We understand that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a trying time for all members of the York community and may have significantly impacted your financial situation. In response to this, York University has created several new financial aid supports to help undergraduate, graduate, domestic and international students through this difficult period.
York University Emergency Bursaries
The deadline to apply for emergency bursaries for financial relief because of unexpected COVID-19 related expenses incurred during March and April 2020 is May 31, 2020.
- The York University Emergency Bursary for undergraduate students provides short-term relief with unexpected costs related to emergency housing, rent, food and other costs.
- The York University Emergency Travel Disruption Bursary assists students on international study programs who have incurred unexpected travel-related expenses.
Visit the York University Emergency Bursaries website for information about eligibility and eligible expenses.
Graduate students can apply for assistance through the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) Emergency Bursary.
Undergraduate Financial Block Threshold Increase
As communicated on May 7, we have made some changes to the threshold for student account outstanding balances that may have previously blocked you from being able to enrol in courses. If you previously had a financial block, you can now enrol in courses as long as you are in good academic standing and your current student account balance is below $1,500 for domestic students or $3,500 for international students.
Check Moodle regularly for personalized messages and recommended action if/when needed. If there is a message that is relevant to your situation, you will see a banner on the home page. If you do not see a banner on Moodle, no action is required from you.
Changes to Interest Assessments and Enrolment Deposit
Undergraduate and graduate students will not be charged interest on outstanding student account balances for the summer term. This means that there will be no interest charged on student account statements between May and August 2020. This includes on-campus housing fees.
Changes to Refund Tables
We have amended the refund tables for the Summer 2020 session to allow you more flexibility to drop courses without financial penalty. Visit sfs.yorku.ca/refunds/tables for new dates and refund details.
Note: If you enrol in courses for the Summer 2020 session and later decide not to continue in these courses, please be sure to drop the courses through the Registration and Enrolment Module (REM) as early as possible to free up space for other students who may be waiting to add those courses for the summer.
Osgoode OP students: if you have questions, please contact your program.
Work/Study Support
York University staff, including summer work/study students, are now working from home as mandated by provincial health authorities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. There are still summer positions available. Please check the Work/Study Programs website for details and submit your application here.
Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP)
The Summer OSAP application deadline for most students is July 3, 2020. Please apply for Summer OSAP through the online OSAP application.
The Federal Government has also announced some changes to the Canada Student Loans program which will impact OSAP and other provincial student aid applicants for the 2020/2021 academic year due to students’ additional financial need arising from COVID-19. Please visit the government website to view details of those updates.
Support services available to you
We recognize that this situation brings with it additional challenges and stress. If you would like to speak with someone for support, our mental health and wellness staff are available.
- Contact Student Counselling & Development at 416-736-5297 for single-session or emergency support, or visit the website counselling.students.yorku.ca for remote access to services.
- Reach out to Student Community Relations at 416-736-5231, email oscr@yorku.ca, or visit oscr.students.yorku.ca if you need referrals and support, both internal and external to York, help with complex issues or assistance with personal issues related to the pandemic.
- You’ll find a wealth of wellbeing resources to help you adjust to the new norms of social/physical distancing and online learning from home: scld.yorku.ca/covid-19-wellbeing-resources.
- Graduate students are invited to reach out to Graduate Student Wellness Services to learn about remote access to support services.
- Additional mental health & wellness resources here: mhw.info.yorku.ca/resources/resources-at-york/students.
If you would like to discuss financial aid options with a York representative, please contact Registrarial Services.
Sincerely,
Darran A Fernandez
University Registrar