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Refunds and withdrawals

Find out how to withdraw from courses, when refunds may apply, and who to contact for help with your student account or academic record.

International students

If your study permit may not arrive in time, contact International Admissions (undergraduate) or the Faculty of Graduate Studies to ask about a possible enrollment deferral. If you request an enrollment deferral, you must withdraw from your current term courses before the payment deadline to avoid being charged tuition.

For questions about study permits, enrollment deferrals, leaves of absence, or related immigration matters, contact the International Centre.

Withdrawing from your courses or program

If you need to leave a course (or all courses), you must officially withdraw before the deadline. See all academic dates and deadlines on the Important Dates page.

Not attending class does not count as withdrawing. If you do not officially withdraw, you are still responsible for your fees.

What happens when you withdraw

If you withdraw from all courses, you may be eligible for a refund.

  • Your effective withdrawal date is when the Registrar’s Office receives your request
  • This date determines what portion of your fees can be refunded 

After your withdrawal is approved, contact Student Accounts to request your refund or fee adjustment. You can do this by: 

Refunds are calculated based on the date your approved withdrawal is received. Retroactive withdrawals will not be permitted.

Courses with unique withdrawal deadlines

Courses that do not follow set term dates (i.e. courses that do not have a number/letter in brackets before the date range on the Academic Timetable) may have different drop dates. Before withdrawing, check the Important dates page for details.

Students in the Faculties of Architecture & Planning or Health

If you are in the Faculty of Architecture and Planning or Health and want to withdraw:

  • You must get written approval from your school or college and submit the required forms to the Registrar's Office
  • Keep attending classes until your withdrawal is approved

Refund schedules

Refund schedules are published by term, including Fall/Winter and Summer. Review the current schedule for your term before withdrawing.

Fall and Winter 2025-2026 Refund Schedule [PDF - 417 KB]

Summer 2026 Refund Schedule [PDF - 356 KB]

Refund eligibility

You may not receive a refund in some situations:

Dismissal

Students who are dismissed from the university for any reason will not be entitled to a refund of fees.

Changing programs

No fee adjustment will be made for a student changing their degree or program after the add/drop date in September (for the Fall term) and after the add/drop date in January (for the winter term).

Please consult the Important Dates page for academic dates and deadlines.

Overpayments

An overpayment is when you pay more than your yearly tuition and fees. Any extra money will remain on your account for a year and be applied to upcoming fees. Learn more about overpayments.

Refund conditions

 

  • Notification of withdrawal must be submitted to the Registrar’s Office via Dal Online or written notification.
  • Your refund will be calculated based on the date your approved withdrawal is received. Retroactive withdrawals will not be permitted.
  • If you paid by cheque, we must wait for the payment to clear before issuing a refund. Refunds cannot be processed for 30 days after receiving a personal cheque or 60 days after receiving a cheque from a bank outside Canada.
  • A student who is dismissed from the university for any reason will not be entitled to a refund of fees.
  • Refunds will be prorated on fees paid by Dalhousie scholarships and/or fee waiver.
  • Internal awards will not be refunded until after the add/drop for the term they have been applied. 
  • Refunds will be made to the National Student Loan Centre if a student has received a Canada or Provincial Student Loan.
  • If you are requesting a refund via email, you must request it from your Dalhousie email address, or an email on your official Dalhousie file. Your Dalhousie email is your official means of communication for Dalhousie academic and administrative purposes.     

 

Receiving your refund

If you have met the refund conditions, you can receive your refund in the following ways:

By cheque

If you paid via a Canadian bank account, you can request a refund cheque. You can pick up your cheque in person, or have it sent to you via mail.

A valid Dalhousie University ID must be presented in order to receive a refund. 

Electronic funds transfer (EFT)

All correspondence regarding your refund will be sent to your official Dalhousie email address. 

If you have a Canadian bank account: 

  • Refunds are sent to your Dalhousie email address as an e-transfer
  • You will receive an email from notify@payments.interac.ca asking you to select the financial institution where your funds will be deposited.

If you have an international bank account:

  • You will receive your refund via your original payment source. For example, if you paid via Convera, your refund will be deposited to your Convera account. Learn more about Convera.

If you used an unverified payment method

If you paid Dalhousie through an unverified or unrecognized source (see acceptable payment methods), you assume full responsibility and risk for the transaction. The refund process may take up to 4 weeks or more, and will be issued via the same method by which the original payment was made. 

If the refund request is approved, you must provide official banking details for the payment source.

You are responsible for ensuring the accuracy of the banking details of the payment source and for retrieving funds once the refund has been processed. This procedure is in place to ensure compliance with Anti-Money Laundering (AML) regulations. We strongly encourage you to always use Dalhousie’s approved payment methods.

Stay alert for scams

If you’re concerned about the legitimacy of any email  you receive regarding refunds or your student account, please check your Dalhousie student account on DalOnline.

Do note hesitate to reach out to Student Accounts with questions by email student.accounts@dal.ca or phone 902-494-3998.

Who to contact