Frequently Asked Questions

Methods of Payment

What are the methods for paying my tuition?

Through your financial institution (bank), the following payment methods are available:
- Online
- Mobile
- Telephone
Convera - International payment
PayMyTuition - International and domestic payment
By mail (cheque or money order)

Allow sufficient time (minimum three business days) for these electronic payments to be processed so that tuition fees are received by the fee payment deadline.
What is the quickest method to pay tuition if I require a financial hold cleared? (i.e. in order to register for classes): The most expedient way to have your financial hold cleared from your account is to:

Bring a cheque to the Cashier’s Office at Financial Services, Shared Services (3rd Floor Administration Building). A dropbox is located on the cashier counter. NOTE: From November 15 to December 20th 2024, the Cashier's Office will be closed on Fridays. It will also be closed from December 24 to January 2 for the winter closure.
Online, mobile or telephone banking through your financial institution (bank). Setup the UofA as a bill payment option within your bank.
Pay My Tuition - credit card payment

Financial holds related to Parking, Residence Services, Library, etc. must be paid at the originating or home department.

Credit Card Payments

Are credit card payments accepted for application fees?: Yes, Mastercard, Visa, Discover, American Express and Visa Debit are accepted forms of payment when applying online.

Will a credit card be accepted for the tuition deposit?

Yes, you can pay your deposit with a credit card through your LaunchPad account, and a service fee will be applied.

You can also pay your deposit through your Canadian Bank's online bill payment option. Learn more about making payments to your tuition account from within Canada.

Will credit card payments be accepted for parking?

Yes, payments for parking can be made with a credit card. Learn more on our Parking Services web page.

Will I be able to pay for university housing (residence space) with my credit card?

Residence and meal plan charges now appear on Bear Tracks, see Residence Payment Options for more information. For any questions, please contact Residence Services at housing@ualberta.ca.

Will Online and Continuing Education accept credit card payments for non-credit courses?

Yes, a credit card can be used for all Online and Continuing Education registrations.

Will the university accept credit card cheques for tuition payments?

Yes. Make credit card cheques payable to the ‘University of Alberta’ and include your name and student ID number.

If the credit card cheque is returned by your bank, the NSF fee of $25.00 will apply. Contact your credit card provider for further details on credit card cheque interest rates, as these cheques may be considered a cash advance.

Bank Account Payments

I have a daily limit on my debit card. What are my options?

Contact your financial institution (bank) to increase your daily online debit card limit. Fees may also be paid through online banking by setting up the University of Alberta as a payee under the bill payment function.

Will the university work with financial institutions (banks) that don't include the University of Alberta as a potential payee to add them as a payee on behalf of students?

Yes. Out-of-province students may conduct their financial business at an institution such as a credit union that does not include the University of Alberta as a potential payee. We will work with the financial institution to add the University of Alberta to their list of payees.

Please email treasury.fs@ualberta.ca to advise us where we can assist in contacting your financial institution.

Tuition and loans

What are you doing to help students who rely on their loans to pay their tuition?

Currently, all Alberta and Canada student loans are processed through an automated online confirmation process. The fees due to the university are the first charge deducted from the loan. If the loan tuition payment is less than the full amount of fees, the balance of tuition fees owed is subject to normal fee payment regulations and deadlines.

Although out of province loans are processed online, each student loan is also reviewed manually for verification, this may result in a slight time delay.

Your student loan will be applied to your outstanding tuition. If the loan does not pay the total term tuition amount, the student is expected to pay the remaining tuition balance by the payment deadline.

All student loan payments are usually received by the term payment deadline or within the following month. Any penalties applied to the student account will be removed within this time period.

If the loan is authorized after the one month extension, further discussion with Student Receivables and the student may be required.

Additional information about loans »

How much of my loan money will be applied to my tuition and fees?

Some or all of your student loan and grant funding will be directly sent to the University of Alberta to pay your tuition for the current semester. You can see how much of your student loan/grant funding is being put towards your tuition by accessing your Alberta Student Aid account and following these steps:

Click on the application for the current student loan year
Click on the Payment Schedule
Near the bottom of the Payment Schedule, you will see ‘Tuition Remittance Request by Educational Institution.’ Under this, you will see a dollar amount on the right-hand side with the amount that will be put towards your current semester of outstanding tuition.

Please note that your student loan may not pay for all of your outstanding tuition. It is your responsibility to review your University of Alberta tuition account and pay any outstanding amount not paid by your student loan before the tuition payment deadline.

I paid my tuition yesterday, why does my Bear Tracks say I still owe money on my account?

It can take up to three business days for electronic payments to be processed. Please allow sufficient processing time for these electronic payments to be processed so that tuition fees are received by the fee payment deadline.

I no longer have access to Bear Tracks, how do I pay my outstanding balance?

Please contact the Student Service Centre to confirm your outstanding balance. Once confirmed, you can pay your tuition and fees by one of the Tuition payment options.

Can I get a receipt for the tuition that I paid?

Payment receipts are available through Bear Tracks by following these steps:

From the Bear Tracks home page, click the 'Financial Account’ tile and select ‘Student Payment Receipt’ from the left-hand menu.
Select the appropriate term and then click ‘View Payment Receipt’ to generate your payment receipt.

For International Students not yet attending the University of Alberta, if you require a payment receipt for immigration purposes, there will be a ‘View Visa Receipt’ button where you can generate your payment receipt before you commence your first term at the university. After you have begun your first term, you will use the ‘View Payment Receipt’ button to generate your payment receipt.

refunds and financial holds

How can I request a refund?

Students can determine if a refund is available by viewing their student account within Bear Tracks. To obtain a refund:

Log into Bear Tracks
Click the financial account tile
Confirm you have a credit balance
If there is a credit balance, contact us through the Student Service Portal to request a refund for the amount on your Bear Tracks account.

Refund requests typically take up to 21 business days from the time you submit your refund request for processing. Once the refund request is processed, your account balance in your student account is adjusted and your overpayment will no longer appear.

If you are an international student, please ensure that your address in Bear Tracks is updated to a Canadian address.

More information on how to request a refund and refund processing timelines can be found on our website.

Why is there a financial hold on my account?

Financial holds are placed on a student account when there are fees that have not been paid by the tuition and fee deadline. Financial holds can be placed on a student account if you have outstanding:

Tuition and fees
Residence fees — please contact housing@ualberta.ca
Parking fines — please pay your fine by logging into the Parking Services portal.
Library fines — please pay your fine by logging into ‘My Account’ through the University of Alberta Library’s website

To have a financial hold lifted, please pay the outstanding balance that is displayed on your Bear Tracks account. Please allow up to 3 business days for the payment to be posted. Once posted, the hold will be removed.

Contact Us

Student Service Centre

Updated: February 15, 2024