Contract Appeals

The contract appeals process allows enrolled students seeking financial relief from their Campus Housing residence fees due to exceptional circumstances or medical grounds to submit an appeal to the Residence Fees & Contract Appeals Committee.

Who Does Not Need to Appeal

Academically Revoked, Withdrawn or Graduating Students

If a student has their academic offer revoked, withdraws from the University (including transferring to another University), or graduates, they do not need to go through the contract appeals process. We will submit the financial relief on their behalf minus a $500 administrative fee once we receive their Confirmed Contract Cancellation Form and confirm their status through Quest.

Family Housing

The appeal process also does not apply to student-family housing contracts. The Residential Tenancies Act governs these contracts. Please see the family housing terms and conditions for more information.

Appeal Reasons and Submission Process

A student can submit an appeal for one of two reasons:

Exceptional Circumstances Appeals Process

Criteria:

Unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances that impact the ability to fulfill the residence contract and cannot be resolved with a change in residence contract terms or through a room change. This also includes changes in academic programs or co-ops that do not align with the contract terms.

Submission Process:

Step 1: Submit the Confirmed Contract Cancellation Form on the Welcome Home page.

Step 2:  Create an appeals package consisting of a Notice of Appeal Form (includes Letter of Explanation) and supporting documentation. 

Examples of documentation include (but are not limited to):

  • A timeline of events since accepting the offer
  • Financial aid applications
  • Registrar forms
  • Relevant email communications, including emails.

We highly recommend if students are appealing for financial reasons review the following information before submitting a residence cancellation and/or appeal: https://uwaterloo.ca/campus-housing/fund-residence.

Students submitting exceptional circumstance appeals over finances must submit a timeline of what happened between contract acceptance to residence cancellation and documentation of any methods investigated to help pay for residence in the appeals package.

Step 3: Submit the completed scanned PDF appeals package to housing@uwaterloo.ca or drop it off at the Campus Housing Main Office in Ron Eydt Village’s South Quad, Room 110. Our hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Our preference is one PDF and not several attachments. We are not able to accept emails with appeal documents attached as photographs or appeals sent as multiple attachments.

Step 4: The Residence Fees & Contract Appeals Committee reviews submissions and notifies students of decisions via email. The committee schedule is available below, in the Appeal Submission Deadlines and Committee Meetings section.

Medical Grounds Appeals Process

Criteria:

Medical condition or disability that cannot be appropriately accommodated through Campus Housing. We do recommend students appealing on medical grounds go through the Accessible Housing process before leaving residence.

Our office and campus partners can work to meet the recommended housing needs of the student. We understand that medical needs change unexpectedly and some students may need to leave residence without going through the Accessible Housing process. It is also recognized that accessible housing support may not be appropriate for every student, therefore this is recommended but not required.

Submission Process

Step 1: Submit the Confirmed Contract Cancellation Form on the Welcome Home page.

Step 2: Submit a Residence Contract Notice of Appeal Form to housing@uwaterloo.ca or drop it off at the Campus Housing Main Office in Ron Eydt Village’s South Quad, Room 110. Our hours of operation are Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Step 3: Download the Housing Disability Verification Form - Contract Appeals and have your health care provider complete the form.

Step 4*: Upload the Housing Disability Verification Form to AccessAbility Services.
*The committee cannot review the appeal without Accessible Housing’s recommendation, so please upload the completed form before the deadline.

Step 5: The Residence Fees & Contract Appeals Committee reviews submissions and notifies students of decisions via email. The committee schedule is available below, in the Appeal Submission Deadlines and Committee Meetings section.

All other non-academic reasons for a residence contract do not have reasons for an appeal, and students will be held financially responsible for their contract.

Appeal Submission Deadlines and Committee Meetings

Appeals must be submitted by 9 a.m. on the designated Mondays to be considered at the corresponding Committee meeting:

Spring 2024 & Fall 2024
Appeal Submission Deadline Appeals Committee Meeting
Monday, July 22, 2024 Week of July 29, 2024
Fall 2024, Winter 2025 & Spring 2025
Monday, November 18, 2024 Week of November 25, 2024
Monday, February 10, 2025 Week of February 17, 2025
Monday, March 31, 2025 Week of April 7, 2025
Spring 2025 & Fall 2025
Monday, July 21, 2025 Week of July 28, 2025

The opportunity to submit an appeal expires at the end of every academic year (fall to spring), as listed in the Terms and Conditions. The deadline to submit appeals for the 2023/2024 academic year passes on July 22, 2024. The deadline to submit appeals for 2024/2025 contracts is July 21, 2025.

Additional Process Information

Appeal Decisions

All decisions are final, and students have one opportunity to submit an appeal per academic year.

Documentation Requirements

All documentation must be complete, correct, and in some cases translated if in a foreign language. Incomplete documentation may lead to the appeal not being considered.

Housing Deposits

All $500 housing deposits are non-refundable and are therefore not subject to an appeal.

Notifications

Students are notified of the appeal decision within one week after the Committee meets.

Frequently asked questions

Possible outcomes when filing an appeal

Possible Outcomes

  • Approved: if your appeal is approved this means you will be provided financial relief for the term(s) you have requested minus a $500 administration fee.
  • Declined: If your appeal is declined, this means you are still financially responsible for your full fees as your appeal was not granted. You can consider finding a replacement for your contract, withdrawing your cancellation returning to residence. If it is determined that a room change can support you, we will be in touch with the next steps.
  • Requiring More Information: There is a request for additional documentation from the Committee or Accessible Housing. We will inform you of what is missing and how to resubmit your documentation or appeal.

Replacement Option

Students can find a replacement for their contract to avoid financial responsibility, subject to certain conditions.

Re-applying for residence after a Residence Cancellation

Students who withdraw from residence but later wish to return can reapply, offsetting the administration fee with a $500 credit after confirming their new contract and moving into residence when their new contract begins.

Residence Cancellation

A residence cancellation is considered successful when the canceling student has moved out of their room, returned their keys and the cancellation has been processed by Campus Housing. We cannot review an appeal unless the residence cancellation has been processed.

For specific questions or assistance, students can contact housing@uwaterloo.ca with their full name and Waterloo ID number.

When do I need to submit my appeal documentation by?

Please see the important dates calendar above to find out the submission date for supporting and relevant documentation. 

For contract appeals, all required documentation must be submitted by the deadline to allow for the Residence Fees and Contract Appeals Committee to review. For exceptional circumstance appeals, you can email your documentation to: housing@uwaterloo.ca or drop it off in person to the Campus Housing main office located in Ron Eydt Village South – S110.

If you are appealing on medical grounds, the “Housing Disability Verification Form – Contract Appeals ” can be uploaded at any time throughout the term to be considered, as medical documents reviewed by Accessability Services are  on a rolling basis.

Students will have one opportunity to submit an appeal. The decision of the committee will be final, and no further appeals will be granted.

Who is on the Residence Fees and Contract Appeals Committee?

The committee consists of Campus Housing staff and a student volunteer and meets two times per term to review the submitted documentation for each appeal. The committee will determine if a student will be relieved of their financial responsibility.

I found a replacement and submitted an appeal. What do I do now?

A successful replacement must be someone who matches your student type and is not on a current contract or part of the first-year guarantee. If your replacement meets the criteria and accepts the offer, you will be relieved of the residence fees less the $500 administrative fee. We are not able to guarantee that the replacement will receive your exact residence assignment.

You are still responsible for any fees incurred before your replacement moves into residence, but you will not need to continue through the appeals process.

I withdrew from residence and my cancellation was processed. However, now I want to live in residence.

If you decide you want to live in residence after your withdrawal form has been processed, you can replace yourself (i.e. re-apply for residence and submit a new $500 non-refundable deposit). This means that once you sign your new contract, you would be relieved of your financial responsibility from your previous contract (minus a $500 administration fee) and only held financially responsible for your new contract. If you wish to follow this route, email us via housing@uwaterloo.ca with your full name and 8-digit Waterloo ID number asking to re-apply, our staff will revive your application and provide next steps. Contact us once you have moved into residence and we will provide you with a $500 credit to make up for the administration fee you received.