Anna Voskuil | News Editor
Featured Image: Students who have dropped a course can apply for a credit to be used towards future classes. | Fatema Ali
As of April 30, York’s Student Financial Services has implemented a Tuition Credit Opportunity (TCO), available to students who have withdrawn from a fall/winter 2017 to 2018 or a winter 2018 course due to the strike.
Chief Spokesperson and Director of York Media Relations, Barbara Joy, says: “On April 19, we informed students of several new options available for those who have been impacted by the strike, to complete their courses, finish the year, and graduate. We have also introduced new financial support and a tuition credit option.”
Joy further explains as of April 23, both international and domestic undergraduate students affected by the strike can apply for up to an additional $1,500 in bursary support, so long as receipts are presented for necessary payments. This bursary aims to support the cost of changes in travel arrangements, rent, and child support, following March 5.
Joy adds: “Many students have already opted for the variety of course completion options available, including the Assessed Grade option, as well as expanded options to apply Pass/Fail grading to courses.”
In order to apply for the TCO, students must be enrolled in undergraduate level fall/winter 2018 courses, and/or winter 2018 courses, withdrawn from any of said courses between March 5 and December 31, and be in good financial standing—owe less than $75 on their student account. The TCO will be applied to summer 2018 and/or fall/winter 2018 to 2019 tuition fees.
Students must apply for the TCO before December 2018, and use it before the end of the 2019 winter term, or it will no longer be available.
Addressing concerns related to the TCO and OSAP, the TCO has been designed to ensure no impact on students’ OSAP eligibility.
OSAP funding will be determined based upon the net of tuition credit.
However, several students have been finding difficulty when applying for the TCO. Nikhar Srivastava, a third-year BBA student at Schulich, says: “My advisor is telling me to wait, to see how it affects my promotion.
“Because I’m at Schulich, you have to complete 30 credits to move into the next year. So if I apply for the TCO, it means I won’t be completing the full 30 credits. So that’s very confusing.”
At the time of publication, spring convocation in June will occur according to the original schedule.
With files from Victoria Silman
