Tuition and Fees

Program Fees

The Program fees listed below are for programs starting on or after August 1, 2022.
Click here to access the Columbia College Program Fee chart for Professional Programs – 2022-2023.

The Program fees listed below are for programs starting on or after August 1, 2021.
Click here to access the Columbia College Program Fee chart for Professional Programs – 2021-2022.

Individual course fees will be posted shortly. Please contact your admissions advisor if you have questions.

How Fees are Calculated

For programs starting after September 2016, program fees are calculated by combining the tuition fees, student services fee, and other learning material costs. Learning material costs may include printed instructional materials, textbook expenses, lab facility expenses, equipment, maintenance, lab supplies, etc.

Program fees are in Canadian dollars

Academic-related fees are exempt from the federal Goods and Services Tax. There may be additional charges for extra-curricular activities (ie. specialized field trips, additional seminars, etc.) and for other specialty items in a particular program/course.

Miscellaneous fees for small items such as binders, calculators, home lab materials, may be associated with some Columbia College courses, and are the responsibility of the student.

Your registration is not complete until all tuition and related program fees are paid in full.

Tuition and Program Fee Payments

Grant-funded students (Alberta Human Services grant), and Student Loan students often have payments paid directly to the College. In cases where the student is sent a portion of their funding (ie. money for books), the student must bring this money to the front office on or before the first day of classes – or as instructed by their program, to ensure that their account with the College is in good standing.

Methods of Payment

Students may pay their fees by:

• cash
• Interac® Direct Payment
• money order
• authorize fees to be charged to their Visa®, MasterCard® or American Express® cards
• cheque

Students may make arrangements for scheduled payments by credit card by completing a pre-authorization form. Interac® is available at Columbia College’s main administration office during regular office hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday – Thursday and 8:00 a.m – 5:00 p.m. Friday (excluding holidays).

Please note the following when making a payment:

• Cheques or money orders should be made payable to Columbia College. Cheques may take up to two weeks to clear your bank account.
• Continuing students paying by cheque should ensure their student ID number is clearly written on the cheque.
• Cash may be paid in person; do not send cash in the mail.
• When submitting fees by Visa®, MasterCard® or American Express®, indicate the specific fee being paid (e.g. registration fee, evaluation fee, etc.).
• If you make an error determining the fee amount, Columbia College will automatically charge the correct fee to your credit card. This service avoids the delay caused by subsequent communications and helps reduce the associated credit card transaction fees.

Receipts – T2202A

Official receipts (T2202A) for income tax purposes will be prepared and made available before the end of February of each year. Only those students registered in programs eligible to receive a tuition tax credit will be sent tax receipts. Not all students in professional programs at Columbia College will receive a T2202A tax credit, as this is dependent on who originally paid the tuition.

Foundation programs such as English as a Second Language, Academic Upgrading, and Integrated Training programs do not receive a T2202A tax credit, as they are not recognized by the government as qualifying programs under the Canada Revenue Agency requirements.

For more information for Grant-funded students, please see the memo from Alberta Works – 2015 Tax Slips for Learners.

If you have further questions regarding the Canada Revenue Tax requirements, please contact the Canada Revenue Agency at 1-800-959-8281.

Initial Application Fee

For most universities and colleges, learners who are first seeking admission must submit a one-time non-refundable application fee before they can be registered into a program. This fee covers the administrative costs involved with entering student demographic information and creating student accounts and records.

At this time, domestic learners applying to Columbia College must pay a $60 application fee. International learners applying to Columbia College must pay $125 application fee.

This application fee must be paid upon submission of an application into one of the following Columbia College programs:

• Professional Program
• English as a Second Language Program
• Academic Upgrading Full-Time Program
• Employment Training Full-Time Program

Note: Students who are actively registered in a program at Columbia College and are in good academic and financial standing, are waived from paying the application fee to apply to a further education program at Columbia College (i.e. Active ESL students in good standing do not have to pay an application fee to apply to an Employment Training program).

The application fee does not apply to the following programs:

• LINC program
• Security Training courses
• Continuing Education courses (ESL, Dental, College Prep, etc.)
• Community Support Services Programs

The application fee is also charged for readmission applications.

Entry Assessment Fee

The entry assessment is covered as part of the application fee. Students who fail to show for a scheduled entry assessment without notifying the College of their cancellation more than 24 hours prior to the assessment date/time will be subject to a $20.00 rebooking fee prior to rescheduling the entry assessment.

Course Registration Fees – Professional Programs

Registration Fee
$200.00 of the learner’s program tuition fees is retained for a non-refundable program registration fee for both Full-time and Part-time students. The non-refundable registration fee applies to all courses excluding Bridging Programs – College Prep.

For International learners this fee is $500.00.

A non-refundable registration fee may be extended for a period of one year from date of receipt. Registration would be required once past one year.

Please refer to the specific program section of the Academic Calendar for a listing of course fees.

Auditing Fee
The fee for auditing a course or program is 100% of the tuition as well as all other regular fees.

Part-time or Full-time students who register for courses after the registration deadline will be responsible to pay the late registration fee prior to being registered into the applicable courses.

Note: Late registration submissions need to be approved by the Office of the Registrar prior to being registered and attending courses.

Re-Registration Fees

When registering into a course for the second time, a learner pays the full cost of the course registration, less the course-related text fees. However, if the course has been revised since the last registration, he/she must purchase the new course-related text material, and the course-related text fees will be added to his/her re-registration fee.

Prior Learning Assessment and Evaluation Fees

Credit by Challenge
The Credit by Challenge evaluation method allows students to demonstrate that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter including intellectual or other skills that would normally be found in one of the courses offered at Columbia College. These skills are demonstrated by successfully completing a course final exam or other assessment as outlined by the Program Chair. Please review the “Credit by Challenge Procedures” document for details.

Learners who want to register for a “Credit by Challenge” must pay the full tuition fee of the course being challenged. The Credit by Challenge fee is a non-refundable fee.

Learners have the option to challenge a course without purchasing the course learning resources. Students who require the course learning resources must include the cost of the resources as part of their Credit by Challenge course registration fees. Credit by Challenge fees are non-refundable

Transfer Credit Fees

Students who wish to have courses taken at other institutions evaluated for credit towards a Columbia College program must pay the following transfer credit fees:

Course evaluation fee for institutions outside of Alberta (per course being evaluated): $25.00

Course evaluation fee for institutions inside of Alberta: $0.00

The Transfer Credit fee is non-refundable.

Columbia College has removed transfer credit fees for students applying for transfer credit for courses taken at Alberta post-secondary institutions. The Transfer Credit fee is non-refundable.

Students should be aware that if a transfer of credit is granted, it may affect their status as full-time students for government grant funding and Student Loan funding purposes. See definition of full-time and part-time student.

Please review the “Transfer Credit Procedures” document for further details about the Transfer Credit method of evaluating prior learning. All requests for transfer credits from full-time students must be made at the admission stage, prior to a student starting their program.

Portfolio Assessment Fees

The Portfolio Assessment evaluation method allows students to submit a portfolio assessment as evidence that they have acquired a command of the general subject matter including intellectual or other skills that would normally be found in one of the courses offered at Columbia College. Please review the “Portfolio Assessment Procedures” document for details.

Students who submit a portfolio to be evaluated for credit towards a professional program at Columbia College will be responsible for the following fees:

Flat Fee $400 per portfolio evaluation
Course Fee $50 per course

For example: If a student submits a portfolio and wants 4 courses evaluated, the total fees would be:

Flat Fee: $400
Course Fee: $200 (4 x $50)
Total Fee: $600

Note: Fees must be paid in full before the portfolio is evaluated, and does not guarantee that credit will be awarded. The Portfolio Assessment fee is a non-refundable fee.

Fee Payment Schedule

Once a student has been accepted and all finances are in place, a Fee Payment Schedule will be available which indicates the dates and amounts of tuition and other fees due to be paid to the College. Most payments come directly to the college except for books and supplies. It is up to the student to make these payments based on the Fee Payment Schedule due dates. Failure to do so will result in late fees.

The Late Payment Fee is $35.00. This fee is not charged on fee payment extensions that have been approved by the Accounting department.

If a student must change their Fee Payment Schedule, it is advisable to meet with the student advisor prior to payment due dates to avoid penalty charges or textbooks being withheld.

Delinquent Accounts

A student shall be considered to have a delinquent account and be indebted to Columbia College when monies for fees or any form of materials or services have not been paid, or equipment of any kind has not been returned.

Indebtedness to Columbia College may result in:

• withdrawal of student from his/her program;
• not being allowed to register in further courses;
• cancellation of registration;
• withholding transcript and graduation certificates, T2202A’s and other official documents;
• withholding marks statement;
• withholding student loan funding or any refund;
• withholding the ability to write an exam or final exam
• student’s account being turned over to a third-party collection agency.

Examination Fees

Early and Deferred Examination Fee
Students must pay the “Early and Deferred Examination Fee” prior to being scheduled for their exam. Early and Deferred Exams must be approved by the Office of the Registrar.

The fee for this service is $50.00.

Examination Re-Write Fee
Students required to re-write an exam or re-do an assignment may be subject to pay the exam re-write fee prior to being scheduled for the exam (or the grading of a resubmitted assignment).

The fee for this services is $75.00

Lab Exam Re-Write Fee
Students required to repeat a lab evaluation may be subject to pay the Lab exam re-write fee prior to being scheduled for the evaluation / exam.
The fee for this service is $100.00.

Please note: depending on the type of lab evaluation/exam required, further fees may apply.

Course Extension Fee

Students who need to extend their credit course for up to 1 month is subject to the course extension fee. Please note, course extensions do require approval from the Program Chair/Director. If a student wishes to extend their course for a second month, they would have to pay another $100 course extension fee for the second month. Please note, students cannot extend their courses over 2 months from the end of the semester without approval from the Office of the Registrar.

The fee for this services is $100.00.

Procedures for Late Payment of Fees

For any student whose fees remain unpaid at the close of the payment date identified on his/her individual fee payment schedule, the student will be assessed a $35.00 missed payment fee for each such occurrence. As well, a simple interest charge of two percent per month (24 percent annually) will be added to the outstanding principle amount. The charge will be added to the outstanding principle amount at the close of the first working day of each successive month in which the account remains unpaid.

This fee is not charged on fee payment extensions that have been approved by the Accounting department.

Any payments made shall be applied first against interest accrued and thereafter, against the principle balance owing. Interest charges may be waived upon written confirmation of a student loan, sponsorship or scholarship.

Fee Payment Extension Request

It may be of advantage for a student to request in writing an extension of the fee payment date. This request should be made a minimum of 5 days prior to the due date for payment. This request would be considered, based on unusual circumstances that prevent a student from meeting his or her financial obligations. The fee for this request is $20.00.

Non-Payment of Fees

In the case where a student has an outstanding Columbia College account, the College may use a third party collection agency to collect the outstanding account. All costs of collection and legal fees connected with the account will be the responsibility of the student.

The College is entitled to a portion of or all of a student’s loan to pay fees owed to the College. If the loan amount is less than the total fee amount, the balance is subject to normal payment regulations and deadlines.

Student Services Included in the Fees

Student Services Included in the Fees

Student Services Fee	$75.00/year	Full Time for full year of study (Practical Nurse full time students pay this fee once for their full program). This fee is included as part of the overall Program Fees.
	$7.00/5 Week Semester	Part time students attending Professional Program on a part-time basis.
	$25.00/15 Week Semester	Students attending English Language Training/Employment Training/Basic Skills training by day programming.
Student Lifeline Account	No Charge	Included in Student Services Fee for Departments participating in the Student Lifeline program.
Graduation Convocation Fee	No Charge	Included in Student Services Fee
Student ID Card Fee	No Charge	Included in Student Services Fee (includes 1 Student ID Card per calendar year). Students who need a replacement ID card due to lost, stolen, or damage may be subject to a $10.00 replacement fee.
T2202a Replacement Fee	No Charge	Included in Student Services Fee
Confirmation of Enrollment Letter Fee	No Charge	Included in Student Services Fee

Additional Student Service Fees

Learning Strategist Appointment
Up to 90 minutes. Please note, active registered students are provided 1 free appointment per month.

The fee for this services is $75.00

Students who fail to notify the College to cancel an appointment, or cancel an appointment with less than 24 hours notice, will be subject to a $35.00 cancellation fee.

Life Skills Coach Appointment
Up to 90 minutes. Please note, active registered students are provided 1 free appointment per month or 4 week period.

The fee for this service is $75.00.

Students who fail to notify the College to cancel an appointment, or cancel an appointment with less than 24 hours notice will be subject to a $35 cancellation fee.

Information Requested Fee
Students who make a request to the College for access to information may be subject to an access fee. This fee would be identified and must be paid prior to processing the request. Please note that this fee may be adjusted based on the amount of time and cost required to process the request. Not all requests for access to information may be feasible due to privacy disclosure regulations and/or College record retention schedules (information is no longer available).

The fee for this service is $50.00.

Miscellaneous Fees

Co-operative Education/Practicum Extension	$300.00
Duplicate Certificate	$35.00
Official Transcript of Marks (Regular) – Official Transcripts are either sent directly to a receiving institution from the Office of the Registrar, or are provided to the students in a tamper-proof envelope.	$10.00
Official Transcript of Marks (Rush) – Processed by same time next business day.	$15.00
Unofficial Transcript of Marks	$5.00
Statement of Grades	No Charge
Replacement of ID Card	$15.00
Duplicate Income Tax Form (T2202A)	$15.00
Copy of Police Information Check	$10.00
NSF ChequeStudent who have an NSF cheque will have the NSF fee added to their account.	$50.00

Parking Fee

Each student who wishes to access one of the limited parking spaces available (marked Columbia College) may wish to purchase a parking pass from Willowglen Business Park. As well, it is possible to pay daily parking fees as the north west lots are metered. Details can be provided by Columbia College Student Admission Advisors and will also be provided during student orientation. Students may contact Willowglen Business Park for further information at 403-571-7280.

Note: at this time, there is no parking fee applied evening or weekends parking.

Letter of Permission Fee

Each Letter of Permission is issued for a single institution only and is valid for one year from the session start date. One Letter of Permission allows students to apply for a maximum of eight courses per Letter of Permission per semester/term. The fee for a Letter of Permission is $20.00.

Information Requests

Students who make a request to the College for access to information may be subject to an access fee. This fee would be identified and must be paid prior to processing the request. This fee is charged at the standard rate of $50.00, though may be adjusted based on the amount of time and cost required to process the request. Please note, not all requests for access to information may be feasible due to privacy disclosure regulations and/or College record retention schedules (information is no longer available).

Police Information Checks (PIC)

Columbia College students must apply for their Police Information Check at Columbia College. Columbia College provides the original copy of the completed Police Information Check directly to the student. If a student would like to receive a copy of the Police Information Check, the College will provide a copy of what is currently on file for a fee of $10.00. Alternatively, if the student would like to obtain another official copy, they would need to contact the police information services department of the municipality from which their Police Information Check was completed for further direction as to their procedures for replacing a Police Information Check.

Refund of Tuition Fees

Please refer to the Contract of Tuition form for specific details on refund policies and regulations. Refunds will be issued directly to the registrant by cheque. However, when a sponsor is identified, refunds will be issued directly to that sponsor. Fees paid by Visa®, MasterCard® or American Express® will be credited to the original account used.

Course Cancellation Policy

All classes/programs are subject to cancellation if there are insufficient registrations. If a registrant’s course or program is cancelled, he/she may either transfer to another course (space permitting) or receive a refund. The refund will be based on the method of payment.

Up-to-date accurate personal contact information such as active email address, cell phone, home and/or business phone number will help keep the student informed should this situation occur.