will be blocked, even if you register (pay or defer fees) on time.
Register without Payment (Tuition Fee Deferral) – Funded Cohort and Award Holders
Students who hold a funding package and are part of the GDPHS funded cohort (Full-time PhD students in years 1-5) are able to ‘Register without Payment’ in ACORN by clicking on the ‘Tuition Fee Deferral’ button in the Financial Account page. If you are unable to access this function, please contact the Graduate Office before the registration deadline.
If you are not part of the funded cohort (i.e. Master’s students), but are receiving a major award (i.e. OGS, CIHR, SSHRC), you may also be eligible to defer payment of tuition. You will need to complete the ‘Register without Payment’ (Fee Deferral) form. This form can be found on the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) Student Forms & Letters page. Review the terms indicated on the form to confirm your eligibility. Return the completed form, with a copy of your award notice, to the Graduate Office before the registration deadline.
Once the Fee Deferral has been processed, you will still be able to review your fee balance on ACORN and you will continue to receive fee payment notifications. You are responsible for ensuring that fees are paid, in full, before the end of the Winter session (April 30th), after which time you will be subject to the same service charges indicated above, on any outstanding balance, beginning May 15th.
Not Becoming Registered
Students may choose to not register for a number of reasons. It is the responsibility of the student to ensure that they are registered or go through the proper channels to pause their registration.
Failure to Register
Students who fail to register, with a fee payment or an approved ‘Register without Payment’ request, by the registration deadline will be “Financially Cancelled” and removed from all course enrolments. To become registered, you will be required to provide proof of payment (bank receipt or approved ‘Register with our Payment’) to the School of Graduate Studies (SGS) and you will be subject to a late registration fee.
Leave of Absence
Under certain circumstances, students may apply for a Leave of Absence (LOA) from their program, which can range from one session (e.g. Fall session, September-December) to a full year (i.e. 3 sessions). While on an approved LOA, the “clock stops” so that the student returns to their program in the same year of study as when they left. Students do not register, while on an approved Leave of Absence, nor may they make demands upon the resources of the University, attend courses, or expect advice from their supervisor. See section 13.2 for more details.
Temporary Stop-Out
When a Leave of Absence is not appropriate, FT students in coursework-only programs may request to temporarily stop-out for a period of up to 12 months. Unlike a LOA, the stop-out period is included in the time period for degree completion. In other words, a student who has completed year 1 (Sept-Aug), and then requests to stop-out for the next academic year (Sept-Aug), returns in the following September into year 3. Students do not register when approved for a Temporary Stop-Out. See section 13.3 for more details.
Program Withdrawal
The decision to withdraw from a degree program should be carefully considered, and discussed with your Program Director, Supervisor and/or the Graduate Coordinator. If a withdrawal is planned during the Summer session (prior to the registration deadline in September), registration is not required, and no fee payment should be made. After registration occurs, fees rebates are assessed according to the refund schedule on the Student Accounts website.
See section 13.7 for more details.