Tuition and Fee Refund Policy

Vancouver Community College (VCC; the College) organizes its learning resources (instructors, space, services) to accommodate students who indicate an intent to attend courses and programs at the College.  In addition to providing documentation to support their application, prospective students are also requested to pay all or a portion of their tuition and fees as a sign of their commitment to enrol, and to guarantee their spot in the program or course.

The policy and procedures establish the process for providing refunds, in whole or in part, on those occasions when a student cannot fulfil their commitment to attend a program or course. 

This policy applies to all students who drop or withdraw from a program or course at VCC.

Some mandatory fees are excluded when they reflect a fee for a service immediately provided (such as an application fee).

1. The College will refund tuition and fees based on the general principles of fairness, consistency, transparency, and fiscal responsibility.


2. Students will be given a reasonable timeframe within which to notify the College of their intent to withdraw from a course or program.


3. The College invests significant time and resources preparing for students to arrive in a program or course. To recognize those costs, the College reserves the right to limit fee refunds to students who withdraw.  


4. The timing of the notice to the College and the reasons for withdrawing will determine whether the student is entitled to a refund of their fees, in whole or in part.


5. The rules established for refunds will be consistent for students in the same types of courses and programs.


6. Refunds are not provided when students are unable to complete a term or block of courses due to the failure of a pre-requisite course within that term or block, even if a course within that term or block has not yet started. In the event a student is registered in a subsequent term or block of courses within that term but the block has not commenced, the student will receive a refund for this additional block.


7. Students have the right to appeal a decision related to a refund.


8. The College reserves the right to cancel courses due to unavailability of instructors, facilities, or insufficient enrolment.  If a course is cancelled, a full refund is provided.  

Add/Drop Date

The deadline date for students to make changes to their schedule by adding or dropping a course from their timetable. This is typically within the first few days after classes have started.

Administrative Fee

A fee charged to cover the cost of processing a transaction.

Apprentice Course

A skilled training program that combines short in-class training and on the job training, leading to an Interprovincial Red Seal and B.C. Certificate of Qualifications (C of Q).

Block/Level

A grouped cluster or set of courses that a student registers in at one time indicating a level of progression leading to the next academic level as stated in the Program Content Guide. Multiple blocks/levels might be scheduled within one (1) term.

Business Day

An official working day as designated by the College; typically Monday to Friday, excluding statutory holidays, holiday closures and unscheduled closures.

Drop

Deregistration from a course up to the add/drop deadline for a course. There is no academic record indicating the student was in the course; it is not reflected on a transcript and no grade is assigned.

Fee

An amount charged by the College for services provided to students, including but not limited to:
- Students' Union fees
- BC Federation of Students fee
- College Initiative fees
- Materials fee
- Health and Dental fees
- UPASS fees
- Graduation fee
- Campus Resource Fee

Original Payor

Any individual or group, including but not limited to the student, agents for international students or family members, who submit a payment to the College.

Registration Area

The areas of the College responsible for registering students:
- Registrar's Office (RO)
- Continuing Studies (CS)
- International Education (IE)
- School of Instructor Education (SIE)

Sponsor

An organization paying tuition and fees on a student's behalf.

Start Date

The first scheduled date of a program or course.

Student

For the purposes of this policy, a person who has registered for a program or course at VCC.

Tuition

The set fee charged by the College for the provision of a course or program.

Tuition Deposit

A fee paid at the time of acceptance or registration, that is applied to the cost of tuition. The fee or some portion of the fee may be non-refundable.

Withdrawal

Deregistration from a course after the add/drop period for a course. The course is part of the student's academic record and appears on a transcript. A final grade may be assigned, contingent upon when the student withdrew.

• Course Drop/Add & Program Withdrawal Form


• VCC International Education Refund Request Form


• Student Appeal Form

• Grading, Progression and Withdrawal (411)
• Tuition and Fees (310)

• VCC International Refund Guidelines: https://www.vcc.ca/international/future-students/fees/refund-policy/

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada website: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship.html