Online banking
Set up online banking to pay your UBC tuition and fees like any other bill. Payments will take 2 to 3 business days to process.
To pay with online banking, you’ll first need a bank account at a Canadian financial institution. Add “UBC Tuition” as a bill payee and use your student number as the bill’s account number.
Housing and Meal Plan payments
Online banking is available for Housing or Meal Plan payments through most banks and credit unions. To do so, add “UBC Student Housing and Meal Plan” as a payee. Please do not make Housing and Meal Plan payments to the UBC Tuition account.
Electronic funds transfer (EFT)
If you choose to pay through bank transfer and EFT payments, UBC will deduct funds directly from your Canadian bank account. Payments are posted immediately on your Student Service Centre (SSC) but can take several days for it to be processed from your bank account.
- Log into your Student Service Centre (SSC).
- Select “Banking Details – Pay Tuition” under Finances.
- Enter and save your bank’s institution, transit, and account numbers.
- Under Finances, pay your fees by selecting “Bank Transfer” in Pay Fees.
Bank transfer and EFT payments may be returned by your financial institution similar to a bounced cheque because:
- There are insufficient funds or funds are not available.
- You entered incorrect account details.
- The account doesn’t have chequing privileges.
- The account has been closed.
If your payment is returned, the funds will be reversed out of your student account. This may place your account on financial hold, and you may be charged interest and a $35 insufficient funds penalty.
International Funds Transfer (IFT)
You can pay your UBC tuition and fees from a foreign bank account with a non-Canadian currency using International Funds Transfer (IFT). However, you cannot pay for registration deposits using IFT.
International Funds Transfers are processed by Convera, which was previously known as Western Union Business Solutions. Transactions are secure and efficient and offer the following benefits:
- Competitive exchange rates
- No transaction fees from Convera
- Locked-in exchange rate for 72 hours, removing much of the uncertainty around the total payment amount
- No Canadian bank account required
See the list of accepted currencies from Convera. If your local currency is not available, please select an alternative currency or CAD option.
IFT payment service update: From Fri, Jan. 13 to Sun, Jan. 15, 2023, International Funds Transfer (IFT) will be unavailable due to a scheduled data migration by Convera, formerly known as Western Union. Please pay your Term 2 tuition before Wed, Jan 11, 2023, if you are using the IFT payment method
Convera price match
If you find a better quote from your bank to send a payment to UBC from your bank than that from Convera GlobalPay for Students, Convera will match the total price you have been offered, subject to terms and conditions.
To take advantage of the offer, complete the online form and await further details on uploading documentation.
Making a payment
You can use International Funds Transfer to pay your tuition and student, residence, and meal plan fees using your own currency from a foreign bank account.
Step 1: Initiate your payment quote online
- Log into your Student Service Centre (SSC).
- Select “Pay Fees” under Finances.
- Choose the fees you would like to pay.
- Select “International Funds Transfer” to access the GlobalPay student platform.
- Confirm items to pay.
Note: Do not use the payment reference number from a previous transaction for a new payment. You must repeat step 1 to generate a new payment quote for each payment.
Step 2: Complete the online form
- A pre-populated form will open in a new window.
- Select the country to which you will be sending your payment to.
- Select the fee item(s) you wish to pay.
- Select your payment currency.
- Fill out the payment details and bank details.
- Agree to the Terms of Use.
- You will receive a payment reference number that will lock in your quoted exchange rate for 72 hours.
The “Student Number” field will be automatically filled with a Convera payment reference number. This is not a field for your UBC student number.
Step 3: Bank transfer
- Print the payment instructions and contact your bank or financial institution online, by phone, or in person.
- Initiate the payment.
- Your local bank will then transfer funds to Convera, which will then send the funds to UBC.
What happens after?
Once your payment is finalized, your student account will be updated after a minimum of 3 business days.
If your account is not updated after a week, contact Convera at studentsupport@convera.com or toll-free by phone at 1 877 218 8829.
Interac® Online
Pay with your bank card through your Student Service Centre (SSC). Successful payments will be processed immediately.
Interac® Online is only available for Canadian accounts with TD Canada Trust and First Nations Bank of Canada.
To pay using Interac® Online, log into your Student Service Centre (SSC) and select “Interac” from “Pay Fees” under Finances.
Before using this payment method, please keep in mind the following:
- Interac® Online cannot process debit/credit card hybrids (e.g., VISA debit, Mastercard debit, AMEX debit, etc.).
- Confirm with your financial institution that your daily Interac® limit will be enough to cover your payment.
Credit card online payment
Log into your Student Service Centre (SSC) and select “Credit Card” in “Pay Fees” under Finances. Successful payments will be processed immediately.
Credit card payments on SSC cannot process debit/credit card hybrids (e.g., VISA debit, Mastercard debit, AMEX debit, etc.).
Payments for student housing, mandatory meal plans, and tuition fees will have a non-refundable 1.75% convenience fee added to the base payment.
Back to top
Paying with your Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP)
A proof of enrolment letter, also known as a confirmation of enrolment letter, is often needed to redeem RESPs.
To download your proof of enrolment, please log into your Student Service Centre (SSC) and select “Proof of Enrolment Letter” under Grades & Records. Be sure to select the correct Academic Session for your letter.
Do I need a stamp for my RESP form?
Depending on your RESP provider, you may not need a stamp for your RESP form. The following RESP providers accept the UBC proof of enrolment directly generated from the SSC:
- Canadian Scholarship Trust Plan
- Heritage Education Funds
- Children’s Education Funds
- Knowledge First Financial
If your RESP provider does not accept the UBC proof of enrolment generated from the SSC, please contact Student Records & Financial Services directly.
Paying using your Higher Ed Points
You may use loyalty points to pay your tuition fees.
In particular, Higher Ed Points allow you to apply TD and Aeroplan reward points toward your tuition and fees.
Sign up with Higher Ed Points and follow the steps for your loyalty program. Once you’ve completed the transfer, it will take about 3 days for the points to be applied to your student account.
Paying by US dollar cheques in person
You can pay your tuition and student fees in person at Student Records & Financial Services in UNC 214 with a US dollar cheque. Payments received by cheque will take up to 10-14 business days to process.
- Make sure your cheque is correctly filled out, and that your student number is written on the front of the cheque on the memo line. No postdated cheques will be accepted.
- Bring your cheque and payment slip to Student Records & Financial Services in UNC 214.
Payment using US dollar cheques will use the UBC currency exchange rate of the day it is processed and not necessarily the day it is received by UBC. To lock in an exchange rate, consider paying via International Funds Transfer or with a UBC tuition slip and US dollar cheque at any HSBC branch in Canada.
We cannot accept cash in person.
Tuition fee deferral for TAs or RAs
Tuition fee deferral is available to graduate students employed by UBC as Teaching or Research Assistants (TAs or RAs).
You can find detailed eligibility and application instructions on the Tuition Fee Deferral Application. You will need to attach a screenshot of your Compensation page from your Work Day account as proof of employment.
Below are the online application periods for tuition fee deferral:
- Summer session: March 1 to April 30
- Winter Term 1: July 15 to August 31
- Winter Term 2: November 1 to December 31
Banking in person or by phone
Set up in-person banking to pay your UBC tuition and fees like any other bill. Payments will take 1 to 2 business days to process.
To pay with in-person or telephone banking, you’ll need a bank account at a Canadian financial institution. Some Canadian financial institutions may not accept these payment methods or may charge a transaction fee.
Visit or call your financial institution and provide them with the following information:
- Your financial institution account information
- “UBC Tuition Fees” to be added as the bill payee
- Your student number provided as the bill’s account number
- The total payment amount to be transferred
Online banking for most banks and credit unions is available for residence and meal plan fees. Visit Housing or Meal Plan payments for details.
Paying by cheque at any HSBC branch
You do not need to be an HSBC Bank customer to pay your fees at an HSBC branch. HSBC in-person payments take 2 to 3 business days to be processed.
To pay, complete a Tuition Fee Payment Form (pdf) and bring it to any HSBC Bank Canada branch with your cheque payment. Cash payments are not accepted through HSBC.
The nearest HSBC Bank branch is located at 1950 Cooper Road. You only need the tuition form if you’re paying at HSBC, and are not required to submit a copy to UBC.
Tuition Waivers
Tuition waivers are employment benefits available to UBC staff and faculty only.
Once your tuition waiver is approved by Financial Services, the waiver information will be electronically forwarded to Enrolment Services within 2 to 3 business days. Enrolment Services will then apply the payment to your account.
The waivers do not cover student fees. Please make sure you pay for them separately through your Student Service Centre (SSC).
If you have any questions, you can contact the ISC Helpdesk.
Private lenders
UBC does not accept deposits from private lenders or unauthorized third-party service providers for paying tuition and/or fees.
Transactions from private lenders will be rejected and students will be responsible for any fees incurred as a result of the payment or return. If you have unpaid tuition and fees because of rejected transactions, you may be put on financial hold and charged an interest penalty.
In-person payment at Student Records & Financial Services
UBC can not accept cash or credit card payments for tuition and student fees at the SRFS front desk in UNC 214. However, we can accept payment by debit or cheque in person.
Back to top
