Webinars for Newly Admitted Graduate Students - Registration

Hello, I'm just waiting for the, uh, participant count to go up a little bit and then I'll officially start.

Hey, maybe another minute or so.

Mm-hmm.

OK, I think I'll get started now. So hello everyone. Uh, welcome to our webinar on registration and enrollment. My name is Priya and I will be facilitating the presentation today. Uh, before we begin, I'd like to go over a few housekeeping items. So today's presentation will be recorded and both the recording and slides will be available on the same web page where you registered, uh, by the end of the week. I will put the link for that web page in the chat just in case you might have, umm, lost it.

So you'll have that and I.

Yeah. So I'll do that. And 2nd, I ask that you save any questions that you might have towards the end of the presentation.

A lot of your questions will probably be answered during the presentation anyway, so umm, yeah, you can. If you can save them for the end, that would be really great. Umm. Also Please note that we won't be answering any questions regarding study permits or giving out immigration advice. I will also put the link in the chat for the contact information for our Center for International Experience. Umm. From there you can access helpful resources on study permits, immigration advice in case you.

Questions about these topics?

So today's topic is going to be about registration and fee payment. It includes how to get yourself properly registered in your program, what you need to do to get your fees paid, and how to get your student card set up and umm, just everything like that involving registration. Umm, our present, our presenter today is Minerva James, who is an admissions and international student advisor at the School of Graduate Studies. I will hand it over to her in a minute to start the presentation and introduce herself further.

Uh, just before that though, I'd like to do the land acknowledgement.

So, umm yeah, we wish to acknowledge this land on which the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the credit. Today, this meeting place is still home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island, and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

Alright, uh, your turn, Minerva.

Thank you so much, Priya, and welcome everyone. I'm going to start briefly with what is the difference between enrollment and registration?

The distinction is going to be used throughout the presentation. So I think it's important to clarify what's the difference. Students register in a program and then they enroll in courses registration. Of course, when you pay your fees or you have requested to register without payment, that term is used as a fee deferral and that is approved or it should be approved before.

It is applied.

Enrollment, uh, refers to adding a course in your academic, umm, enrollment and that is that activity is usually used by ACORN, which is the account uh, that you guys will be familiar with umm, to. Enrolling courses in ACORN is usually, umm, an activity that is done by yourself or sometimes your graduate unit.

And to register again, you pay the fees or you defer the fees.

I think it's important to clarify those points as I'm moving forward with the presentation.

So before you start your registration, there are a few things that are important to mention. One, you have to accept your offer of admission. This is to confirm your acceptance to the program. It must be signed, dated and uploaded UMM in grad app to double check that your offer UMM letter for admission conditions are met. So be sure that all the admission conditions have been clear and this should be also submitted in UMM.

And three, convert your join ID to user ID to obtain your physical T card. You will have received by now your joint ID when as soon as you apply to the university, that is sent automatically to you. And after you receive an offer, you're able to convert your joint ID to a user ID.

Your uterus ID is a digital credential to the university and is used to access systems and resources. Umm, and then once you convert into your user ID, you will have UT mail your official address or electronic address. Uh, you will have access to webinars, lectures, recordings of your courses.

Uh library resources as well as Microsoft 365.

That is included for all the students. Also Internet on campus and more activities that you can do once you have your user ID.

Your tea card is the physical card that you that will either help you identify for several things if you are going to be doing.

An exam, for example. Or you're going to be going onto campus for student discounts as a library card as well if you need to borrow some books to print or photocopy.

Or even to purchase certain items at the bookstore.

So it's mainly used your your your physical card is mainly used to identify yourself.

The registration is linked to a fee payment, so your registration status is initially set as invite to register. That's at the time when you are admitted at the program. On Monday, July 14, the registration period for the fall winter session will begin. You're considered register when you have paid the full tuition or incidental fees and that is.

Your confirmation that you're registered.

You can also follow the instructions on ACORN in your ACORN account or the students account to make the payment and that includes information of how to pay for your tuition fees if you're paying from outside Canada, refund schedules, financial arraignments, and any other type of international fee exceptions. So I think it is important to verify that information in your ACORN account.

Your fee payment within the registration period will trigger a switch to registration so then you will be consider.

Register.

I think my slides there we go. OK, umm, register without payment or defer fees. You might request this deferral via ACORN or by submitting a register without payment form to your graduate unit. Your request to defer fees will be approved. Number one, if you're receiving university funding, for example, an award, a research excitement or teaching.

Fees which exceeds the minimum payment to register for that amount. Also, if you're receiving or any other loans through the government.

The service charges are fairly self ex explanatory so if you are paid in full all your Regis your tuition fees.

If you're paying with your credit card, for example, there is umm a percentage that the university charges UMM and also service charges are assessed within sessions. For example, fall and winter session service charges are assessed as of October 15 and therefore every single month on the 15th of each month.

Winter sessions service charges are assessed as of February 15 and and then after that, uh, the 15 of each month. That's why it's important to pay your tuition fees on time so you don't have to pay extra, uh, service charges.

The there is registration deadlines are very important deadlines and those are provided by your graduate unit. Seasonal dates for graduate studies are also available on our website at SGS on under our calendar and you will notice there there are two days that are related to full registration. One is September 1st. It is recommended that tuition fee payment deadline for registering students are paid at that time.

To avoid the service uh fees, September 1st allows for 10 business days for payment to be retrieved uh received by the registration deadline. Otherwise it will trigger the service charge.

September 15 is also the actual deadline for the full session this year.

So there's instances when the payment will not trigger registration or will request a fees if it's not approved.

That is important to communicate with your graduate unit immediately so they can clarify those fees.

If you don't register.

By, uh, September 15.

The re enrollment in courses that that were cancelled due to the missed registration is not warranty, so it is extremely important that you process your registration on time so you will have access to the courses that are umm required for your program.

Uh legal status is important, uh, to distinguish between international and domestic fees.

Who is exempted for international fees? For example, students. International students who are dependents of a Canadian citizen or Indigenous person. Dependence of permanent residents. A person who has been approved in principle for permanent residency in Canada. A visitor with diplomatic status and dependence.

UMM or protected persons and dependents. It is important that you provide us with proof of your legal status in Canada.

So we can make those changes in your file.

The minimum degree fee is an amount a tuition that every student has to pay either if you're full time or part time, and must be paid upon competition of the program.

A masters based on full program length, doctoral associated with the one the three-year session of your studies and the balance. Degree fee is a minimum degree fee minus total of the amount of the academic fee paid.

And this is access prior to graduation.

The academic sessions at UFT are defined by full session which runs from September to December, winter session from January to April.

UMM and fall, winter, September to April, Summer sessions uh apply from May to August and there are two different uh sessions. So summer subsection F for example May to June or summon UMM summer subsection S July to August. All this information is actually on your account, umm in Acorn.

Course enrollment deadlines this year will be September 18 for full year and full session courses, January 20th of next year, 2026 for Winter session on May 12th, from May to June summer session courses and also from the Section F which is May to August, September courses.

July 7th of 2026 for July to August summer sessions.

The deadlines to drop courses without academic penalty. These are also important. Is October 28th for full session or half courses. February 28th, 2026 for full year and winter academic courses. June 2nd, 2026 from uh, from May to June. The section F umm and I apologize, there's a typo in my slide. It's 2020, uh, 6.

On June 23rd, from May to August, July 28 for July to August. Section S.

You can access ACORN which is your student is the students account.

By view request add drop or wait list courses is fairly easy to.

To do but this is acorn your account that will you will have access to you. View your personal timetable, change your address, your telephone number. All your personal information could be changed there as well. View academic history, including your final grades.

Register without payment, updating your direct deposit details, or print any tax forms that you might require, or the transcripts, or the convocation tickets when it's time to graduate, and a lot more. All your personal information is included in, umm, ACORN.

No umm The academic services at SGS can provide you with confirmation of registration letters and completion of degree requirements. The confirmation of a registration letter provides proof that you are register for barrier purposes umm securing a student visa for example or maintaining your OSAP loan. Also for a master and doctoral students you may also request.

A letter confirming that your UMM degree requirements have been met.

You can also request a letter by completing the forms on our website SGS website, there is a link for any forms or letters that you might be required to to request.

Now another important point is.

The questions that you might have about your program is extremely important that you contact your program administrator. SGS is just the big umbrella for all the programs and your graduate units have provide you with specific information about your program, deadlines, courses, so they're your main point of contact if you have any questions.

And having said that, we can move into questions if you want to type them on the chat. And Priya, will you be able to assist with with that, please?

Yes, so we'll give some time for questions now in case anyone has any. Umm, if you do, you can just type it in the chat and I'll approve it.

If there are no questions, it's fine too because, umm, you can always just e-mail us and if you have any or you think of any later on and we can always respond to those as well. Umm, but I'll just get a few minutes more for any questions that you might have. And I'll also put the e-mail address in the chat so you can always, umm, use that as well.

I think there is one question there I believe. What is the most efficient?

Umm.

What is the most cost efficient method of payment for international students to pay tuition fees? OK.

Yeah. So the most important is that you keep in mind the deadline so you don't pay service fees. And in your ACORN account, it will specify the amount that you will have to pay for your tuition fees. So we always suggest you pay your tuition fees on time.

Umm, there is another question. If, uh, you're returning as a UFT student, if you re uh, required to get a second T card, no, you're not. You can keep the same T card. You will have the same student number and again, that is uh, your identification. As long as it has the same student number, there's no requirement to go, uh, collect a second T card.

And your user ID will it should remain active so you don't need to go through that process of activating it again.

Mm-hmm. Uh, there's another one who is eligible for, uh, fee deferrals. So that is managed at the graduate unit level. And it is someone that if for example has a loan like OSAP, then there is that form and you can ask your guarded unit to submit that. So you will have your fees.

If fair, umm if you have an award, if you receiving any type of funding that.

Your graduate unit is managing, they will be able to apply that fee deferral.

I guess umm, if you there don't see any other questions. If you have any other questions, please feel free to send us an e-mail. We will be more than happy to respond to you and provide you further information.

Umm, I don't know if I'm going to link the graduate dot information e-mail address just because that's usually the one we do for registration.

Mm-hmm.

So just put that in the chat just now.

OK.

Thank you again and feel free to e-mail us if you have any further questions. And thank you, Priya Priya for hosting.

OK.

Can't. Thank you, Minerva, for sharing your expertise and time with us today. And just again, as a reminder, this presentation recording will be available by the end of next week on the same registration page. Umm, yeah. And that's all for today, I guess.

Yeah. So have a nice day everyone. And again, if you have any additional questions, please e-mail graduate.information@utoronto.ca.

Great. Thank you so much. Bye, bye.

OK, bye.