As a member of the Academic Executive or a faculty member in the Faculty Association bargaining unit, librarian or program director in UBC Extended Learning, you are eligible for:
- a Tuition Waiver at UBC of up to 12 credits of undergraduate courses, 12 credits of graduate courses or graduate program fees in each 12-month period (transferable to your eligible dependent spouse effective September 1, 2023), and
- a Tuition Waiver at UBC of 120 undergraduate credits per dependent child per lifetime, if you are also a member of the Bargaining Unit Faculty.
Tuition waivers
The Tuition Waiver covers the cost of tuition for up to 12 credits of undergraduate courses, 12 credits of graduate courses or graduate program fees over a 12-month period, provided that a fee-paying student is not displaced. This benefit covers tuition fees only and does not cover any other fees that may be associated with the course.
Tuition Waivers can be used at UBC’s Vancouver and Okanagan campuses.
BC residents who are citizens or permanent residents of Canada aged 65 and older can register directly with Student Services for courses with full waivers for application, tuition and student fees. In this situation, you do not need to submit a Tuition Waiver.
Am I eligible for the tuition waiver?
Your position, type of appointment and length of service determine your eligibility. You must also meet UBC’s student admission requirements. Contact Enrolment Services at the Vancouver or Okanagan campus to confirm that you meet these requirements. If you plan to take a graduate-level course or enrol in a graduate program, contact the Faculty of Graduate Studies at the Vancouver or Okanagan campus.
When am I not eligible for the tuition waiver?
You are not eligible for the Tuition Waiver if the start date of your course is:
- after your termination date,
- during an unpaid leave, or
- during a medical leave without pay. However, if you are receiving benefit payments through the Income Replacement Plan (IRP), you are eligible for the Tuition Waiver while you are receiving IRP benefits.
You are eligible for the Tuition Waiver during a paid leave, such as a sabbatical or maternity/parental leave.
What courses are covered?
You can use the Tuition Waiver for the following:
- UBC undergraduate-level courses numbered 100-199, 200-299, 300-399 and 400-499
- UBC undergraduate-level courses and programs with specialized fees (Medicine, Pharmaceutical Sciences, Law and Dentistry)
- UBC graduate-level courses numbered 500-699
- UBC graduate program fees up to the normal program fee
If you are uncertain whether a course is eligible for the Tuition Waiver, please contact UBC Benefits.
Tuition waiver anniversary date
The start of your 12-month tuition year begins on your Tuition Waiver anniversary date. This is the date of the first course or program that you apply your Tuition Waiver towards.
Your Tuition Waiver anniversary date is the first day of the term in which the course/program falls. For example, if your first course covered by the Tuition Waiver begins on September 5, with the term beginning on September 1, your Tuition Waiver anniversary date is September 1 of each year. This means that you have from September 1 of one year to August 31 of the following year to register in and begin your courses, up to the annual maximum.
How much am I eligible for?
Your annual maximum will renew each year on your Tuition Waiver anniversary date.
| If you start your anniversary year taking: | Your annual maximum
| Comments | |
| undergraduate credit course | $2,384.04 | 12 undergraduate credits at $198.67 per credit
The amount will be higher for undergraduate credit courses and programs with specialized fees (Medicine, Law, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences) | |
| graduate credit course | $5,616.60 | 12 graduate credits at $468.05 per credit | |
| full-time doctoral graduate program | Years 1, 2 and 3 | $5,515.71/year | 3 installments/year at $1,838.57 per installment |
| Years 4, 5 and 6 | $2,519.91/year | continuing fee, 3 installments/year at $839.97 per installment | |
| After Year 6 | $0 | Tuition Waiver is not available | |
| full-time masters graduate program | Years 1 and 2 | $5,515.71/year | 3 installments/year at $1,838.57 per installment |
| Years 3, 4 and 5 | $2,519.91/year | continuing fee, 3 installments/year at $839.97 per installment | |
| After Year 5 | $0 | Tuition Waiver is not available | |
| part-time masters graduate program | Years 1, 2 and 3 | $3,152.31/year | 3 installments/year at $1,050.77 per installment |
| Years 4 and 5 | $2,519.91/year | continuing fee, 3 installments/year at $839.97 per installment | |
| After Year 5 | $0 | Tuition Waiver is not available |
If you use the Tuition Waiver more than once in the same anniversary year and take a different course/program than what you started the year with, your annual maximum will change to reflect the amount associated with the current course/program.
For example, if you begin your year by taking an undergraduate course and then decide to enter a full-time graduate program within the same anniversary year, your annual maximum will change from $2,384.04 to $5,515.71 (the full-time graduate program amount). Similarly, if you begin your year in a full-time graduate program and then decide to take an undergraduate course, your annual maximum would change to $2,384.04, which is the undergraduate credit course amount.
If you begin your year in a graduate program with full-time or part-time fee installments, and then within the same tuition anniversary year enter the program year where continuing fees are assessed, your annual maximum will reduce to the continuing fee. For example, if you started your tuition anniversary year on May 1 in year two of a full-time master’s program and on September 1 you entered year three of the program, your annual maximum would change from $5,515.71 to $2,519.91 (the continuing fee).
Your balance at any point in time is your annual maximum, less any amount you have used during your anniversary year.
The amounts in the table above apply to domestic students (effective May 1, 2024). International students are charged international tuition fees and as of May 1, 2017 these fees are covered under by the Tuition Waiver. Refer to the current UBC Academic Calendar for international tuition fees.
What costs are not covered by the tuition waiver?
The Tuition Waiver does not cover the following:
- Any non-refundable deposit for undergraduate and graduate credit courses/programs that are paid prior to registration.
- Tuition fees covered by funding that is not repayable, such as scholarships and prizes, sponsorship by a third party, bursaries and grants and the Graduate Support Initiative (applies to students registered in a master’s or PhD program).
- Application and student fees.
- Undergraduate and graduate international tuition fees incurred prior to May 1, 2017. However, you can apply for tuition waivers up to the domestic undergraduate or graduate tuition amount for these courses/programs.
- Non-credit courses and certificate programs offered by UBC Extended Learning.
- Administration fees for certificate programs offered by UBC Extended Learning.
- Courses and programs that are not UBC undergraduate or graduate credit courses.
- Sauder School of Business courses and programs, such as Continuing Business Studies, Executive Education, Summer Programs, Real Estate, Business Families, Ch’nook, Aboriginal Business, Diploma in Accounting and Diploma in Marketing and Sales.
- UBC MOOC courses offered by edX.
- Courses offered by other institutions (including the Open University).
- Botanical Gardens or UBC Recreation courses, listed in the UBC Extended Learning calendar.
- UBC-sponsored courses through Human Resources.
- Full-time and part-time graduate programs (master’s and doctoral) that have special program fees. However, you can apply for a tuition waiver for up to the normal (full- or part-time) program fee.
- Refer to the current UBC Academic Calendar for a list of master’s degree programs with special program fees
- Refer to the current UBC Academic Calendar for a list of doctoral degree programs with special program fees
Paying student fees and opting out of the Student Health Plan
Student fees are not covered by the Tuition Waiver. You must pay these student fees.
As a registered student taking UBC credit courses, you are automatically enrolled in and charged for the UBC AMS/GSS Health Plan (UBC Vancouver) or the UBCSUO Student Health Plan (UBC Okanagan). You can opt out of the respective Student Health Plan if you are covered by another benefit plan, such as the UBC Extended Health and Dental Plan.
Learn how to opt out of the Student Health Plan.
Can my spouse or child use this benefit?
Some or all of your 12 undergraduate or graduate course/program credits can be transferred to your spouse (effective September 1, 2023), as long as they qualify as an eligible dependent.
You can transfer the Tuition Waiver to your legal spouse, common-law spouse or partner of the same sex. At any one time, only one person may be claimed as your spouse or partner.
Your Tuition Waiver is not transferable to your child, however, UBC has a separate Tuition Waiver for dependent children of Faculty Members.
How and when do I apply?
You will need a valid UBC student number to enrol for courses.
You should submit the Tuition Waiver application before tuition payments are normally due. If you submit your Tuition Waiver application after the tuition payment deadline, you will be charged late fees and/or interest that will not be covered by the Tuition Waiver.
- Register for the course(s) that you wish to apply your Tuition Waiver against. Once registered, do not pay for the course.
- Apply for the Tuition Waiver online through your Workday account. For step-by-step instructions for applying for the Tuition Waiver search the Knowledge Base or contact the Integrated Service Centre.
- Any fees not covered by the Tuition Waiver must be paid by the deadline specified in the UBC Academic Calendar.
After you have applied
- In most cases, the Tuition Waiver will be approved instantly.
- The waiver will be sent to Enrolment Services for you the following day.
- Enrolment Services will process the waiver as payment (you can verify this by logging in to the UBC Student Services Centre). Processing times will vary depending on the time of year.
The procedure and cost for auditing a course is the same as taking a course for credit.
How do I withdraw from a course?
If you withdraw from a course before the deadline to do so without a “W” (withdrawal) standing, you can cancel your waiver online and have your tuition credits reinstated. Review the step-by-step instructions on cancelling a Tuition Waiver by searching for the job aid through the Knowledge Base.
If you withdraw after the deadline, you will not be able to cancel the Tuition Waiver. The Tuition Waiver will be used to pay for the cost of the course and your Tuition Waiver credits will be reduced as if you took the course.
Is this a taxable benefit?
The fees for all credit courses are a non-taxable benefit.
Questions about the tuition waiver?
If you have general questions about tuition waivers or your eligibility, please contact UBC Benefits. If you have submitted a tuition waiver application, and have questions about the processing, please contact the Integrated Service Centre.