Finance and FAQs
Below will give you an idea of the fees associated with an exchange to UBC. U-Pass and medical fees are mandatory. Housing fees will differ depending on where you live. Also think about what activities you might do here as this is a very active community with lots of opportunity to participate in indoor and outdoor activities.
U-Pass
Cost: $71 (per term)
All exchange students receive the U-Pass, a universal transportation pass that gives unlimited access to the Kelowna Regional Transit System buses during the Winter Session (September to April). Once you get your student ID card, you can register your U-Pass with the Student Union of UBC Okanagan (located at UNC 133).
*assessed for Winter Term 1 and Term 2 only
iMED
iMED is a temporary basic health insurance plan provided by GuardMe for international students who are new to UBC. You are automatically enrolled in iMED when you register for courses.
iMED provides basic health insurance during the 3-month waiting period before you qualify for the British Columbia’s government-run Medical Services Plan (MSP). If your program is less than 6 months long, such as a one-term exchange program, iMED will cover you for the duration of your studies.
We recognize that many students come to UBC with health coverage from their home countries. However, because of the differing procedures in billing and reimbursement worldwide, we have found that exchange students do not always get the medical care they need in a timely fashion. Therefore, only students who already have MSP or another Canadian provincial health plan may opt out of iMED.
Cost
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iMED costs $204.30 for 3 months of coverage. Your iMED fee will be charged as part of your student fees. View your student fees through your Workday account.
- iMED costs $295.10 for one-term exchange students. The fees are charged to your Workday account. Fees are subject to change.
Medical Service Plan
If you are a full-year exchange student, you must apply for British Columbia’s Medical Services Plan (MSP) when you arrive in Canada.
iMED provides health coverage during the waiting period before you become eligible for MSP. The waiting period includes the remainder of the month you arrive in BC plus the next 2 calendar months.
For example, if you were to arrive in BC on August 19, you would become eligible for MSP on November 1.
Coverage Duration
If you are a full-year exchange student, your coverage duration depends on when your program begins:
- Winter Term 1 (September to December): coverage will start on August 10.
- Winter Term 2 (January to April): coverage will start on December 10.
If you are a one-term exchange student, you have iMED coverage for a period of 130 days (one academic term). The duration of iMED coverage takes the move-in date for UBC residence into consideration.
One-term exchange and non-degree students are covered as follows:
- Winter Session Term 1 (September – December 2026): August 26, 2026 – January 2, 2027
- Winter Session Term 2 (January – April 2027): December 23, 2026 – May 1, 2027
Check the iMED coverage dates on your iMED card to ensure they are consistent with your planned arrival date.
Exchange FAQs
Full-year/split-year exchange students
The dates on your iMED card should align with your planned arrival date.
If you will arrive in Canada before the earliest iMED coverage start date available for your UBC program (e.g., if your iMED coverage starts on August 10 but you will arrive in July), you should purchase Early Arrival coverage directly from GuardMe.
If you will arrive in Canada the calendar month after your iMED coverage starts (e.g., if your iMED coverage starts on August 10 but you will arrive in September), you must submit a date change request to GuardMe to have your iMED coverage adjusted.
One term exchange students
One-term exchange and non-degree students are covered as follows:
Winter Session Term 1 (September – December 2026): August 26, 2026 – January 2, 2027
Winter Session Term 2 (January – April 2027): December 23, 2026 – May 1, 2027
Your iMED coverage dates are fixed and cannot be changed. However, you can purchase additional days of coverage directly from Guardme if you will arrive in BC before, or leave after, the dates indicated above. To discuss your options and purchase additional days of coverage, contact GuardMe directly or log in to your iMED account.
Please follow the instructions here, under Student Accounts (CWL Account Upgrader).
If you are still having trouble signing in, please send an email to service.helpdesk@ubc.ca.
Include the following information in your email:
- your UBC student ID number
- Description of the problem
- Any screenshots of errors you may be receiving
- The birthdate that you entered when asked for the default password
Apply to obtain your UBC Student ID here. Once your card is ready, an email will be sent with instructions on how to pick up your card at a designated pick-up location. Please bring a piece of government-issued photo ID (usually a passport is sufficient) when you pick up your UBC Card in person.
UBC does not have a centralized repository for storing course syllabi. Students are responsible for contacting the individual instructors and obtaining the course syllabi, if available, on their own.
Detailed course syllabi are not always available in advance of the start of classes and availability varies by academic department. You may contact the instructor who will be teaching the course this year via email and request a current course syllabus. Contact information of the instructor can be found on Workday under each course. Please click on the course code and then click on the specific section. Please keep in mind that the course syllabi you will receive from the instructors right now may not be the final version. Further, in a few instances, the course syllabi are posted on the course schedule page. This is not common, so if you do not see the course syllabi, please use the method of contacting the instructor.
You will be automatically enrolled in iMED and will receive a welcome email from GuardMe within 2-4 weeks of your program start date. Follow the instructions in your welcome email to log into your account to download your virtual card.
During your coverage period, we recommend you print your iMED card and keep it with you in case you need medical attention, along with your student ID and a copy of your study permit, if you have one. You can also access your card through the GuardMe mobile app.
The Medical Services Plan (MSP) is a mandatory health insurance plan for everyone who lives in British Columbia for 6 months or longer.
Health care in B.C. can be expensive. MSP helps protect you from high medical costs. With MSP, you do not pay for most basic medical services, and emergency care costs are significantly reduced.
The costs for iMED are as follows:
- $204.30 for 3 months of coverage during the waiting period for the Medical Services Plan (MSP) (provincial government health insurance mandatory for those residing in Canada for more than 6 months), or
- $295.10 for one-term exchange students
The fees are charged to your Workday account. Learn how to pay your fees.
Shortly after course registration, exchange students are automatically enrolled in iMED, and the fees will appear on Workday. You will receive a welcome email from GuardMe within 2-4 weeks of the start date for your academic term. Follow the instructions in your welcome email to log into your account and download your virtual health card.
During your coverage period, we recommend you print your iMED card and keep it with you in case you need medical attention, along with your student ID and a copy of your study permit, if you have one. You can also access your card through the GuardMe mobile app.
A copy of your transcript will be sent to your home university approximately 6 weeks after the end of the term.
If you need to order an additional transcript, please review the instructions here.
Please notify Go Global at your earliest convenience if this is a possibility. It is also your responsibility to contact each of your UBC instructors to inform them of your late arrival and make up for any missed course material.
Your personalized final exam dates are posted on your Workday. UBC Enrollment Services will release the exam schedule midway into the term. Please confirm your exam schedule before booking your return flight.
Please refrain from booking flights until you receive an official Letter of Acceptance (LoA) from Go Global before purchasing a ticket. If you chose to purchase your ticket before you receive your admission decision, make sure you buy cancellation insurance.
Exchange students will not be charged any tuition fees. They will have the mandatory International Health Insurance (IMED) and the U-Pass Program fees assessed and charged to their student account. You may view and pay these fees on UBC’s Workday by logging in with your Campus Wide Login (CWL) Information. See this page for more information on living expenses to be aware of during your exchange term.
As Go Global does not manage housing in any capacity, your inquiries would be best addressed by UBC housing at information@housing.okanagan.ubc.ca
UBC Housing usually contacts students in June/July via email with information about their residence placements for September and the next steps you will need to take. If you are joining us in January, you should expect to hear during November/December. If you have further questions please contact UBC Housing at information@housing.okanagan.ubc.ca
1. Go to the Housing and Conferences Online Service Centre and log in under “UBC New Applicants, Students, Staff with CWL ID.”
2. Login with your CWL.
3. Select “Application,” and then “Apply.”
4. Select the application for the Winter Session (September – April). [IMPORTANT: SELECT THIS OPTION REGARDLESS OF YOUR EXCHANGE TERM]
5. When asked for your faculty, enter “Exchange Program, year 1.”
There is a $50 non-refundable application fee. A deposit must be paid by Visa or MasterCard and is due upon acceptance of your room offer.
We will inform the housing office whether you are coming for one or two terms as there is no place for you to indicate this on their application.
If you have any further questions related to housing, please contact UBC housing directly at information@housing.ubc.ca.
Waitlists are not available for all courses, and being on the waitlist does not guarantee registration in the course. Students on a waitlist should check their registration in Workday to see if they have been officially registered into the course.
- If there is a waitlist for the course, register for the waitlist and contact goglobal.okanagan@ubc.ca to ensure you have a token to be able to get off the waitlist into full registration when a seat becomes available
- Check the departmental website to review their waitlist procedures
- Keep your eye on the course via Workday
- Check the course on your Workday after the first class
- Attend your waitlisted course(s) where possible, and have a backup plan in place
Undergraduate exchange students typically take between 9 and 15 credits per semester at UBC, depending on degree requirements at home university. Go Global is not able to advise you on the minimum course load required by your home university. Students must maintain registration of minimum of 9 credits per term to be considered as a full-time student at UBC. If you are living on campus or considering working with a valid Study Permit, you must maintain your full-time student status. There is a credit limit for both full-year (30 credits/year) and single-term students (18 credits/term).
