Check the refund policy and eligibility before paying tuition deposits.
Refund Policy and Eligibility
Non-Refundable Fees, Deductions, and Important Information
Students must provide written notification of their intent to withdraw from a course/program in order to be eligible for a refund.
Refund eligibility varies by program, and amounts are calculated based on the date a written notification of withdrawal and the Refund Request Form is received by the VCC International Education Office. The number of business days required for notification deadlines is based on the official working days as designated by the College and/or department, excluding statutory holidays, Christmas holidays and unscheduled closures.
Refunds are issued directly to the original payer and are processed based on the payment method used to make the original payment. It is not possible to request a refund by any other method.
International students who are denied a study permit by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) may be eligible for a full refund (less the Administrative Fee) if the following documents are received a minimum of thirty (30) days prior to the program start date at ieadmissions@vcc.ca.
Students denied a Study Permit due to misrepresentation as defined by IRCC may not be eligible for a full refund.
Students who have their Study Permit application returned, not accepted, or refused by IRCC because of missing required items such as the PAL (Provincial Attestation Letter), biometrics, etc. may not be eligible for a full refund.
Refund Eligibility Criteria
Vancouver Community College will refund course/program fees to students who withdraw (voluntarily or involuntarily) within each term as follows:
Three (3) business days prior to the start date of the program:
After three (3) business days prior to the start date of the program:
List of Full-Time Continuing Studies Programs
List of Full-Time Programs
Refer to the VCC International program page for the list of full-time programs. Note that the refund eligibility criteria for full-time Continuing Studies programs are different.
Refund Eligibility Criteria
Vancouver Community College will refund course/program fees to students who withdraw (voluntarily or involuntarily) as follows.
Prior to the start date of the program/course:
Up to and including the fifth (5th) business day from the start date of the program/course:
After the fifth (5th) business day of the program
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 if the request is received before the start date of the term/block.
Students who are enrolled in part-time Continuing Studies and School of Instructor Education courses may contact those registration areas regarding refund eligibility deadlines.
While students may be eligible for refunds, certain fees may not be refundable.
Non-Refundable Portion of the Tuition Deposit
Student Fees
After the start of the programs, student fees are non-refundable, except for U-Pass fees.
U-Pass fees may be refundable for non-activated months.
Application Fee
Application fees are not eligible for a refund to reflect the College’s investment in time and resources to handle an application. Application fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Assessment Fee
Assessment fees are non-refundable.
An administrative Fee is charged to students to cover the cost of processing a transaction. The administrative fee of $250 applies to all international student refund requests.
All refund requests must be made in writing. Submit the completed Refund Request Form with supporting documents:
Request Dates
Refunds are calculated based on the date a written notification of withdrawal and the Refund Request Form is received by the VCC International Education Office by email. The number of business days required for notification deadlines is based on the official working days as designated by the College and/or department, excluding statutory holidays, Christmas holidays and unscheduled closures.
Administrative Fee
All refunds are subject to an Administrative Fee.
Refund Policy and Procedures
Refer to the Tuition and Fee Refund Policy and Procedures page for details.
Refund Request Form
Refer to the International Refund Request Form for more details about the refund payment method.
Refund Processing Time
Check the most updated refund processing time and learn about expected delays.
If an international student's immigration status should change to Permanent Resident while studying at VCC, appropriate documentation should be submitted to the Registrar's Office so domestic fees can be charged for future terms. The only exception is students registered in international cohort programs, who, regardless of the change in their immigration status, pay international fees for the duration of the program.
For more information about international fees and payments, check Tuition and Fees and Payments and Receipts.
