This update is provided for archival purposes only.

Public Health guidance and University of Waterloo operations may have changed. For the most up-to-date information, please visit our COVID-19 frequently asked questions.

Reducing your fee bill for Spring 2020

Thursday, April 9, 2020

This message was originally sent to students by:

  • Chris Read, associate provost, students
  • Dennis Huber, vice-president, administration and finance
  • Michael Beauchemin, president (WUSA)
  • Naima Samuel, president (GSA)
  • We are reducing the incidental fees we charge you 
  • We will only charge fees that support your learning and wellbeing
  • Fee bills will appear in Quest in mid-April 

We know that COVID-19 is having a significant effect on your University experience. You can expect to continue your studies with the University of Waterloo and be extremely proud of what you achieve. 

We are doing everything we can to make sure that we are giving you the support you need to keep studying towards your degree despite the uncertainty.

On March 27, 2020, we told you that we were reviewing all incidental fees because we have changed some of our student services and some are not accessible to you when you are studying at a distance from our campuses.

Leaders from the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) and the Graduate Students Association (GSA) and the University have completed that review.

We will not charge you for a number of fees including the following: 

  • WUSA and GSA fees for the Grand River Transit UPass 
  • WUSA and GSA fees for events, social and club or student society fees 
  • Fees related to Athletics and Recreation 
  • Most voluntary student endowment contributions 

We will continue to charge fees that support your learning and wellbeing.  These supports remain in place despite the fact that you are likely not physically on campus. This means we will continue to charge: 

  • WUSA and GSA fees for health and dental plans  
  • WUSA and GSA core services fees 
  • Student services fees including Wellness, Centre for Career Action and Student Success Office 

You can see a full list of the fees that are applicable for Spring 2020 on the Finance website here for Undergraduate students and here for Graduate students.

Many services and supports continue to be available to help you learn and study. You can find a list of modified services on the COVID-19 website. Visit the WUSA and GSA websites for more information specific to undergraduates and graduates, respectively, in the coming days.

You can expect to see your Spring 2020 fee bill mid-April. Students will be notified at their uwaterloo email address once the Spring 2020 bills are available in Quest. You can contact sfs@uwaterloo.ca with any questions related to fees or fee bills. You can also contact your student government for questions about the services theses fees provide.