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Employee Tuition Waiver
Employees may be eligible for a tuition waiver for credit courses (check the appropriate employee group policy).
- Download and fill out the tuition waiver form and gather all appropriate signatures.
- Scan and email the form to student_accounts@sfu.ca for processing. The employee must retain the original.
- Please make sure you submit the form no later than the tuition fee deadline for the term (second week of classes) and no earlier than week 6 of the previous semester.
Student (non-tuition) fees are not covered by this waiver and must be paid for separately by the tuition due date. For a breakdown of your transactions:
- Log in to goSFU
- Click on the Student Centre tile
- Under Finances section, click on Account Inquiry
- Click Activity tab
- Select term then click Go, then View All
Employee tuition waivers are posted to student accounts by the end of week 5 of the term. If your tuition changes after week 5, you must inform Student Accounts so we can update your waiver amount accordingly.
Late submissions of the waiver will be subject to a 2% per month interest charge on the unpaid tuition and/or student fees amount.
Update: Programs offered at the Centre for Digital Media no longer qualify for Tuition Waiver.
ELIGIBILITY OR ENTITLEMENT
Please speak with Pensions and Benefits regarding inquiries on eligibility and entitlement.
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Contractor Tuition Waiver
As part of the living wage mandate, contracted workers are eligible for SFU’s Tuition Waiver program.
Please follow the same procedures outlined above for SFU employee tuition waivers: download and complete the CS Tuition Waiver form, obtain all necessary signatures, then scan and email it to student_account@sfu.ca for processing.
The same deadline and late fee policy for waiver submissions apply to contractor tuition waivers.
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Taxes and tuition waivers for employees and their families
The tuition waiver for a family member is a taxable benefit to the family member (Federal Court of Appeal - 2007). A T4A slip (www.sfu.ca/students/fees/T4A.html) for the amount of taxable benefit is issued to the student family member at the end of the year and can be obtained via the student account (log in via goSFU). The student will also need to print the T2202 which includes the student fees (recreation, student services, labs, etc.).
If the tuition waiver is used by the employee for their own tuition*, then there is no taxable amount and the benefit will not appear on any tax form. The student fees (recreation, student services, labs, etc.) will be recorded on the employee's T2202 (log in via goSFU).
* Canada Revenue Agency Guidelines state: when tuition waiver eligible courses are taken by an Employee to maintain or upgrade employment related skills and are mainly for the University's benefit, there is no taxable benefit whether or not the training leads to a degree, diploma or certificate.
Taxes and tuition waivers for contract services workers and their families
If contract services workers use the tuition waiver for their own tuition, it will result in a taxable benefit. This benefit will be reported on their T4A tax form. However, they cannot claim the tuition amount as a non-refundable tax credit because it was paid by SFU under the current living wage agreement.
If the courses, programs, or training are taken primarily for the employee's personal interest or to develop technical skills not related to the contractor's business, the benefit is considered taxable. For further details, refer to the CRA guidelines at CRA Educational Allowances.
The same tax implications apply to a contractor’s dependent or spouse who receives a tuition waiver. For more information on taxes and tuition waivers for family members, please refer to the relevant guidelines above in Taxes and tuition waivers for employees and their families for details.
FAQ
When will the tuition waivers show on goSFU?
Employee and contractor tuition waivers are posted to student accounts by the end of week 5 of the term. If your tuition changes after week 5, the individual must inform Student Accounts to have their waiver amount updated accordingly.
Does tuition waivers cover non-tuition fees?
Student (non-tuition) fees are not covered by tuition waivers and must be paid for separately by the tuition due date.