Refunds
About the tuition and fee refund process
Refunds by program type
The refund process is different for each program type. Please select from the options below to review key details on refund eligibility, policies and types of fees that may be refundable.
Degree, Diploma and Certificate (Credit) Programs
Credit students who withdraw from one or more classes before the 12% refund deadline will have their total tuition recalculated based on their new credit load.
- The 12% deadline for individual courses can be found through the MyNAIT Portal: Open Self-Service > Manage Classes > View My Classes > Enrollment Deadlines. The drop deadline is listed as “Drop – Retain Record.”
- Students are only eligible for a refund, minus the tuition deposit, if the recalculated tuition amount is lower than the tuition amount paid for that term.
Domestic students
Domestic students (Canadian citizens or permanent residents) who drop classes do not need to submit a request for a refund; NAIT will issue your refund automatically.
International students
After dropping one or more classes within the timeframe noted above, international credit students must complete the International Refund Request form (pdf), plus any other supporting letters and documentation, and submit this form using the contact form. Incomplete refund requests will not be accepted.
If your study permit is denied or you are impacted by travel restrictions, please refer to the study permit denial section for refund eligibility and next steps.
Continuing Education (Non-Credit) Programs
Refund Timeframe |
Academic Penalty |
Refund Policy |
Up to 10 calendar days before course start |
None – course does not appear on student transcript |
Tuition is refunded.
Applicable material fees will be refunded.
*Exceptions are listed on the Program or Course Page
|
Less than 10 calendar days before course start |
None – course does not appear on student transcript |
No refund |
First day of class |
Grade of "W" (Withdrawal) awarded |
No refund |
International students
- Request for refunds must be submitted in writing through the Refund Request Form for International Students (pdf), plus any other supporting letters and documentation, and submit this form using the contact form. Incomplete refund requests will not be accepted.
- The refund deadline is a minimum of 10 full calendar days prior to the start of the Continuing Education program or course. Please refer to your Letter of Acceptance (LOA) for the program/course start dates.
- The payment for tuition will be refunded.
ESL Deferrals/Refund
The following information pertains to Continuing Education students attending programs and courses under the authorization of a Canadian Study Permit.
- New International ESL students may be eligible to defer to the next intake (for a maximum of 3 times without losing the application deposit) if:
- The student has not received a Letter of Approval or Letter of Introduction from the IRCC by the deferral deadline indicated on page 2 of the Letter of Acceptance.
- The student has received a Letter of Approval, but has applied to another NAIT program and does not know the status of their application by the deferral deadline.
- To request a deferral, you must notify continuingeducation@nait.ca by the deadline listed on page 2 section 2 of your NAIT Letter of Acceptance.
- If your deferral is approved, your application deposit will be transferred to the next start date and you will not have to pay it again.
- Failure to submit the request by the deadline will result in your application being cancelled. You will not be eligible to receive a refund on your deposit.
- Refunds might be awarded in the case of a Visa denial. To be eligible to receive a refund, the student must submit a copy of the IRCC visa denial letter and Refund Request form to continuingeducation@nait.ca on or before the deadline indicated on page 2 section of the Letter of Acceptance.
Block Enrolments
- Fixed Schedule: When you opt for a block purchase, you are committing to the schedule as it is set. The schedule has been carefully designed to maximize learning outcomes and cohort progression.
- No Schedule Changes: Please be aware that the block purchase agreement does not allow for schedule changes once the program begins. This policy is in place to ensure the integrity of the learning experience for all students. No refunds will be granted for schedule changes in a block enrollment.
- Recommendation for Flexibility: If you anticipate the need for a flexible schedule due to work or personal commitments, we strongly advise considering our open enrollment classes. Open enrollment allows you to create a personalized schedule that can adapt to your individual needs, without the commitment to a fixed schedule.
Apprenticeship Programs
- If you cancel your registration before the first day of class, you will receive a tuition refund, less an administration fee of $100.
- If you cancel your enrolment and promptly register for a different class within 24 hours from the cancellation, you do not need to pay the administration fee, and the fee will be removed from your account shortly. The new class must be in the same academic year. If you do not re-register within this timeframe, the fee will apply
- There is no tuition refund for cancelling your registration on or after the first day of class.
- If the apprentice is sponsored and drops on or after the first day of classes, or changes the start date of the class those fees are the responsibility of the sponsor.
- After payment has been made or classes have started the sponsorship cannot be revoked regardless if the student is no longer employed by the Sponsor.
Study Permit Denial
International applicants whose study permit is refused by 'Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)' may be eligible for a refund of their international tuition deposit.
Credit and Diploma-Degree Programs
International Applicants requesting a refund of their tuition deposit must complete an International Refund Request form (pdf), plus a copy of their IRCC refusal letter, and submit this information using the contact form on MyNAIT (login required). Students must drop all classes before submitting a refund request form. Incomplete refund requests will not be accepted.
International applicants may defer admission if experiencing study permit delays
If you are an international applicant and your study permit processing is delayed, you may request to defer your admission to a future term. Deferral requests must include proof of delayed study permit processing for consideration.
Learn more about admission deferrals, including timelines and eligibility.
Want to keep the funds on your account, instead of a refund?
If your study permit has been refused, you have the option to have your funds/payment remain your account for a future application or while you reapply for your study permit. To do this, submit a contact form request, select topic: Submitting a Form > subcategory: International Refund Request and attach a copy of your IRCC refusal letter. Please mention in the details section that you want to keep the funds in your account.
ESL Deferrals/Refunds
- ESL students may be eligible to defer their start date (without losing the application deposit) if:
- The student has not received a Letter of Approval or Letter of Introduction from the IRCC by the deferral deadline indicated on page 2 of the Letter of Acceptance.
- The student has received a Letter of Approval, but has applied to another NAIT program and does not know the status of their application by the deferral deadline.
- To request a deferral, you must notify continuingeducation@nait.ca by the deadline listed on page 2 of your NAIT Letter of Acceptance.
- If your deferral is approved, your application deposit will be transferred to the new start date and you will not have to pay it again.
- Failure to submit the request by the deadline will result in your application being cancelled. You will not be eligible to receive a refund on your deposit.
- Refunds may be awarded in the case of a Visa denial. To be eligible to receive a refund, the student must submit a copy of the IRCC visa denial letter and Refund Request form to continuingeducation@nait.ca on or before the refund term deadline indicated on page 2 of the Letter of Acceptance.
How will my refund be paid back to me?
If you are eligible for a refund, the way your refund will be issued to you will depend on whether you’re a domestic or international student.
- Domestic students: the refund will be issued to you via Interac e-Transfer.
- International students: the refund will be issued to you via a bank transfer to the recipient and beneficiary bank account you identify within the PayMyTuition refund form.
NAIT has partnered with PayMyTuition to remit international and domestic refunds to students. Third-party sponsored students and provincially or federally funded students are excluded from the e-Transfer refund process. See details below.
Third-party sponsored students
The refund will be sent directly to the identified third party (e.g., corporate sponsor) by cheque.
Student funding (student loan or grant)
The refund will be issued directly to the appropriate provincial or federal government agency.
If you're funded by Student Aid and you make changes to your schedule but maintain a full-time status, a credit balance will display on your account. If there’s no outstanding fees, the applicable refund amount will be refunded via Interac e-Transfer to the student.
If you were approved for a medical & dental insurance opt-out or a U-Pass exemption, please note the money will be credited back to your account and go towards any outstanding fees, such as the future semesters tuition.
Processing times
Refunds typically take between 4 to 6 weeks to process from the time you withdraw from a class or submit your refund request for processing. Within 2 to 6 business days from the time your refund has been processed, you will receive automated emails confirming your refund and required next steps.
Refunds through PayMyTuition
July 2024 update: The process to receive your one-time refund passcode has changed. Access your passcode directly in your PayMyTuition portal; see updated screenshots below.
Once your refund has been processed, you will receive an email (sent to your preferred email) from NAIT with information on your next steps. These next steps will differ for domestic and international students.
Not sure what your preferred email address is? It’s the email listed on your profile on MyNAIT.
How to access your refund & passcode
Domestic students: Accepting your e-Transfer and finding your passcode
Accepting your e-transfer
Once your refund has been processed, you will first receive an initial email from NAIT. Within the next 2 to 6 business days you can expect these emails:
1. PayMyTuition (studentrefunds@paymytuition.com) will email you to inform you that your Interac e-Transfer email will be issued within the next 24 to 48 hours.
2. You will then receive an Interac e-Transfer email instructing you to log into your MyNAIT portal to retrieve your one-time passcode from your PayMyTuition student portal, which will allow you to securely access and collect your refund payment.
*If your email address is registered for Autodeposits through your bank, you won't require a one-time passcode to finalize the deposit. Instead, when you select to deposit your funds, you’ll sign into your financial institution and the refund will autodeposit upon sign in.
Important: Please complete the e-Transfer process within these 30 days, after which it will expire. If you do not retrieve your passcode and collect your funds prior to the expiration date, your refund will be automatically cancelled and the funds will be returned to your student account. You will be required to submit a new refund request should you want the funds returned to you.
Finding your passcode in MyNAIT
Follow these steps to find your one-time passcode in MyNAIT:
1. Log into your MyNAIT portal.
2. Select the Open Self Service button.
3. Select the Financial Account tile to access the PayMyTuition Payment Center.
4. Select your financial institution (bank) location to be redirected to
PayMyTuition.
5. Within the PayMyTuition portal, select the Refunds tile.
6. In the Refunds section, you can access the Outstanding Refunds tab and click on the icon within the Action column to retrieve your one-time passcode.
7. Then return to the Interac e-Transfer email communication to select the Deposit your Money button.
- Is your email is set up for Autodeposits with your bank? If so, you won't need a one-time passcode. Just select to deposit your funds, sign in to your bank and the refund will automatically deposit when you sign in.
8. After inputting your one-time passcode, you will be redirected to the following page to select your Canadian financial institution.
Note: Once you receive the Interac e-Transfer email communication, you may choose to deposit the funds into someone else’s bank account if you have access to their online banking. The Interac e-Transfer email containing the Deposit your Money button can only be sent to the preferred email on your student account; however, you may enter someone else’s online banking login details to claim the deposit.
There is a $10,000 limit on domestic e-Transfer refunds. Any refunds above that amount will be split up into multiple payment transfers.
International students: Collecting your refund
Collecting your refund
Once your refund request form has been approved, you receive an email from NAIT noting that the refund process has started. The following will happen next:
1. Within 2 to 6 business days, you will receive an email from PayMyTuition (studentrefunds@paymytuition.com). This email will provide further instructions on how to complete your refund.
2. You may choose to deposit the funds into someone else’s bank account. When you are directed to the PayMyTuition refund form, you will have the option within the Beneficiary Information tab to select someone else as the recipient and input their bank information.
a. Enter beneficiary details: Complete the online refund beneficiary instruction form, which requires currency, identification documentation (either passport or driver’s license), banking and beneficiary information.
b. Complete verification: Upon receipt of your completed beneficiary instructions, PayMyTuition will verify your request for accuracy. They will complete fraud and compliance checks to comply with various anti-money laundering and compliance laws.
c. Payment confirmation: PayMyTuition will send you a confirmation email once your beneficiary information has been verified and approved. You will receive a PDF summary that is password protected. This PDF can be accessed using the bank account number that you provided in Step 2 a. as the password.
d. Refund processed: Once your refund has been processed, you will receive a notification that your refund is complete. Please allow 3 to 5 business days for the payment to be deposited to your account.
Non-refundable costs
The following fees are non-refundable and/or non-transferable to other terms, programs or students:
-
Application fee – $115 (domestic), $150 (international)
-
Tuition deposit, Domestic – $500
-
Tuition deposit, International – $5,000
-
Apprenticeship administration fee – $100
-
Credit card (Visa or Mastercard), Visa debit or Mastercard debit convenience fee of 2.5%*
-
American Express convenience fee of 3.75%*
-
Payment plan setup fee – $50
-
Administration fee only applied if an international student opts to pay in CDN through an international financial institution (instead of their home currency) – $30
*Credit card convenience fees will not be refunded, unless a course has been cancelled or there has been a web payment error such as a duplicate payment.
If you experienced a web payment error, submit a message via the online Contact Form, select topic: Funding and Financial Account, and subcategory: Convenience Fee Refund Request. Applicable convenience fee refunds are issued via e-transfer (domestic students) or bank transfer (international students).