SPONSORED STUDENTS
When students enrolled in a program at the University of Ottawa are sponsored and their university fees are paid by an external organization (employers, non-government organizations, government organizations, international organizations, etc.), they must notify the University at least one month before courses start.
Sponsor organizations must provide a letter of authorization so that the University of Ottawa can bill them directly for the student’s academic and other mandatory fees. The letter must include the following:
- name and address of organization
- name and phone number of contact person
- student name
- student number
- period covered by the contract
- maximum amount of the contract if applicable
- signature of signing authority
This letter must be sent by email to finance@uOttawa.ca, by fax to 613-562-5988 or by regular mail to the following address.
Student Accounts
University of Ottawa
Financial Services
550 Cumberland Street, Room 021
Ottawa ON K1N 6N5
For more information about university fees, please consult the Office of the Registrar website.
When the contract or official letter of authorization from the sponsor organization is received, the University will check the student’s eligibility and the conditions of the agreement.
Invoices will be sent directly to the sponsor throughout the term of the contract and based on the conditions of the agreement.
When the sponsorship letter expires, the University sends an advisory email to the sponsor. However, it is the student’s responsibility to initiate discussions with his or her sponsor on the provisions for renewing the sponsorship, if applicable.
Information for students
As a sponsored student, you must ensure that the sponsorship letter is sent to the University of Ottawa (Student Accounts section) at least one month prior to the academic fees payment deadline so the University can arrange the process for billing the sponsor organization and so that you avoid late payment penalties and your account being frozen.
Your fees must be paid within the established timelines. Therefore, you must check your student account regularly from uoZone to ensure that your sponsor has paid your university fees. If they have not been paid, we recommend that you contact your sponsor for information about the situation.
You must contact your sponsor to find out the conditions and term of the agreement. Fees that are not covered by the sponsor are your responsibility. Any unpaid balance remains your responsibility; late fees and interest may apply if payment is not made.
You are also responsible for registering before the deadlines. Late fees resulting from late registration are billed directly to your sponsor organization. For more information, please check the Important Dates and Deadlines site.
In compliance with the University of Ottawa’s confidentiality policy, if you want information about your financial account, your program of study and your courses to be disclosed to your sponsor, you must provide written authorization, by sending the Third-Party Authorization Form to Release Student Information to the Student Accounts section.
If you are a member of a medical or dental plan similar to the University of Ottawa plans, you may waive the university plans from your uoZone account, within the established deadlines.
If you are a foreign student, membership in the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP) is mandatory and is a required condition of enrolment. If you are covered by an insurance plan other than the one offered by the University of Ottawa, you must submit proof of insurance to the International Office of the University of Ottawa. Otherwise, you are required to pay these fees.
When the sponsorship letter expires, no invoice is sent to the sponsor organization. Therefore, if your study cycle has not ended and you must register for other sessions, you must initiate steps with your sponsor organization to renew the sponsorship agreement.
If you have to submit a transcript to renew the sponsorship agreement, request one from InfoService. However, if you have an unpaid balance and your account is frozen, you must contact the officer responsible for sponsored students at Financial Services, Student Accounts section.
Information for sponsor organizations
As a sponsor organization, your responsibility is to provide an official letter of authorization confirming that you are taking responsibility for the university fees of the sponsored student. This letter must clearly indicate the conditions and term of the agreement.
You must make payments based on the invoices issued to you by the University. Due to the agreement conditions, the student’s invoice might sometimes differ from the one sent to you. If changes are made to the invoice during the session, because the student drops or adds a course, you will receive a revised invoice.
It is important to meet the deadlines indicated on each invoice. During the session, students receive email communications if there is a balance due on their account. An overdue account may prevent the student from registering for other courses or obtaining official documents from the University of Ottawa. In such cases, a Student Accounts financial officer may give you a courtesy call to inform you of the situation. If the amount due is not paid, the University reserves the right to cancel the agreement at its discretion. The student must then pay the amount due immediately. Late fees and interest may apply.
For payments made by mail, please attach the invoice stub. If you pay your bills online or by telebanking through your Canadian financial institution, please always include the student number, which is in fact the account or reference number.
To make a payment to the University of Ottawa from a foreign country, you must make a bank transfer through Travelex.
Payments
For more information on methods of payment for university fees of a sponsored student, please consult the Methods of Payment Web page.
Payments received in American dollars are converted using the exchange rate on the day of receipt. Any overpayment or underpayment resulting from the conversion is applied to the student’s account.
Payments received from an organization for a student without a sponsorship letter are processed as payments received from a third party, not a sponsor. Late fees and interest applied after the published payment deadlines are not cancelled and become the student’s responsibility.
Refunds
If a student withdraws from a program or drops a course, or takes any other action that results in a credit to his/her account, the University analyses the matter and refunds the overpayment to the sponsor, if applicable. Any overpayment or credit resulting from a change to the student’s courses is refunded to the sponsor.
In the case of a payment received by international bank transfer, the overpayment is returned to the bank from which the initial payment came.
For information on how to request a refund, please visit the Refunds and Appeals Committee site.