Registration – understanding your fees
Background
Student financial account information is available on ACORN. Learn how to navigate the student dashboard, including how to pay fees, by visiting https://help.acorn.utoronto.ca/how-to and reviewing the “Finances” section.
Before the start of each academic year (normally Fall through Winter), students are “Invited to Register (Invited/INVIT)”. During this time, students may enroll in courses (if course enrollment is activated), but your registration status must be changed to “Registered/REG” by paying at least the minimum payment amount to register before the SGS deadline or your registration and course enrollment will be cancelled. Students must either pay the outstanding balance or defer fees to register. Students are registered as soon as they have paid the minimum tuition and incidental fees (shown on ACORN) or have made appropriate fees arrangements. Students who fail to register on time may be subject to late fee penalties or have their registration financially cancelled (FINCA).
Procedures
It can take up to two weeks for payments made at the bank to be processed to fees, so account for additional time before the deadline when making a payment. Payment is considered made on the date it is applied to your fees, not the date payment is made at the bank. Several payment options are available to students; see instructions on “Making Payments” at https://studentaccount.utoronto.ca for more information.
1.0 Direct payment (pay now)
1.1 Full payment
The full payment amount is reported in the student’s Financial Account on ACORN.
1.2 Partial payment (minimum payment to register)
The minimum payment amount is normally equal to unpaid fees from any previous session(s) plus current Fall term charges, which include incidental and ancillary fees. The minimum amount is reported in the student’s Financial Account on ACORN.
2.0 Defer payment (pay later)
This option is only available to students in the funded cohort (PhD students in years one through four; MASc students in years one and two) or students who are outside of the funded cohort but hold a major award, provided the award is sufficient to cover both the arrears amount and the minimum payment to register amount displayed on the student’s ACORN invoice.
Sometimes, students who will be receiving a student loan and/or a scholarship for the upcoming session may not have access to funds by the registration deadline. In such cases, a fee deferral will allow the student to register without tuition payment, temporarily, until student funding arrives. Students with fee deferral arrangements must pay the outstanding balance by the end of April at the latest. Fee deferral is only in effect from September to April of any academic year, and interest is charged on balances owing as of May 1 of the following year.
2.1 Activate payment deferral before the SGS registration deadline
Students in the funded cohort can request to register without payment (defer payment) on ACORN. Indicate "Research Stipend" as the source of funding when requesting a fee deferral (students who indicate "OSAP" as their funding source will accrue interest on their balance).
2.2 Activate payment deferral after the SGS registration deadline
If you are beyond the funded cohort but are receiving a major award, or within the funded cohort but missed the registration deadline, you must fill out the “Register Without Payment (Fee Deferral)” form at https://www.sgs.utoronto.ca/academic-progress/student-forms-letter-requests/ and send the completed form to the BME Graduate Office.
Note(s):
- Students with arrears (fees owing from prior sessions) are not eligible for Fall registration until they have paid their outstanding balance in full.
Contacts and additional resources
- Student Accounts: https://studentaccount.utoronto.ca/contact-us
- How to check your invoice on ACORN: https://help.acorn.utoronto.ca/how-to
- SGS sessional dates: https://sgs.calendar.utoronto.ca/sessional-dates