Updated on December 18, 2019.
On November 21, 2019, Ontario’s Divisional Court overturned the Student Choice Initiative that directed some non-tuition fees to become optional. The province has applied for leave to appeal this decision, so uncertainty remains in the long term. At this time Carleton is respecting the court’s decision and will be closing our opt-out system effective immediately. As such, going forward, students will no longer be able to opt-out of any fees previously deemed to be optional non-tuition fees under the Student Choice Initiative. However, no fees will be charged retroactively. Carleton University is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide updates as they become available.
To all new and returning graduate students:
As you begin to register for the Fall and Fall/Winter terms you’ll be asked to make important decisions about the services on campus. Under the Student Choice Initiative by the provincial government, you can now choose which optional non-tuition fees to pay and which on-campus services to support, effective the fall 2019 term.
Under the Student Choice Initiative you are able to learn about these fees and make informed decisions about your choices regarding optional non-tuition fees. As a graduate student, your choices will impact the variety of services and initiatives that are delivered both on-campus and off-campus. These fees provide you with opportunities to engage in meaningful experiences, gain skills and receive personal support from programs and service centres across campus.
The optional non-tuition fees include services and resources which support service centres that support safe(r) space communities. These services also strive to provide graduate students with adequate representation for community engagement and student advocacy, grants, scholarships and awards, and support the creation of student jobs while keeping on-campus student run businesses viable and competitively priced. To learn more about those services and resources provided by the Graduate Students’ Association, please visit gsacarleton.ca.
At Carleton University student fees are managed by Student Accounts Receivable. Information about the structure of compulsory and optional non-tuition fees and the detailed descriptions of all fees can be found on the Tuition Fees section of their website.
To check your registration time-ticket or to learn about how the Student Choice Initiative appears during the registration process, please visit the Current Grad Students website..
