Adjustments and Credits

Tuition Policy for Students with Permanent Disabilities

Purpose

To provide students who have a permanent disability or a persistent or prolonged disability which requires a reduced course load (2.0 credits) with an accommodation of "per-credit tuition billing". To be eligible, you must have a relevant disability with supporting documentation from a qualified health professional, and a recommendation for this accommodation from the Student Wellness & Accessibility Centre (SWAC).

Policy

  1. Students registered with the Student Wellness & Accessibility Centre (SWAC) and who have provided satisfactory documentation to support a permanent, persistent or prolonged disability may be eligible for per-credit billing.
  2. Students who register with SWAC and are not eligible for per-credit billing may be eligible for a tuition waiver. In such cases, students must be taking a reduced course load of 2.0 credits as a result of their disability. This applies to students who:
  • Have documentation that is out of date or is incomplete with regards to a permanent disability or a persistent or prolonged disability.
  • Have a recognized permanent disability or persistent or prolonged disability,, but were not registered with SWAC before the end of the Course Add Period. A SWAC Advisor must notify Student Financial Services of the recommended accommodation before the 40th class day.
  • Experience a temporary disability such as those resulting from a significant injury.
  • Have a disability for which the duration is uncertain.

Process

What Students Need to Know:

  1. You are required to provide documentation to SWAC according to Humber Polytechnic's standards for establishing the existence of a relevant disability.
  2. Your documentation will be held in confidence and any information shared with Student Financial Services will exclude details pertaining to the nature of the disability.
  3. SWAC may require a meeting with you to complete the process. For an appointment, call 416.675.5090 or email accessible-learning@humber.ca
  4. Once SWAC is satisfied that you qualify, a SWAC Advisor must notify Student Financial Services of the recommended accommodation before the last day of the Add period.
  5. This process only needs to be completed once.

Billing and Refunds

Per-credit Billing

For students who meet eligibility criteria of #1 of Policy above

  1. Students who are to be charged tuition on a per-credit basis will be billed using the per-credit tuition amount when enrolled in 2.0 credits at the end of the “Add Period”.
  2. Students who register in 2.5 credits at the end of the “Add Period” are not eligible for the tuition billing accommodation. The tuition refund policy will apply to you.

Tuition Waiver

For students who meet eligibility criteria of #2 of Policy above

Eligible students will be reimbursed for the value of tuition only (not compulsory fees) for 0.5 credits if they were only registered for 2.0 credits up until the 40th class day.

Please refer to the part-time tuition and fee tables for the value of tuition for 0.5 credits. The tuition waiver is not calculated as a percentage of the full-time tuition rate for the student's program.

Definitions

Note: This policy is supplementary to Academic Accommodations for Students with Disabilities as approved by the University of Guelph Senate. Definitions and standards set out in that document take precedence. Only items that do not appear in that document are defined below.

  • A permanent disability is any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment — or a functional limitation — that restricts the ability of a person to perform the daily activities necessary to pursue studies at the postsecondary school level or to participate in the labour force and that is expected to remain with the person for the person’s expected life.
  • A persistent or prolonged disability is any impairment, including a physical, mental, intellectual, cognitive, learning, communication or sensory impairment — or a functional limitation — that restricts the ability of a person to perform the daily activities necessary to pursue studies at the postsecondary school level or to participate in the labour force and has lasted, or is expected to last, for a period of at least 12 months, and is not a permanent disability.
  • Per-credit billing is the process whereby full-time students with a permanent, persistent or prolonged disability are billed at the part-time student tuition and fees rate, which is based on the number of registered courses.
  • A tuition waiver is a reimbursement for the cost of tuition for 0.5 credits. Based on the eligibility criteria described above, it can be obtained by a student with a disability who paid for full-time tuition at the beginning of the semester but was only registered for 2.0 credits up until the 40th class day.
  • The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a government-funded assistance program of grants and loans for students to attend a post-secondary institution. This program is based on financial need and is intended to supplement your resources.
  • Student Financial Services is a department within the Office of Registrarial Services that manages student accounts, government aid programs, and institutional awards.

Documentation Guidelines

To protect the integrity of a rigorous academic environment, we require documentation verifying the existence of a disability from a regulated health professional who is operating within their scope of practice to identify a physical, cognitive or emotional condition that is disabling in an academic context. This documentation must describe the functional limitations experienced by the student. Examples of professionals who can complete this documentation include:

  • Physicians (medical doctors)
  • Psychologists
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Physiotherapists
  • Registered Psychotherapists
  • Social Workers
  • Nurse Practitioners

If you suspect you might have a disability and you are in the process of being assessed, please contact us to inquire about possible interim assistance.

Accommodations can be made for both permanent and temporary disabilities.