Withdrawal/Refund Policy

WITHDRAWAL & REFUND POLICY FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

• The College’s international refund and withdrawal policy is designed to be in compliance with Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities (MTCU) and Citizenship & Immigration Canada (CIC) guidelines.
• International students are responsible for ensuring that their Study Permit is valid while they are studying at George Brown College. Students whose Study Permits expire before the completion of their academic program, and who do not apply for a permit extension, cannot use an expired Study Permit or requirement for Study Permit restoration as a basis for a refund request after the refund deadline date has passed. A Postsecondary level Permit (not high school) is required before beginning studies at the college level.
• Before a refund can be processed, funds covering the tuition fee must be in your College account (i.e., cheques and money orders cleared or bank transfers received).
• Refunds will be paid within six (6) weeks of the receipt of a written request from the student with all required documentation attached.
• As students holding Study Permits received their permit based on a Letter of Acceptance issued by George Brown College, any change in study status (e.g., you are no longer studying at the College) may be updated with Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

REFUND PROCESS 

	Withdrawal/Refund form

You must apply in writing on or before the deadline date or you will not be eligible for a refund. A Withdrawal/Refund request form is available for download here and a hard copy can also be picked up from George Brown International, and the GBC ESL Office. Deadlines are as follows:

To ensure that students holding Study Permits are in compliance with the conditions of their Permit, you will be required to provide one of the following to support your withdrawal / refund request:

• A copy of a Letter of Acceptance from another educational institution; or 
• Proof of return to your home country (e.g., one way airline ticket with confirmed travel dates; refund processing will begin after the departure date of a confirmed ticket) or 
• Letter of visa refusal from a Canadian Embassy or High Commission

If you are eligible for a refund, your refund will be sent to:

• Your new education institution (or to you if you have already paid tuition and provided proof of payment) or 
• Your home country or 
• The person who paid tuition on your behalf. In order to issue a refund to a person other than yourself, we require your signed authorization to issue the refund to another person. Please provide that person’s complete contact information, including address and telephone number.

If you miss the deadline for withdrawal, you are not eligible to receive a refund. However, if withdrawal is due to a serious medical emergency outside of your control, you can appeal to the Director, International Admissions & Student Services for consideration. Official documentation, such as a doctor’s certificate, is required to substantiate any claim of this nature.

ADMINISTRATIVE CHARGES 

• If this is the first session / semester of your program, and you have applied within the deadline date, you are eligible for a refund, less the non-refundable administrative fee

• If this is the second or higher session / semester of your program and you have applied within the deadline date, you are eligible for a refund, less the non-refundable administrative fee of $100
• If you were refused a Visa, you are eligible for a refund, less the non-refundable administrative fee of $100
• In all cases, the application fee of $65 is non-refundable.
• There are no refunds for Health Insurance fees after the withdrawal deadline date. Refunds may be issued before the deadline date if no claims have been made against the plan.

POSTPONING OR SKIPPPING A SESSION OR SEMESTER 

If you are planning to postpone or skip a session / semester, you must withdraw from your program and pay the withdrawal fee. If you decide to return to the College, you must re-apply by completing an international student Application Form / Re-Admission Form and pay the non-refundable $65 application fee.

For Postsecondary programs, attendance is expected as follows:

• September start programs: September to end of April, with a summer break from May to August.
• January start programs:  There is no break in the first academic year. You are expected to attend from January to August, September to December, January to April, with a May to August break in the second academic year.
• May start programs: You are expected to attend from May to August, September to December, and January to April.