Tuition fee schedule

Programs for which differential tuition and/or other mandatory student fees apply

Fees for graduate courses and programs

Vancouver Island University requires supporting documentation to assess domestic tuition rates.  Supporting documentation must be submitted at least two weeks prior to the start of the semester (or other enrolment term).

You may be assessed domestic tuition fees if you meet any of the following criteria:

• You are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• You are a legal dependent of a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada, providing that the dependent status is fully documented and has been established a minimum of one year prior to the student’s application for exemption.
• You are a Convention Refugee and can present a letter from IRCC confirming this status.
• An Indigenous person whose ancestral lands are wholly or partly within Canada and lives outside of Canada, regardless of citizenship.
• You are a diplomat to Canada (or other official representative of another country holding an identity card issued by Global Affairs Canada), or a staff member or eligible dependent of the diplomat or representative.
• A person under an international exchange, scholarship, or fellowship agreement where there has been joint approval with the sending institution and VIU.

Domestic students 65 years or older are entitled to free tuition for academic undergraduate courses, space permitting. This exemption applies to standard tuition fees, student services fees, and student activity fees only, for courses scheduled within the regular timetable. The age exemption does not apply to:

• application fee
• Students’ Union fees
• directed studies courses or courses offered on a directed study basis
• differential tuition and/or other mandatory student fees
• graduate courses
• Professional Development and Training courses
• Trades programs
• textbook purchases or other supplies.

Instructions on how to apply for the age exemption can be found on the Application form. 

Please contact the Registration Centre for details.

For details see How Do I Pay?

Health and dental plan fees are also collected by the University on behalf of the Students' Union. Some restrictions apply and students with pre-existing coverage are given a time-limited opportunity to opt out. For more information contact the Students' Union office at 250.754.8866.

Activity fees are assessed at a rate of $20.37 per month. The fees are collected to administer extracurricular activities and athletic programs for students.

The student activity fee does not apply to students in short-term Professional Development and Training courses, as these students are not eligible for the activities and programs funded by this fee.

Student services fees are assessed for all programs at a rate of $22.49 per month. This fee will cover services related to three areas: 

• student health services
• experiential education
• access to technology

The student services fee does not apply to students in short-term Professional Development and Training courses, as these students are not eligible for the support services provided through the fee.

Students’ Union and other membership fees are collected by the University and distributed to several student organizations. The Navigator Newspaper Society is the University's student newspaper and supplies news, arts, music and sports information for the campus community. The Radio Malaspina Society is a student and community radio station that supports student broadcasting and provides information for students. The Canadian Federation of Students is Canada's national and provincial students' union and works to provide services and representation on behalf of all students in Canada. The VIU Students' Union is the voice of students at VIU. The VIUSU: 

• organizes events,
• hosts services
• runs the student pub
• provides advocacy
• and more.

Annually, each of the above organizations is responsible for conducting an audit of its finances to ensure that funds collected from students are spent appropriately. For more information about student fees, or any of these organizations, please contact the Students' Union office at 250.754.8866.

VIUSU fees – Nanaimo

On a monthly basis, membership fees break down as follows:

VIUSU Fees – tiwšɛmawtxʷ (Powell River) and Cowichan

On a monthly basis, membership fees break down as follows:

• Fees are non-refundable.
• Fees are applicable throughout the entire year.
• Fees are applicable to auditing students at the full rate of the regular fee for any appropriate time frame (e.g., semester or monthly).
• Fees are applicable only once for each student for each time frame (e.g., semester or monthly).
• Fees are applicable to part-time students at the full rate of the regular fee rate for any appropriate time frame (e.g., semester or monthly).

Fees are subject to review and change. For further information, please contact the VIU Students’ Union office 250.754.8866.

Official tax receipts are prepared and available by early February.

Organizations wishing to sponsor students should submit a letter to the Registration Centre stating the terms of sponsorship. Letters must be printed on the organization’s letterhead and include the following information:

• sponsor name, address, phone number, fax number and contact person
• student(s) name(s) and SIN number(s), if available
• date of anticipated enrolment in program/course(s)
• duration of sponsorship (i.e., Fall/Spring semesters)
• financial limit (if any)
• books/supplies (if required) and financial limits

Note: a duplicate letter should be sent to the VIU Campus Store if books/supplies are included in the sponsorship.

For a brochure containing more detailed information regarding sponsor liability and refund/withdrawal policies, please contact VIU’s Accounts Receivables Department at 250.740.6235, or learn more about Sponsoring a Student.