Last Updated on September 16, 2023 by Paschal Alvina

Tuition and Fees

FEE INFORMATION AT A GLANCE

These pages provide information about 2021-2022 fees for graduate programs at the University of Alberta. (See below for notes to prospective students and international students.)

To calculate the total fees owed, combine the instructional fees associated with your program with the non-instructional fees (most of them mandatory) that you need to pay.

1. Learn about instructional fees by following this link;
2. Access information about non-instructional fees by clicking here.

Please note that it is not possible to include fee information for all programs and courses on these pages, as some have a non-standard fee structure. If you are unsure about your program’s fee structure, please consult your department (this non-standard fees list, while helpful, may not be comprehensive).

Students can view their Official Fee Assessments in real time on Bear Tracks:

• Financials – Fee assessment (to view courses and associated fees);
• Financials – Account Details (to view fee types and payments received).

Payment and Deadlines

Students are responsible for finding out the correct amount of fees owing and paying this amount on or before the fee payment deadline.

Student Tuition Payment Options are available on the Financial Services website. For more information on Fees Payment, see the Fees Payment Guide of the University Calendar.

Note that paying Fall and Winter fees per term, adds $40 to your Winter assessment. Similarly, paying Spring and Summer fees separately, adds $40 to your Summer assessment.

Graduate students appointed to teaching or research assistantships will have outstanding tuition balances automatically deducted from their paycheques. See the Payroll Deductions section for further details.

A note to prospective graduate students

If you are a prospective graduate student, please note that:

• The fee information presented on these pages is based on current rates, which are subject to change in subsequent years;
• You can access rough estimates of the total fees (based on 2021-2022 rates) and costs of living associated with a UAlberta graduate degree on this page.
  

A note to international students admitted to programs beginning Fall 2020 or later

If you are an international student seeking admission (or admitted) to a graduate program beginning in Fall 2020 or later, please note that:

• The University of Alberta is introducing a new tuition model for international students who enroll in new programs starting in Fall 2020.
• As part of this new tuition model for international students, you will be provided with a guaranteed tuition rate at the time of admission.
• For details on how this works (and more specific tuition information), see this page.

Fee & Cost of Living Estimates

If you are seeking to begin a program of graduate studies at the University of Alberta in Fall 2020 or later, you should follow three steps in estimating the total cost of your studies:

1. Learn about the instructional fees you will pay;
2. Learn about the non-instructional fees (most of them mandatory) that you will pay;
3. Learn about the cost of living in Edmonton.

The following lists provide information for international students and Canadian students respectively. (For the purpose of these lists, Canadian students refers to both Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents.)

Please note that all of the material presented here is a guideline only, designed to provide a rough estimate of these costs. Actual costs may vary. Additional details are available on our Tuition and Fees page.

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

International students should follow the following steps in estimating fees and costs.(1) Estimating Instructional Fees

If you are an international student admitted to a graduate program in Fall 2020 or later, you can find information about your instructional fees here.

Note that at the moment, sample instructional fees are available for students in the Fall 2020 cohort (those entering programs in the Fall 2020, Winter 2021, Spring 2021 and Summer 2021 terms).

If you are hoping to enroll at a later date, please use these figures as a general guideline knowing that instructional fees for later terms are subject to change.

(2) Estimating Non-Instructional Fees

If you are an international student admitted to a graduate program in Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022 or Summer 2022, you can find information about non-instructional fees here.

Note that at the moment, non-instructional fees are available for the Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022 and Summer 2022 terms.

If you are hoping to enroll at a later date, please use these figures as a general guideline knowing that non-instructional fees for later terms are subject to change.

(3) Estimating the Cost of Living in Edmonton (Not Included in U of A Fee Assessments)

Please note that this estimate is a guideline. Living costs vary greatly based on the type of accommodation, whether you are sharing accommodation with roommates, and your overall standard of living. All figures are in Canadian dollars (CAD) and they exclude tuition costs.

For more thorough information and sources for the information above, CLICK HERE

* One graduate student, one additional adult, and one child under 12 years of age in full-time child care.

** Not included in graduate tuition and mandatory fees.

All cost estimates are in Canadian dollars (CAD).

Please note that the costs above are estimates only. The amounts are based on sources from 2016-2017 and are intended to serve only as a general guideline. Actual costs will vary according to many factors such as personal preference, household type, vendor, and more. For precise cost information, please contact vendors (e.g. landlords, mobile companies, bookstores, etc.) directly to confirm pricing.

CANADIAN STUDENTS

Canadian students and Permanent Residents should follow the following steps in estimating fees and costs.(1) Estimating Instructional Fees

If you are a Canadian student or Permanent Resident admitted to a graduate program in an upcoming term, you can find information about some instructional fees here.

Note that at the moment, fees are available for students in the Fall 2021 cohort (those entering programs in the Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022 and Summer 2022 terms).

If you are hoping to enroll at a later date, please use these figures as a general guideline knowing that instructional fees for later terms are subject to change.

In addition, please note that fees for only some programs and courses are provided at this link, as various others have non-standard fee structures. If you are unsure about whether your program has non-standard fees, or whether a particular course has non-standard fees, please consult the department that offers it (this non-standard fees list, while helpful, may not be comprehensive).

For more information, contact [email protected].

(2) Estimating Non-Instructional Fees

If you are a student admitted to a graduate program in Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022 or Summer 2022, you can find information about non-instructional fees here.

Note that at the moment, fees are available for the Fall 2021, Winter 2022, Spring 2022 and Summer 2022 terms.

If you are hoping to enroll at a later date, please use these figures as a general guideline knowing that non-instructional fees for later terms are subject to change.

(3) Estimating the Cost of Living in Edmonton (Not Included in U of A Fee Assessments)

Please note that this estimate is a guideline. Living costs vary greatly based on the type of accommodation, whether you are sharing accommodation with roommates, and your overall standard of living. All figures are in Canadian dollars (CAD) and they exclude tuition costs.

For more thorough information and sources for the information above, CLICK HERE

* One graduate student, one additional adult, and one child under 12 years of age in full-time child care.

** Not included in graduate tuition and mandatory fees.

All cost estimates are in Canadian dollars (CAD).

Please note that the costs above are estimates only. The amounts are based on sources from 2016-2017 and are intended to serve only as a general guideline. Actual costs will vary according to many factors such as personal preference, household type, vendor, and more. For precise cost information, please contact vendors (e.g. landlords, mobile companies, bookstores, etc.) directly to confirm pricing.

For additional questions about fees, please contact [email protected].

Non-Instructional Fees

Non-Instructional fees — such as administrative, sport facilities access, insurance or Graduate Students’ Association fees — are assessed based on full-time or part-time and on-campus or off-campus registration status.
A description of the privileges conferred by paying non-instructional fees is found in the fees section of the University Calendar. Please note that all of these fees, with the exception of the GSA Dental/Health Plans, are mandatory.

Lists of Fees

Non-Instructional Fees: Spring-Summer 2022For Spring/Summer fee purposes, a full-time student is registered in credit courses/thesis totalling at least six (*6) units of course weight or more taken in each spring and summer term.

The following mandatory non-instructional fees sample is for:• Course-based students enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit;• Thesis-based students, admitted prior to Fall 2011, enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit;• Thesis-based students, admitted Fall 2011 and onwards, enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit above the THES 906 requirement.

Please note:• Students enrolled in courses connected to campus, whether in-person or via remote delivery, are classified in the system as being registered “On Campus.”• In the system, “Off-Campus” status refers to being registered solely in course sections that, regardless of COVID-19, would not have taken place on campus.• In Spring/Summer terms, students in thesis-based programs who are not enrolled in courses for credit or audit above the THES 906 requirement do not pay any mandatory non-instructional fees other than the U-Pass fee (which is not applicable in Spring/Summer 2021).• For information on non-instructional fees for students in other program categories, including International Visiting Graduate Students in RSCH 900, please contact [email protected]. Non-Instructional Fees: Fall 2021-Winter 2022For Fall/Winter fee purposes, a full-time student is registered in credit courses/thesis totalling at least nine (*9) units of course weight or more taken in each fall and winter term.

Please note:
• Students enrolled in courses connected to campus, whether in-person or via remote delivery, are classified in the system as being registered “On Campus.”
• In the system, “Off-Campus” status refers to being registered solely in course sections that, regardless of COVID-19, would not have taken place on campus.

Please note: Visiting international students in Research 900 may also be required to pay a monthly UAHIP fee. For more on UAHIP, see this page.
Non-Instructional Fees: Spring-Summer 2021For Spring/Summer fee purposes, a full-time student is registered in credit courses/thesis totalling at least six (*6) units of course weight or more taken in each spring and summer term. Note that the U-Pass program has been suspended for Winter 2021, Spring 2021 and Summer 2021.

The following mandatory non-instructional fees sample is for:• Course-based students enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit;• Thesis-based students, admitted prior to Fall 2011, enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit;• Thesis-based students, admitted Fall 2011 and onwards, enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit above the THES 906 requirement.

Please note:• Students enrolled in courses connected to campus, whether in-person or via remote delivery, are classified in the system as being registered “On Campus.”• In the system, “Off-Campus” status refers to being registered solely in course sections that, regardless of COVID-19, would not have taken place on campus.• In Spring/Summer terms, students in thesis-based programs who are not enrolled in courses for credit or audit above the THES 906 requirement do not pay any mandatory non-instructional fees other than the U-Pass fee (which is not applicable in Spring/Summer 2021).• For information on non-instructional fees for students in other program categories, including International Visiting Graduate Students in RSCH 900, please contact [email protected]. Non-Instructional Fees: Fall 2020-Winter 2021For Fall/Winter fee purposes, a full-time student is registered in credit courses/thesis totalling at least nine (*9) units of course weight or more taken in each fall and winter term.

Please note:
• Students enrolled in courses connected to campus, whether in-person or via remote delivery, are classified in the system as being registered “On Campus.”
• In the system, “Off-Campus” status refers to being registered solely in course sections that, regardless of COVID-19, would not have taken place on campus.

Please note: Visiting international students in Research 900 may also be required to pay a monthly UAHIP fee. For more on UAHIP, see this page.
Non-Instructional Fees: Spring-Summer 2020

For Spring/Summer fee purposes, a full-time student is registered in credit courses/thesis totalling at least six (*6) units of course weight or more taken in each spring and summer term.

Due to COVID-19 and the cancellation of transit fares, U-Pass fees will not be included in the Spring and Summer term assessments at this time. When transit resumes normal service levels and fares, we will re-evaluate the U-Pass fee.

Spring/Summer 2020 Non-Instructional Fees for the Following Students (Remote Delivery; Per Term in Canadian Dollars):

• Course-based students enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit;
• Thesis-based students, admitted prior to Fall 2011, enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit;
• Thesis-based students, admitted Fall 2011 and onwards, enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit above the THES 906 requirement;
• Canadian Visiting Graduate Students in RSCH 900.

Spring/Summer 2020 Non-Instructional Fees for the Following Students (Remote Delivery; Per Term in Canadian Dollars):

• Thesis-based students, admitted Fall 2011 and onwards, enrolled only in THES 906 (A1-A6 and B1-B6) over the Spring/Summer terms.

Spring/Summer 2020 Non-Instructional Fees for the Following Students (Remote Delivery; Per Term in Canadian Dollars):

• International Visiting Graduate Students in RSCH 900

Non-Instructional Fees: Recent Terms 2019-2020

For Fall/Winter fee purposes, a full-time student is registered in credit courses/thesis totalling at least nine (*9) units of course weight or more taken in each fall and winter term.

For Spring/Summer fee purposes, a full-time student is registered in credit courses/thesis totalling at least six (*6) units of course weight or more taken in each spring and summer term.

The following mandatory non-instructional fees sample is for:

• Course-based students enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit;
• Thesis-based students, admitted prior to Fall 2011, enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit;
• Thesis-based students, admitted Fall 2011 and onwards, enrolled in Spring/Summer courses for credit or audit above the THES 906 requirement.

The following mandatory non-instructional fees sample is for :

• Thesis-based students, admitted Fall 2011 and onwards, enrolled only in THES 906 over the Spring/Summer terms.

Notes

*GSA Health and Dental Plan

Full-time on-campus and off-campus students are automatically enrolled in the GSA Health and Dental Plan in the Fall Term (providing 12-month coverage) and at a pro-rated cost to students who only have registration in the Winter term and did not have full-time registration in the Fall term. Students covered by equivalent health/dental plans may opt out before the change of coverage deadline in September. Newly Admitted and new registrants that are full-time Winter Term only students may opt out before the change of coverage deadline in January. (For Fall 2021, the opt-out deadline is September 23, 2021; for Winter 2022 only, the opt-out deadline is January 24, 2022.) Contact the GSA or Studentcare for more information on your specific situation.

In the case of an opt-out, please wait for the confirmation e-mail from Studentcare and allow between 7 and 10 business days for the change of coverage to be reflected in Beartracks. If this period of time extends over the payment deadline AND you have already received the opt-out confirmation e-mail, feel free to pay your fees excluding those for health/dental. If your opt-out situation is still unclear and the fee payment deadline is approaching, we recommend that you pay in full. Once Studentcare notifies us that you have been opted-out, the extra payment can either be moved to cover an open balance in the following term or, if no such balance exists, the sum will be refunded.

Part-time graduate students are not automatically enrolled in the GSA Health and Dental Plan; they may opt-in during specific opt-in periods before the change of coverage deadline.

**U-Pass

The U-Pass Program is active again for all academic terms in the 2021-22 calendar year. For more information, see this page.

***Athletics and Recreation and PAW Centre Fees

The Athletics and Recreation fee is a mandatory access fee charged to all students to allow access to Athletics and Recreation services whether you use it or not. The non-instructional fees support the administration of services on campus and are not assessed as a user fee.

The Athletics and Recreation fee grants students access to sports facilities on campus for the duration of the term(s) when students are assessed and pay these fees, in this case Fall/Winter. For access in the Spring and Summer terms, students need to be registered in on-campus courses or Opt-In.

As per a referendum voted on by students, the PAW Centre fee is a limited term fee that repays the loan secured for the construction of the PAW Centre.

Readmission Fee

Students who fail to register appropriately each year will be considered to have withdrawn from their program. If they wish to resume work on the program, they must reapply by completing the Application for Graduate Admission and have their program reassessed in terms of the regulations in force at the time of reapplication.

There is no guarantee of readmission. If a student is recommended for readmission, a readmission fee will be assessed in addition to the fees assessed according to the student’s registration.

For Fall 2021 – Winter 2022 this fee is $1,581.36.

For more information see the University Calendar.

Change to Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident

International students on a Study Permit who become Canadian citizens or Permanent Residents of Canada may be eligible for a fee reassessment and removal of the international differential fee depending on the effective date of their citizenship or permanent residency. (Please note that registered students can request this change only on the basis of their own status; merely having a spouse with Canadian citizenship does not, for example, make one eligible.)

In order for the differential fee to be removed for an entire term the student needs to fulfill the following requirements:

• The citizenship or permanent resident date change occurs before or on the last day of the calendar month in which the term ends;
• The student provides the necessary documents within said term or at the very latest during the first week of the following term.

For example: The Fall term ends in December and a student has until December 31 to obtain permanent residency status. This date must be clearly indicated on the permanent residency form. The documents need to be provided up to the first week of the Winter term.

To record a change from a study/work permit to Permanent Resident status, students should provide the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research office with the following:

• UAlberta ONEcard
• Confirmation of Permanent Residence form or your Permanent Resident card indicating the “Became a Permanent Resident” date

To record a change to Canadian citizenship, students should provide the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research office with the following:

• UAlberta ONEcard
• The new Social Insurance Number card, the new passport, and a signed document with date showing change to Canadian citizenship

Original documents are required; photocopies are not accepted. However, please note that until further notice, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students are asked not to bring these items to the FGSR office in person. They should scan original copies of the documents and email them to [email protected].

Students may also mail notarised certified true copies of these documents to the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research office.

Students should also advise their home department of the immigration status change.

Students receiving any form of payment from the University of Alberta should also present their new Social Insurance card – when available – to Payroll Operations (2-60 University Terrace). Please contact Payroll Operations to determine protocols during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once the reassessment is processed, future registrations are assessed with Canadian/Permanent Resident fees.

Payroll Deductions

AUTOMATIC DEDUCTION OF OUTSTANDING FEES AND TUITION

The University’s payroll system automatically deducts outstanding tuition and fees from the paycheques of all graduate students covered under the Graduate Student Assistantship Collective Agreement:

• Graduate Teaching Assistants (GTA) (including Principal Instructors)
• Graduate Research Assistants (GRA)
• Graduate Research Assistant Fellowships (GRAF)

Automatic deductions are offered only to students covered by the aforementioned agreement and are not available to students employed through any other form of University employment or external scholarship holders.

Please note: Students cannot exempt themselves from this payroll deduction. Full tuition for the Fall, Winter, Spring and Summer terms must be paid by the respective term deadlines in order to have no fees deducted from their paycheque.

Information on fee payment deadlines and payment options can be found on this page. Students will receive notifications from Financial Services regarding the tuition balance. In most cases, this is for information only. However, if an outstanding balance should exist at the end of the term, the student is responsible for paying it.

Set-up

Students may not opt into tuition payroll deductions. If all the necessary conditions are fulfilled, your department forwards an Appointment form to Staff and Student Payments for each term when payroll deductions are expected. Questions about eligibility or set-up concerns should be directed to your graduate program administrator.

Deductions will consist of 1/6 of the outstanding amount, but no more than 80% of your salary. Potential increases or decreases in fees are split evenly across the remaining number of deductions.

How it Works

Tuition payroll deductions start from the second paycheque of each term in which the graduate student is covered by the collective agreement. That is, any Fall tuition owing as of October 1 will be deducted from the student’s October, November and December semi-monthly paycheques in six installments. The first deduction for the Fall term will be on the first October paycheque which will reflect pay from work earned from September 15 to September 30.

Winter tuition owing as of February 1 will be automatically deducted from the student’s February, March, and April paycheques in six installments. The first deduction for Winter term will be on the first February paycheque which will reflect pay from work earned from January 15 to January 31.

For Spring, students will have three automatic deductions from their paycheques, from the end of May to the end of June.

For Summer, students will have three automatic deductions from their paycheques, from the end of July to the end of August.