Beginning September 1, 2007, any student with a permanent disability who requires a reduced course load as a learning accommodation and therefore takes additional semesters to complete a program is eligible to pay a reduced tuition fee of $20 per course once the student has paid the equivalent in tuition fees as a student completing the program in the approved duration.
Implementation of the operating procedure is to be consistent with any academic policies in place at the college.
‘Approved program duration’ is understood to mean the duration of the program as submitted to and approved by the Ministry at the time the funding approval was granted.
This policy does not apply to students, who completed their program before September, 2007. The first term for which any eligible student may pay reduced fees is the term beginning September, 2007.
Verifying Permanent Disability
For the purposes of this policy, the definition of permanent disability is:
a functional limitation caused by a physical or mental impairment that restricts the ability of a person to perform the daily activities necessary to participate in studies while enrolled in what the institution considers to be a full course load for the period of study in question, which impairment is expected to remain with the person for the expected duration of the person's postsecondary studies
A student is required to identify him or herself to the appropriate person at a college’s disabilities services office and present documentation confirming the disability and the need for a reduced course load as a learning accommodation. Such documentation must satisfy the college that it meets the following criteria:
- Medical documentation from an appropriate health care professional (e.g. a legally qualified psychiatrist/medical practitioner that indicates a permanent disability); or
- A learning disability assessment from a qualified assessor supporting the student’s permanent learning disability (e.g. a registered psychologist, or psychological associate).
- Attention Deficit Disorder and/or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may be diagnosed by a registered psychologist with ADD/ADHD training; a neuro-psychologist; a psychological associate; and/or a relevantly trained medical doctor. The ADHD assessment should outline the diagnosis and the impact of the hyperactivity or the lack of attention on learning.
A student must identify themselves at least by January 15 to be eligible to receive a reduced fee in respect of the spring term of the previous academic year and the fall and winter terms of the current academic year. Students registered for the academic year beginning in the Winter term may identify themselves by June 15 of the spring term to be eligible to receive the reduced fee. Colleges will be compensated for any adjustments to amounts reported to the Ministry in respect of these students.
Determining Eligibility for Reduced Fee
Upon a student self-identifying to the disabilities service office, the college is expected to have in place a process by which all college personnel are informed as necessary of the student’s potential eligibility. The determination of when a student with a permanent disability is eligible for the reduced tuition fee of $20 is made using the following rules:
- The total tuition fees to be paid before a student is eligible to pay the reduced fee must equal the tuition fees a student completing the same program in the approved duration would pay if taking the program in the same academic years and terms as well as delivery format (i.e. compressed). This includes any applicable annual tuition fee increases.
- Only the fees paid towards successfully completed courses will be included in this calculation.
- If a student paid part-time fees for the term in which the failure occurred, the amount of fees paid towards the course is equivalent to what the student paid. This amount should be deducted from the cumulative total of fees paid.
- If the student paid full-time fees for the term in which the failure occurred, the value of the failed course should be calculated by pro-rating the full-time fees based on student contact hours per course taken in that term. This amount should be deducted from the cumulative total of fees paid.
- The fees paid towards any courses/semesters from which a student withdraws are not included in the cumulative total of fees paid.
- Students transferring with advanced standing between post-secondary institutions and/or programs must have paid the equivalent in fees as a student undertaking the same program of study in the approved program duration with the same advanced standing before being eligible for the reduced fee.
- The calculation of fees to be paid in order to be eligible for the reduced fee is not calculated in relation to fees already paid. Calculating fees to be paid is to be based on the amount of fees to be paid to complete the program in the Ministry approved duration.
- Students returning to a program after a period of interruption must have their standing first evaluated according to the academic policies of the college to determine their program level. Once this has been determined, they will pay the equivalent in fees as a student undertaking the program of study in the approved program duration entering at the same program level and academic term before being eligible for the reduced fee. This is the same approach to calculating eligibility as for students transferring with advanced standing.
- As noted above, the calculation of fees to be paid in order to be eligible for the reduced fee is not calculated in relation to fees already paid. Calculating fees to be paid is to be based on the amount of fees to be paid to complete the program in the Ministry approved duration.
A student is required to pay all applicable ancillary fees for each semester in which they are enrolled at a college.
Communication
Accordingly, colleges must make all reasonable efforts to ensure that students are aware of this policy. This must include making the policy publicly available by posting on the college website or included in other publications made publicly available regarding general fee information. Students are expected to identify themselves to appropriate college administrators when they believe themselves to be eligible to pay the reduced fee.