Deferring an offer of admission

If you'd like to take time to pursue other activities before you start your studies at Waterloo, you can request to defer your admission for a year.

During the deferral period, you can not pursue college or university studies. However, you may take high school courses for personal interest.

All programs (other than iBASE) allow deferrals to September 2027. Some programs also allow deferrals to January 2027. 

The deferral form will be available as of July 1, 2026.

1. Accept your Offer of Admission

• You must accept your Offer of Admission from Waterloo on the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) website by the deadline stated on the offer.
• Most offers have a deadline of June 1, 2026.

2. Meet the conditions on your Offer of Admission

You must meet all conditions outlined on your Offer of Admission by the deadline specified on that offer.

3. Request a deferral

Between July 1 and late August 2026, you can request a deferral. The deadline for international (visa) students is in early September (this date will be posted in advance).

• You'll use your userid@uwaterloo.ca email address and password to log in to the Admission Deferral Request form.
  • A link to the form will be available in early July.
• On the form, you'll be asked to explain your reasons for requesting the deferral and to summarize your plans for the deferral period.
• The maximum deferral period is one calendar year (three academic terms).
  • For students with military service requirements, you could be eligible for a two-year deferral, pending documented proof of service. Please email myapplication@uwaterloo.ca for more information.

Deferring to January 2027

Winter deferrals (for the term starting in January) are possible for a limited number of programs. If the program you've been admitted to allows for a winter deferral and you're interested in starting in January, we strongly recommend that before submitting the form, you contact your academic advisor to discuss the possible sequencing of your courses.

Common questions about deferrals

When will I find out about my deferral?

Each request will be considered on an individual basis. Decisions on deferral requests will normally be made in July and August after all conditions outlined on an offer of admission have been met.

What happens when I want to start studying?

1. You will not be required to reapply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) next year. We’ll send you a new offer of admission in early 2027.
2. Follow the instructions in the deferral approval email we'll send you and accept your new Offer of Admission by the date indicated on the offer.

Please ensure the email address listed in your Waterloo portal account is one you'll check in February 2027. That is the address we'll send the instructions to. You can log into the portal during your deferral to update your email address if needed.

Scholarships and entrance bursaries

• If you received a President’s Scholarship, the scholarship will be held for you until you begin your first-year studies.
• Consideration for other entrance scholarships you were awarded will be on a case-by-case basis.
• If you're an Ontario student and you received an entrance bursary for September 2026, you'll need to reapply when the application opens in February 2027.

• If your deferral is approved before August 1, you're eligible to have the residence deposit refunded.
• If your deferral is approved after August 1, your deposit will be carried forward to when you start in January or September. 

To have your deposit refunded, you must log into Waterloo's Campus Housing website and submit a Confirmed Contract Cancellation Form before August 1. Be sure to select ‘deferral’ as the reason. You'll use your userid@uwaterloo.ca email and password to log in. 

Your deposit will be refunded back to the original payment source/method.

If you have some questions about deferring your Offer of Admission, please contact us at myapplication@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 43106.