When it comes to paying your e-bill, you may wonder just where all that money really goes. While tuition fees vary greatly based a student’s place of residence, academic program, and degree, here is a brief description of the main categories of fees that you pay every semester at McGill.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees are the base fee of any student bill, and assist the university with expenses such as staff, libraries, course offerings, and maintaing facilities. At McGill, tuition fees are influenced by several factors, including residence and citizenship status. The Quebec tuition rate increased by 2.6 per cent in the 2013-2014 school year, amounting to $2,224.20. Tuition for Canadian students from outside Quebec will be charged an extra 8.5 per cent for an out-of-province supplement on their tuitions, resulting in a $4,010.70 supplement fee. International students vary in the tuition they pay according to their program, ranging from $14,949.00 for a Bachelor of Arts to $35,250.00 for a Bachelor of Commerce.
Administrative charges
McGill collects certain administrative charges that have been approved by the university’s Board of Governors. These include a Registration Charge ($7.37 per credit), an Information Technology Charge ($7.19 per credit), a Transcript and Diploma Charge ($1.31 per credit), a General Administrative Charge (up to $46.17), and a Copyright Fee ($0.85 per credit).
Student services fee
Including a Student Services Fee ($141.50 per term) and an Athletics and Recreation Fee ($127.75 per term), the University Student Services Fees are approved by the Board of Governors and regulated by the Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU). The funds are used to provide services to all McGill students, such as counselling and tutorials, the First People’s House, Career Planning Service (CaPS), Scholarships and Student Aid, and athletics facilities on both the downtown and Macdonald campuses.
Student-initiated fees
Student-initiated fees fund services provided to McGill students by student organizations. Examples of these include AccessMcGill, which makes McGill accessible to students with disabilities ($2.00 per semester), Student Television at McGill (TVM) ($1.50 per semester), and Midnight Kitchen ($2.25 per semester). Student-initiated fees must be approved through a SSMU referenda, and are renewed on a regular basis.
University and student insurance plan
SSMU offers a Health and Dental Plan, administered by ASEQ (Alliance pour la Santé étudiant de Quebec), a Quebec medical insurance company for both in-province and out-of-province students. The annual Health Plan and Dental Plan charges fees of $120 and $100, respectively. International students are charged for the International Health Insurance plan, which is approximately $951 per student.
Student society fees
All students are included in both their respective student society—SSMU for undergraduates and Post-Graduate Students’ Society (PGSS) for graduates—and their faculty association. Student Society Fee differs according to faculty, ranging from $356.94 for Science students to $736.12 for Engineering students. Membership fees to student societies fund the various services they provide—for example, SSMU’s fee covers WalkSafe and DriveSafe, as well as funds for student groups.
