Financial Information

Upon receiving official acceptance from the Registrar’s Office and upon submission of registration, you are responsible for the payment of all fees as defined in this Calendar. Payment of academic fees does not imply your acceptance to the University. Academic requirements have to be fulfilled before your enrollment is completed.

If you are a new student, you may not forward academic fees to Financial Services until you have both: accepted your Offer of Admission before the stated deadline and enrolled in courses.

You should not send residence fees unless you have received notification of acceptance.

You are responsible for the full fees for each academic term. No fee credits can be transferred from one academic session to another.

It is the policy of the University not to accept enrolment until all previous accounts are paid in full. Any payments received are, therefore, first applied to previous debts and any balances to the most recent debts.

The following fees and regulations were the most recent available at the time of publication. All fees are subject to approval by the Board of Governors. For the most current fee information, please visit https://registrar.mcmaster.ca/fees/. The University reserves the right to amend the fees and regulations at any time.

For information on student awards and financial aid, please refer to Undergraduate Academic Awards and Student Financial Aid sections of this Calendar.

Undergraduate Fees

If you are a full-time student, fees cover your portion of the tuition cost, enrolment, library, campus health services, student organizations, and athletics, and are payable by all students.

No caution deposits are required, but students will be assessed for any unwarranted loss or breakage.

The University reserves the right to assess other supplementary fees or charges in some courses or programs to recover - in part or in full - the cost of providing course materials, accommodation and transportation for field trips, and the costs of breakages.

Fees charged by the University are approved annually by the Board of Governors for the academic year beginning September 1.

Fees shown below are for 2021-2022. The fee schedules for 2021-2022 will be available on the Office of the Registrar website at https://registrar.mcmaster.ca/fees/ in the spring of 2021.

Tuition fees include a base per unit fee plus mandatory non-tuition related supplementary fees.

Base Per Unit Tuition Per Faculty

Below is a breakdown of Canadian, International (new admissions for 2012-2013 onward). Fees shown below are for 2021-2022. The fee schedules for 2021-2022 will also be available on the Office of the Registrar website at https://registrar.mcmaster.ca/fees/ in the spring of 2021.

Supplementary Fees

Fees shown below are for 2021-2022. The fee schedules for 2021-2022 will be available on the Office of the Registrar website at https://registrar.mcmaster.ca/fees/ in the spring of 2021.

Students Taking 1 to 17 Units Pay (Per Unit):

Nursing Students Add:

Students Taking 18 Units or More Pay:

Students registered in 18 or more units at ANY time during the session (including cancelled courses) will be responsible for the following fees.

Note: If you do not wish to support the work of McMaster OPIRG you can claim a full refund by bringing your student card to the OPIRG Office within three weeks after the completion of the drop and add period.

McMaster Student Union Fees:

*Note: Students who can prove comparable coverage may opt out of the McMaster Students Union Health Plan and Dental Plan Premiums. For deadline dates and detailed information, students should consult the MSU Insurance Plans web site at https://msumcmaster.ca/info/health-dental-insurance/opt-out/.

Plus:

• McMaster Student Union’s University Student Centre Building fee ($0.69 per unit), to a maximum of $20.70
• Administrative Services Fee ($1.30 per unit), to a maximum of $39
• Athletics and Recreation Building Fee ($8.10 per unit), to a maximum of $243.00
• Student Wellness Centre of $110.34
• Career Services - Student Success Centre of $80.09
• University Athletics and Recreation Activity fee $252.54

And Faculty Specific Society/Support Fees as Follows:

Canadian Citizens, Landed Immigrant Students and Visa Students

The fee schedules for 2021-2022 will be available on the Office of the Registrar website at https://registrar.mcmaster.ca/fees/.

Student Health Services Fees

The McMaster Students Union Health Plan Premium fee of $103.72 includes reimbursement of expenses resulting from an accident incurred during the academic year, where such expenses are not recoverable under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan. The McMaster Students Union Dental Plan Premium fee of $129.90 provides a dental plan for all full-time undergraduates students enrolled in 18 units or more.

For details concerning coverage, contact the McMaster Students Union Office at ext. 22003 or visit their website at https://msumcmaster.ca/info/health-dental-insurance/

Note: Students who can prove comparable coverage may opt out of the McMaster Students Union Health Plan and Dental Plan Premiums. For deadline dates and detailed information, students should consult the MSU Insurance Plans web site at https://msumcmaster.ca/info/health-dental-insurance/opt-out/.

Co-op Fees

Co-op students attending the full academic term (September-April) should add a $1,309.10 Co-op Fee to the regular 30 unit Science fee. Co-op students attending one academic term should pay half the 30 unit Science fee plus a $654.55 Co-op Fee. Faculty of Engineering Admin Co-op Fee is $100.00 and B-Tech Co-op Fee (per work term) is $600.00.

Listeners

You may register as a Listener in some degree courses. The cost is equivalent to a regular course but the student simply audits the course and does not receive a grade. Listener status is not available in limited enrolment classes. For any degree course, written permission to attend must be obtained from the course instructor before registration is finalized by the Office of the Registrar. Listeners withdrawing from a course may do so without penalty up to five working days before the first session. After that and before the second class, an administrative fee of $60.00 applies. There is no refund after the second class. This category excludes currently registered students, who may audit a course. See Admission Requirements  section in this Calendar for details.

Persons Aged 65+

Subject to meeting admission and prerequisite requirements, if you will be aged 65 or over during the academic session for which you are enrolling, you may enrol without payment of tuition and supplementary fees.

Residence and Meal Plan Fees

Regular Session

If you live on campus, your residence fees cover the period, from Labour Day weekend to 5 p.m. on the day following your final April examination, and excludes the December holiday break.

The fees below are those for 2021-2022.

Add to the fees below the Residence Life Activity fee of 40.00 per student.  For more information, visit http://www.mcmaster.ca/residence-life.html.

Residences

Meal Plans

The Residence Meal Plan is an integral component of living in any of the McMaster University residences and all students living in residence must purchase a mandatory meal plan.

If you are living in a traditional residence, you must purchase a meal plan from Group A. Students living in Bates and the Mary E. Keyes Residence must purchase a meal plan from either Group A or Group B.

The fees below are those for 2020-2021.

For more information on meal plans visit our web page at http://hospitality.mcmaster.ca/ or contact Mac Express, Commons Building, Room 128, telephone (905) 525 9140, ext. 27448, email express@mcmaster.ca.

For information regarding applying to residence visit the Housing web page at http://housing.mcmaster.ca/ or contact Residence Admissions, Commons Building, Room 101, telephone (905) 525 9140, ext. 24342, email resnote@mcmaster.ca.

Summer Residence

McMaster University offers residence accommodation for summer students and casual guests from early May to late August each year.

For further information, contact Conference Services, McKay Residence, Room 124, telephone (905) 525-9140, ext. 24781.

Payment of Fees

Payment deadline dates:

Tuition fees are due in full on the following dates:

• Fall term - September 25 (for all students)
• Winter term - January 25  (for all students)
• Spring/Summer terms - May 25 (for all students)

For 2020-2021 dates, please visit Office of the Registrar: Fees web site at https://registrar.mcmaster.ca/fees/ 

Residence/Meal plan fees are due in full on the following dates:

• September 1 (September 22 for OSAP students)

Our web site at https://registrar.mcmaster.ca/fees/ contains valuable information about your fees and important deadline dates.

Students who do not pay in full by the deadline dates provided in their account on MOSAIC will find balances subject to interest charges, late fees and in time, suspended privileges.  Interest is charged at an annual rate of 14.4% (1.2% per month) subject to change. A full month’s interest is calculated on any unpaid balance on the second-to-last working day of each month. Past-due balances are subject to collections activity.

In addition, if you refuse to pay fees, or any part of the fees, you may be refused admission to the University or you may be requested to withdraw with all privileges suspended. Fees to the date of withdrawal will be assessed. If you wish to re-register within the same academic session, you will also be assessed a $100.00 reinstatement fee.

It is the policy of the University not to accept enrolment until all previous accounts are paid in full. Any payments received are, therefore, first applied to previous debts and any balances to the most recent debts.

You will not be eligible for any grades, examination results, transcripts, diplomas or the payment of awards of any kind, until fees and any other accounts owed to the University are paid in full.

Note: Graduands who have outstanding accounts with the University will be permitted to attend convocation, but will not receive their diplomas until their accounts have been cleared in full.

Refunds

If you are forced, by illness or other personal reasons, to withdraw from courses, you will be charged a partial fee for courses that are cancelled. The charge is determined by the date on which the course is cancelled. It is important that you review the 2020-2021 cancellation schedule. It will be available on the Registrar’s Office website at https://registrar.mcmaster.ca/fees/ in the spring of 2021.

Miscellaneous Fees

The following fees were in effect for the 2020-2021 academic year, and are over and above assessed academic fees, supplementary fees, and residence fees and meal plan fees.

Academic User Fees

Students writing deferred examinations at another centre are responsible for payment of fees, which may be assessed by the other examination centre.

Financial/Administrative User Fees

Expenses

Costs Other Than Fees For Students in Clinical Courses

You must buy uniforms, shoes and uniform accessories, for clinical practice. If you are a Nursing student, your uniform and accessories are ordered under the direction of the School of Nursing. The approximate cost is $200.00. Level 1 Nursing students are also required to purchase a stethoscope at approximately $100.00 and a basic blood pressure cuff at approximately $40.00.

Registration Examinations

Graduates of the B.Sc.N. program can expect to pay fees (currently, approximately $600.00) to write the comprehensive registration examinations administered by the College of Nurses of Ontario.

Insurance of Personal Property on University Premises

The University cannot assume any responsibility for the personal property of any employees, faculty members, or students, nor does the University carry any insurance that would cover their personal property. In most cases, personal fire insurance policies provide an automatic 10% extension covering property away from home. You should inspect your insurance policies to be certain that this is the case.

Death and Dismemberment Insurance

The University considers that the purchase of insurance coverage for death and dismemberment is the individual responsibility of its students. There are various insurance plans available, and although the University does not specifically endorse any one of these plans, it has no objection to explanatory brochures and literature being posted on bulletin boards or distributed in appropriate places. If you are involved in laboratory or field work, you are particularly encouraged to investigate such coverage.