Refund Policy

Cape Breton University reserves the right, without liability or penalty and without notice, to make changes in its offered services and programs, including alteration of fee schedules, fee regulations,  and cancellation of particular courses, and other relevant policies/regulations. Upon registration, each student becomes bound by the policies and regulations of Cape Breton University. Students are responsible for being familiar with the general information, rules and regulations of Cape Breton University, as well as the specific requirements of each program, degree, diploma or certificate that the student aims to achieve. It is the student’s responsibility to choose courses that are appropriate to the program requirements and understand fee policies/regulations.

Refund Policy For New International Students

This policy is for students who have received an offer letter from Cape Breton University.

There will be no exceptions to this refund policy.

It is the responsibility of the students to familiarize themselves with the Important Dates Calendar and deadline dates and to plan/budget accordingly.

A tuition deposit is comprised of ALL payments remitted before the student begins studies at Cape Breton University. Any reference to “Tuition Deposit” in the policies below refers to this total amount.

For students who have received an offer letter, and an approved Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) and choose NOT to apply for a study visa:

All students who receive an offer letter, make a tuition deposit, and receive an approved PAL, must apply for a study visa if they wish to apply for a tuition deposit refund. If you choose to no longer travel to Canada, you can withdraw your study visa application and submit your official notice of withdrawal from IRCC along with your refund request to internationalaccounts@cbu.ca to apply for a tuition deposit refund as long as your visa application has not yet been approved. In processing your file for refund of your tuition deposit, your admission will be withdrawn, the Letter of Acceptance issued by CBU will be invalid, and IRCC will be notified that your acceptance has been withdrawn. The eligible refund will be equal to the deposit received less a $500 administration fee.

Once a study visa is approved, this option is no longer valid, please see the policy above “For students who have received an offer letter and have obtained a valid study permit” for those cases.

For Students who are assessed as NOT eligible to receive a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL):

All students who receive an offer letter and make a tuition deposit, but are assessed as NOT eligible to receive a PAL from Cape Breton University, are eligible for a tuition deposit refund equivalent to the deposit received.

A member of our Student Finance team will contact you to discuss your tuition deposit refund.

For Students who are assessed as NOT REQUIRING a Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL):

All students who DO NOT REQUIRE a PAL from Cape Breton University are deemed eligible to apply for a study Visa, and are not eligible for a tuition deposit.

For students who have received an offer letter, but their study visa is refused: 

A tuition deposit refund will only be issued in the case that a study visa is refused by IRCC and the student was not enrolled in any courses (appropriate documentation, including official visa refusal letter, is required from the student). To make this refund request, please email internationalaccounts@cbu.ca. CBU reserves the right to contact IRCC to verify the contents of a refusal letter. The eligible refund will be equal to the deposit received less a $500 administration fee.

For students who have received an offer letter and have obtained a valid study permit:

For students arriving in Canada with a valid study visa, or those who receive a study visa and choose NOT to travel to Canada, should you choose not to enroll in classes, to withdraw from previously enrolled classes, or to discontinue your program once started, 100% of your tuition deposit is classified as non-refundable and non-transferable. Tuition deposits will automatically be withheld/forfeited to CBU.

For students who have received an offer letter and have enrolled in courses without final visa approval:

For students who choose to enroll in courses without final visa approval, should your visa application be refused and you choose to withdraw from enrolled courses after these courses begin, refunds will be pro-rated based as outlined in the applicable class withdrawal and financial rebates policy. Appropriate documentation, including official visa refusal letter, will be requested from the student to verify visa refusal. The unused portion of your tuition deposit will be returned. Please see fee deadlines.

Please note that any student who enrolls in courses and then chooses to defer to a later semester is responsible for ensuring all registered courses are dropped before the deadline and that medical plan opt outs are completed. Students will not be reimbursed for courses they do not drop prior to the deadline. Please see deadlines (also listed in the Important Dates Calendar) and follow the deferral process. 

For students who have received an offer letter and choose NOT to apply for a study visa:

All students who receive an offer letter and make a tuition deposit must apply for a study visa if they wish to apply for a tuition deposit refund. If you choose to no longer travel to Canada, you can withdraw your study visa application and submit your official notice of withdrawal from IRCC along with your refund request to internationalaccounts@cbu.ca to apply for a tuition deposit refund as long as your visa application has not yet been approved. The eligible refund will be equal to the deposit received less a $500 administration fee.

Once a study visa is approved, this option is no longer valid, please see the policy above “For students who have received an offer letter and have obtained a valid study permit” for those cases.

Additional Information

• To view your course enrolments and/or change your registration, sign in to your student account here.
• Please allow a minimum 4-6 weeks for refunds to be fully processed. Processing may be longer at peak times.
• For further information regarding International Student tuition deposits, please email internationalaccounts@cbu.ca
• Tuition deposit refunds must be sent to the account that the initial payment was made from. Cape Breton University bears no responsibility for funds that are delayed, misdirected or lost due to inaccurate or obsolete financial information provided by the student. Applicants/students are responsible for all banking and foreign exchange charges associated with their payment/refund and any additional banking charges incurred as a result of inaccurate information.

There will be no exceptions to the above stated financial policies.