Tuition and Fees

Visit our Tuition & Fees Page

Important Fee Policies: 

Payment of Tuition Fees

It is Columbia College policy that tuition fees be paid in full prior to registration in courses.

Fee Increase Policy

All students are required to pay tuition fees in effect for the semester of registration. Early payment of fees does not exempt a student from future fee increases.

Protection of Pre-paid Tuition Fees

Bonding arrangements are in place to protect students in academic programs who pay tuition fees in advance to Columbia College. The College posts bonds with the Ministry of Education for students in the Secondary program and with the Ministry of Post Secondary Education and Future Skills of B.C. (for students in the Associate Degree/University Transfer Programs) as security for fees paid in advance to the College.

Fee Deferral Policy

As noted above, new students arriving from overseas are required to pay a two-semester tuition deposit, and are normally expected to use this entire amount in the two semesters immediately following their arrival in Canada. Part of the deposit
may be moved to a third consecutive semester but students should note that they are expected to maintain full-time status at the College, and this means registering in a minimum of 9 credits each semester. Students are not usually allowed to move part of their tuition deposit to a fourth or fifth semester, but on the rare occasions where such permission is granted a deferral fee of $200.00 will be charged.

Tuition Deposits and students who are denied permission to register

The Tuition Deposit (equivalent to the cost of 24 credits) referred to above is NON-REFUNDABLE and NON-TRANSFERABLE. Students who are placed on academic probation for two semesters in a row may be denied permission to register for another semester. Such students may decide to leave that part of the Tuition Deposit that is unused on the student’s account; once the student has returned to Columbia College with improved grades (minimum C average on at least three academic courses) the unused Deposit can be applied toward their tuition fees. Alternatively, a student who has been denied permission to register because he is on double probation may ask for a refund of his tuition balance and 75% of the balance will be refunded.

After 24 months any unused Tuition Deposit will be treated as unclaimed funds if the student does not register.

Payments of Fees

Columbia College has partnered with Flywire by peerTransfer to streamline the payment process. Flywire allows secure payment from any country, and any bank, generally in the local currency, excluding sanctioned countries. Students from sanctioned countries must contact accounting@columbiacollege.ca in order to pay. By making a payment with Flywire it is possible to track payments from start to finish, save on bank fees and exchange rates, and connect with a multilingual customer support team with questions, day or night. Cash is not accepted for Tuition and Homestay Deposits or Fees. Cash is only accepted for incidental fees up to $200, such as gym passes, transcripts, student activity sign-up, and lab fees (for students registered in the class when the initial deposit does not cover the cost). Visit the Payment Options page.

Housing Options and Fees:

Homestay at Columbia College: Visit Homestay & Custodianship Fees Page.

Starting in September 2024, Columbia College offer a limited number of dormitory-style apartments, through GEC housing. These rooms are located at GEC Kingsway, on a bus route that is easily accessible to Columbia College. Rooms are available in two styles, shared bedrooms, with two beds or private bedrooms. The College supplements the cost of these units directly to provide affordable housing options to our students. These units offer a full kitchen, bathroom, washer/dryer, internet, bi-weekly cleaning service, 24-hour security and a front-desk Residence Assistant. Details on price and unit layouts can be found on GEC Housing page.

Columbia College has partnered with Places4Students, to identify a College-specific housing service, that provides secure vetted and verified housing listings for Columbia College students. Places4Students specializes in identifying affordable, non-traditional housing options for students across North America. Please note that the housing offered on that website is not affiliated with Columbia College. Students are encouraged to understand their rights and responsibilities of being a tenant in British Columbia.