Withdrawal, Deferral and Refund Policy (International)

All students should carefully explore their academic options before selecting and making a payment to Confederation College.  Should a student decide to withdraw after making a payment, the following policies apply. These policies have been developed in compliance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Colleges and Universities (MCU) and Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).  Please read them carefully before requesting a withdrawal/refund for your tuition. The request and required paperwork must be received before the final withdrawal date, which is within ten (10) days of the start of the semester.

PLEASE NOTE: All withdrawal, deferral and refund requests (plus any supporting documentation) must be submitted through your OCAS account.  We are unable to process them if submitted through email.

Deferral Policy

Confederation College has limited seats in each program and admissions often close early.  Students are expected to register for the intakes in which their seat is confirmed. Effective immediately, the following policy applies to all deferral requests:

Deferral Request – Only Once

Students can only apply for a deferral once. If they are still unable to register for the subsequent intake, they will not be permitted to request another deferral.  They will have to reapply and pay an application fee.

Reasons a Deferral will be Granted

Deferrals will only be permitted in the event of:

• A visa refusal, evidenced by an authentic visa denial letter issued by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC); or
• A visa decision is still pending on the first day of the semester, evidenced by a screenshot of their MyCIC account on the date of the deferral request. We will not process a deferral request without this.

Deferrals will not be granted for any other reason. 

Immediate Withdrawal Upon Processing the Deferral

Once a student requests a deferral, they will be immediately withdrawn from their program.  If they subsequently change their mind, & want to cancel their deferral request, they will have to reapply and pay a new application fee, for the next available intake.

Timing of Deferral Requests

Visa denials: The deferral request must be made within 10 days of receipt of the visa refusal notification & be accompanied by an authentic visa denial letter issued by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

Visa pending: The deferral request can only be made ten days prior to the start of each semester.  A screenshot of the student’s MyCIC account is required showing the status of the student’s visa application on the date of the deferral request. We will not process a deferral request without this. 

Refunds

If the student defers to a future intake and then later chooses not to apply for a study permit or enter Canada, a refund less a $2,500 withdrawal charge will be applicable and immigration officials will be notified that the letter of admission is no longer valid for study permit application purposes. 

If the student defers to a future intake and then requests a refund for any reason other than another visa refusal, a $2,500 withdrawal charge will apply

All deferral requests must be submitted through the student’s OCAS account.

Refund Policy

International students (both new and returning), who have paid fees to Confederation College, may apply for a refund provided they meet one of the following criteria:

International students already in Canada:

1) Students who have entered Canada with a Letter of Acceptance from Confederation College, and then decide to transfer to another institution, are eligible to apply for a refund provided they:

• transfer to an approved Designated Learning Institute,
• provide proof of enrollment, and
• commence their studies in the same semester as accepted to attend at Confederation College.

For students accepted to educational institutions in Quebec, a Certification of Acceptance (CAQ) must also be submitted. Refund requests will not be processed if the student fails to provide the CAQ, along with the Quebec institution’s letter of acceptance.

2) Students who leave Canada to return home (evidenced by a copy of a valid boarding pass & an entry or re-entry stamp in their passport), are also eligible to apply for a refund.

Students who have not left their home country:

1. Students who have not received a valid study permit allowing entry into Canada (i.e. were refused a visa ) will be eligible for a full refund less an administration fee as long as Confederation is notified before the ten-day withdrawal date and sufficient documentation is provided. If a student receives a visa refusal and then defers to the next semester, the full withdrawal fee ($2,500) will apply if they subsequently withdraw, unless their visa is refused for a second time.
2. Students who chose to withdraw for any other reason before the ten-day withdrawal date, will be eligible for a refund less the withdrawal and administration fees .
3. Students who have not received a visa confirmation and defer their admission to the next intake, can transfer their funds without penalty AS LONG AS Confederation is informed before the ten-day withdrawal date.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: Any student who requests a refund based on false information or fraudulent or tampered documents is not eligible for a refund.

Withdrawal Dates

Only complete refunds requests submitted in advance of the last withdrawal date will be accepted for processing.

Required Documentation

In order to process a refund request, you must first go into your account in OCAS International, and withdraw your acceptance from your program.  You can then request a refund and the following documents must be uploaded (we cannot process them, if submitted by email):

Students who received a visa denial:

• International Student Refund Request and Program Withdrawal Form
• Copy of the visa denial letter(s)

Students transferring to another institution:

• International Student Refund Request and Program Withdrawal Form
• A valid offer letter from the other institution indicating start date of studies
• Proof of enrollment
• Copy of passport
• Copy of valid study permit  
• For students studying in Quebec, the CAQ must accompany the Quebec institution’s letter of acceptance  
• Student Confederation ID card, if issued
• Proof of change of DLI in the IRCC portal (evidenced by a screen shot of your IRCC account showing the transfer is complete)

Students who do not come to Canada for reasons other than a visa denial:

• International Student Refund Request and Program Withdrawal Form
• A screen shot of their IRCC account, indicating the current status of their visa application. Students must provide proof that their visa OR visa application has been cancelled.  If you have already received a visa, the cancellation request can be submitted to IRCC via the webform option.  Students must then forward the confirmation letter they receive from IRCC.

Students leaving Canada to return home or elsewhere:

• International Student Refund Request and Program Withdrawal Form
• Copy of a valid boarding pass(es)
• Copy of county entry or re-entry stamp in student’s passport
• confirmation letter received from IRCC showing proof of visa cancellation

Please note: Where a third party paid tuition fees on behalf of a student, the student must also submit a waiver authorizing a refund payment to that individual.

Withdrawal Charges

Students who have paid fees, and confirmed their program seat, will be subject to withdrawal penalties regardless of how far in advance of the start of the semester they request a refund.

Visa Denial:

• Refunds are subject to a $250 withdrawal fee plus applicable electronic funds transfer charge(s).

All other refund requests (including loan denials):

• Refunds are subject to a $2,500 withdrawal fee. This applies to all students who withdraw (new and returning). It applies whether a student has registered for classes or not and regardless of when the refund request is submitted.

Please note:

• If students withdraw after the ten-day withdrawal date (for any reason), only fees paid in subsequent semesters will be reimbursed. There will be NO refund of fees paid for the current semester.
• Any outstanding balances owing on a student’s account will be deducted from their refund.
• Students who have made claims against their health insurance will be charged the health insurance premium, in addition to the withdrawal fee.
• In all cases, the application fee of $125 is non-refundable and where waived, will be charged.
• All refunds will be issued via EFT to the same beneficiary and originating account.    Confederation College cannot redirect funds to an alternate account and/or beneficiaries.

Allow up to eight (8) weeks for processing, after submission of a complete refund request, including all necessary documentation.

Confederation College bears no responsibility for funds that are delayed or go astray due to inaccurate or obsolete financial information provided by the student. Applicants/students are responsible for all banking and foreign exchange charges associated with their payment/refund and any additional banking charges incurred as a result of inaccurate information.