Domestic Tuition Fee Categories
Note: these exemption categories and definitions are subject to change at any time on a decision by the government of Ontario.
Definition of Dependents
Some categories state the both the person who has the status and their dependents are eligible for the domestic tuition rate. If you are a dependent you will be required to present documentation to verify your dependent status.
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities’ regulations define dependents as follows:
If you are the married spouse, you are a dependent.
If you are the common law partner you are a dependent only if you have been living together in a conjugal relationship for no less than three years.
If you are the biological or adopted child of your parent or their spouse or common law partner, and you are under 22 years of age, not married and financially dependent on them, you are a dependent.
If you are the biological or adopted child of your parent or their spouse or common law partner and you are over 22 years of age, not married and financially dependent on them, you are a dependent. You must also have been registered continuously in school up to one year before beginning at York.
If your parent is a dependent of their parent (as defined above), you are also a dependent of your grandparent.
If you are a person with a disability who has been financially supported substantially by your parent and you are unable to be self-supporting because of the disability, you are a dependent.
Categories Eligible for Domestic Fees
Under the regulations of the Ontario Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities, a student is eligible for domestic tuition rate if they are:
A citizen of Canada within the meaning of the Citizenship Act or a person registered as an Indian within the meaning of the Indian Act.
A person who is the legal dependant of a Canadian citizen. Please see the definition of dependent above.
A person who has been granted permanent resident status in Canada within the meaning of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.
A person who is the legal dependant of a permanent resident. Please see the definition of dependent above.
A person who has applied for permanent resident status in Canada only if they have received written paper documentation from Citizenship and Immigration Canada that has the principal applicants name on it and contains one of the following statements. Please note that only letters with one of these exact statements can be accepted :
"It has been determined that you meet the eligibility requirements to apply for permanent resident status. “
or
"We have completed the initial assessment of your application and expect to finalize your application without a personal interview."
or
"This refers to your application for permanent residence in Canada, Your interview has been waived."
or
"This refers to your application for permanent residence within Canada on humanitarian and compassionate grounds."
A person who is the legal dependant of an applicant for permanent resident. Please see the definition of dependent above.
A person who is admitted to and remaining in Canada, with official accreditation from the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, who has entered Canada or is in Canada to carry out official duties as:
a diplomatic or consular officer; or as a Canadian government-accredited representative or official of a country other than Canada, of the United Nations or any of its agencies, of any intergovernmental organizations of which Canada is a member; or as a dependant (please see the definition of dependent above);
or a member of the staff of any such diplomat, consular officer, representative or official accredited to Canada by the Canadian government;
or a member of a foreign military force or of a civilian component thereof admitted to Canada under the Visiting Forces Act or any dependants of such personnel (please see above for definition of dependent)
Note: if a student has been exempt under this category, and their exemption status changes during the course of their program by circumstances beyond their control (for example the dependent of a diplomat whose parent is assigned to another country), the student continues to be exempt from the payment of international student tuition until the completion of the program of study that they are registered in. Contact the Registrar’s Office regarding official documentation required.
A person and his/her dependents (please see definition of dependent above) who is authorized to work in Canada and has been issued a work permit by the federal government. The following groups are excluded from this category. If you hold a work permit for one of the following reasons you are not eligible for domestic fees:
A visitor who is a graduate teaching assistant;
An international student holding a work permit to complete his/her co-op, internship or medical residency employment;
An international student holding an open work permit for post-graduate work (usually for up to three years of work opportunities upon graduation);
An international student whose spouse or common-law partner has received a work permit as a result of the international student holding a valid study permit;
An international student holding an “Off-Campus Work Permit”.
A person and his/her dependants (please see above for the definition of dependent), who is officially recognized and documented by the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act to be a Protected Person or a Convention Refugee.
A person and his/her dependants (please see above for the definition of dependent), who is a refugee claimant in Canada, only if the claim for refugee status was made to the federal government before January 1, 1989.
