Students can opt-out of optional fees, online through SOLUS, between Tuesday September 8, 2020 – Wednesday September 30, 2020.

The opt-out process can only be completed once per year and late opt-outs are not accepted.

Students are encouraged to learn about the fees so they are able to make informed decisions about their choices since once confirmed, selections are final.

Click here to learn more about Optional Student Fees (otherwise known as Optional Ancillary Fees).

If you have any questions about the SOLUS optional fee opt-out, please contact solus@queensu.ca

If you are already covered under another plan (not including basic provincial health care or UHIP), you may opt out of the SGPS Health and Dental Plan and receive a credit to your SOLUS account.

You can only opt out of the Health and Dental Plan upon showing proof of other equivalent health and dental coverage.

You can opt-out at StudentCare.ca between Tuesday September 8, 2020 – Wednesday September 30, 2020. Late opt-outs will not be accepted.

The entire opt-put process occurs online through StudentCare. Any issues with the opt-out process should be reported to StudentCare directly.

If you lose your equivalent coverage after opting out of the SGPS Health and Dental Plan due to unforeseen circumstances, you may re-enrol in the Plan within 30 days of losing your other coverage by contacting healthdental@sgps.ca. You will have to provide proof of the loss of coverage.

Please note, students who opt out absolve the SGPS, the insurance company(s), Queen’s University, StudentCare, and any other involved party of all liability whatsoever for any loss suffered by the student. Students (or their parents in the case of minors) are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the contents of this website before they opt out.

Not sure if you should opt-out? Check out this primer from StudentCare to learn about what you might be missing out on.

If you still do not see an SGPS Health and Dental Plan charge on your SOLUS account after September 1, 2020 please contact healthdental@sgps.ca in order to receive information about how you can opt yourself into the SGPS Health and Dental plan.
Please note, you must contact healthdental@sgps.ca before the end of enrolment period to be added to the plan. The enrolment period ends Wednesday, September 30, 2020. Late opt-ins will not be accepted.

Self-enrolment costs $610.00 plus the SGPS Society Fee, which is an additional $70.00.

Please note, if you are enrolling yourself into the SGPS Health and Dental plan you must also have active primary coverage. This can be OHIP (or another province’s equivalent) or UHIP. You cannot access the SGPS Health and Dental plan if you do not have have active primary coverage.

To learn more about what is covered under the SGPS Health and Dental plan, check out StudentCare.ca

You can enrol your partner and/or your children online at StudentCare.ca between Tuesday September 8, 2020 – Wednesday September 30, 2020. Late opt-ins will not be accepted.

The entire enrolment process occurs online through StudentCare. Any issues with the enrolment process should be reported to StudentCare directly.

Enrolling your partner/spouse or one child will cost $610.00.
Enrolling your family (spouse + unlimited number of children) will cost $1,220.00.
The costs associated with adding dependants to the plan cannot be added to your SOLUS account. You will be expected to pay online at the StudentCare website at the time of enrolment.

Please note, if you are enrolling your dependants into the SGPS Health and Dental plan they must also have active primary coverage. This can be OHIP (or another province’s equivalent) or UHIP. Your dependants cannot access the SGPS Health and Dental plan if they do not have have active primary coverage.

To learn more about what is covered under the SGPS Health and Dental plan, check out StudentCare.ca

If you are already covered under another plan (not including basic provincial health care or UHIP), you may opt out of the SGPS Health and Dental Plan and receive a credit to your SOLUS account.

You can only opt out of the Health and Dental Plan upon showing proof of other equivalent health and dental coverage.

You can opt-out at StudentCare.ca between Tuesday September 8, 2020 – Wednesday September 30, 2020. Late opt-outs will not be accepted.

The entire opt-put process occurs online through StudentCare. Any issues with the opt-out process should be reported to StudentCare directly.

If you lose your equivalent coverage after opting out of the SGPS Health and Dental Plan due to unforeseen circumstances, you may re-enrol in the Plan within 30 days of losing your other coverage by contacting healthdental@sgps.ca. You will have to provide proof of the loss of coverage.

Please note, students who opt out absolve the SGPS, the insurance company(s), Queen’s University, StudentCare, and any other involved party of all liability whatsoever for any loss suffered by the student. Students (or their parents in the case of minors) are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the contents of this website before they opt out.

Not sure if you should opt-out? Check out this primer from StudentCare to learn about what you might be missing out on.

International Students who choose to opt-out of UHIP have the following options when it comes to the SGPS Health and Dental plan…

1. If you are unsure if you will be entering Canada between September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2021, we strongly recommend not opting out of the SGPS Health and Dental plan. We will be doing a retroactive opt-out process during Summer 2021 to allow students who cannot enter Canada during the 2020 – 2021 academic year to receive a refund of their SGPS Health and Dental fee.This option provides you with the ability to access your coverage upon the activation of your UHIP should you arrive in Canada during the 2020 – 2021 academic year. This option also provides you with the security of knowing that, should you not be able to enter Canada during the 2020 – 2021 academic year, you will receive a full refund of the fee.
2. If you feel entirely confident that you will not be entering Canada between September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2021, you can opt-out of the SGPS Health and Dental plan by going through the process linked here during the opt-out period.
   You will have to provide the confirmation of opt-out email you would have received from UHIP. The subject line of the specific email required is “Fall 2020 UHIP Decline-Approved”. If you do not provide this document, you will not be able to opt-out of the plan. For the Insurance company and policy number please simply enter the word ‘International’ into the boxes. You can then add a note in the notes section saying that you are an international student and you are not planning on entering Canada in the 2020-2021 policy year.
   Please note that once you decide to opt-out of the SGPS Health and Dental plan, that decision is final. Coverage through the SGPS Health and Dental plan will not be granted to those who have chosen to opt-out should they arrive in Canada during the 2020 – 2021 academic year.
   Out of pocket health care costs in Canada can be incredibly high. We strongly recommend that you do not opt-out of the plan unless you are entirely confident that you will not be entering Canada between September 1, 2020 – August 31, 2021.

Beginning September 1st, validated photo ID student cards will be mailed to all new, incoming exchange and returning students who are going into a new Faculty or School.

You must be enrolled in your course(s) before your card can be mailed. Please watch for an email at your @queensu.ca email account letting you know when your activity guide will be available in SOLUS so you may upload your photos.

In order to mail student cards and verify each student,we will require a government issued photo, as well as the photo to be used to produce your student card. The government issued photo will be deleted and not kept on file.

Beginning September 1st, validation stickers will be mailed to all returning students who currently have a photo ID student card and are enrolled in their course(s).

If you are a returning student with an off-campus student card and would like us to mail you a validation sticker please email the Registrar’s Office at student.card@queensu.ca and include your student number.

Congratulations! You just received an acceptance letter from Queen’s University and are excited about joining the Queen’s Community. Here are some questions you could ask before clicking accept:

Ask your Department and/or Supervisor:

• When will I receive my funding letter?
• What work duties will I need to do in order to secure funding from the department? Could you be specific as to how many TAships and RAships this might entail and what kind of hourly commitment this is?
• If I receive outside funding, through a scholarship for example, will this money be over and above my funding package or will it form part of the amount you mentioned in my acceptance letter?
• Could you put me in touch with another graduate student in the department who could tell me more about graduate life? (If you are an incoming international student it might be a good idea to ask to speak to another international student as domestic and international student experience can be quite different)

Ask a fellow graduate student and/or the School of Graduate Studies (SGS):

• How expensive is it to live in Kingston? After paying for my fees, how much money would I need a month to live comfortably?
• What extracurricular opportunities are available to me? I am interested in X, is there a group that I could join who does that? (Tip: check out the Queen’s Clubs Page!)

If you are an international student, ask the Queens University International Centre (QUIC):

• I received an acceptance letter to Queen’s, but before I accept the offer I would like to speak to some international students about their experiences at Queens. Could you put me in contact with some international students (maybe even some from my home country) so that I can get acquainted with people and ask questions?
• What facilities do you have to help me once I arrive at Queen’s?
• English is not my first language and I might need some English support once in Canada. Do you have facilities to help me with that?
• I have read your International Student Guidebook but I still have some questions. Could you answer them for me or put me in contact with someone who could?
• Could you help me better understand more what my visa and permit needs are to get to Canada?

So you just received your funding letter for your next academic year, these are some questions you could consider asking:

Ask your Department and/or your Supervisor

• My funding package is made up of several different amounts. When will I be paid this money? (It is standard practice that awards are paid out in installments at the beginning of each semester. TAships and RAships are paid out in monthly installments during the months you are contracted for these positions. Make sure the department is clear with you when you will get these different amounts and how the payments will be distributed. For example, you might not get paid any money for a month you are not allocated work. You will need to know this information so that you can budget appropriately).
• I saw that I have to work as a TA to get some of my funding package, when will I have to do this?
• My work duties are only in the fall and in the winter, how can I make money in the summer?
• My funding package gives me enough money to pay for my fees and rent, but I need to make more money. What other work opportunities are available to me? Do you have any additional opportunities in the department? If not, could you suggest other places I could look?
• I would like to apply for a scholarship. If I get it, will that change the makeup of my funding package? Will that scholarship money be over and above my existing package?
• I am an international student, are there any department-specific supports for international students? Could you point me to a list of scholarship and funding opportunities that are open to me?

Ask Student Awards: 

• I have a scholarship and/or award that is administered by you as part of my funding package. When will I receive payments for these? (Student Awards will likely send you an email explaining this clearly, but if you need further  clarification feel free to ask). 
• I have financial need, and a bursary would go a long way to helping me. Could you tell me more about the General Bursary?
• I applied for the General Bursary, but I was not successful. Could you tell me why? Is there a way I could apply for it again?

Ask your Department and/or your Supervisor

• My work duties are only in the fall and in the winter, how can I make money in the summer? Do you have any opportunities available?

Ask Career Services: 

• I need to make some extra money and I am looking for some job opportunities – Can you explain how to use your service to do so? (Tip: check out MyCareer!)
• I need some help brushing up my CV, could you help me?
• My spouse/partner is with me and needs to find work, where can they go for some help? (Tip: check out KEYS!)

Ask Student Awards: 

• I have financial need and additional work would help me pay my bills, could you tell me more about the Work Study?

If you are an international student, ask the Queens University International Centre (QUIC):

• My visa only allows me to work a limited number of hours off of campus, are there any limits to how many hours I can work on campus?
• I came to Kingston with my spouse and they are looking for work, do you have any suggestions? (Tip: check out KEYS!).

Ask PSAC Local 901:

• What are my rights as a worker at Queen’s University?
• What is the difference between an RA and a GRAF?
• I don’t understand something in my TA, RA, TF, or Postdoctoral employment contract, can you help me?
• I would like to keep track of my work hours, can you tell me more about your Time Tracker Tool?

Ask NetID | ITS:

• How do I activate my NetID for my work email? (Note: as a student you will be given a student NetID and email address. If you work as a TA, RA, TF, etc. during your time at Queen’s, you will also get a separate work NetID and email address)

Ask your Department and/or your Supervisor

• Do you have any department-specific fees that I will need to pay for in the fall? What are they and what are they for?

Ask the University Registrar: 

• I am an incoming student, when will I need to make my first payment? (The University Registrar has created these instructions to help see when your payments are due)
• What payment methods are available to me?
• Instead of paying for my fees as big lump sums every semester, I would like to pay for them monthly? Can I join the Pre-Authorized Payment Plan?
• If I want to pay my fees at the beginning of each semester, should I just divide the overall fees by 3? (You should note when ancillary fees are expected to be paid. International students should be aware of when you need to pay UHIP fees if you are not on the Pre-authorized Payment Plan)
• Will my fees fluctuate or change while I am a graduate student at Queen’s?
• My fee statement includes ancillary and mandatory fees. What are these and what are the repercussions if I don’t pay them?
• What is the deadline for paying these ancillary fees? Is payment evenly distributed across the three semesters?

Ask the SGPS  – Equity and Diversity Commissioner

• I have equity-related concerns in/outside of the classroom, what should I do?
• Where can I find information and events related to equity, diversity and inclusion?
• I have an idea for an equity and diversity project/event, who do I contact?

Ask the Human Rights Office

• I have questions/concerns about human rights issues at Queen’s, can you assist me?
• I have equity-related concerns in my role as an employee of Queen’ University, can you assist me?

Ask the Accessibility Hub

• What accessibility and accommodation services do you provide?
• I am facing accessibility barriers on campus, can you assist me?
• I am planning an event on campus, what can I do to ensure that it is accessible?
• Can I get training on how to create an accessible environment in classes I am TA-ing or teaching?

Ask the Queen’s Clubs Office

• How can I join some of the equity and diversity-related clubs you have?

Ask the AMS

• How can I access confidential and non-judgmental food service?

In response to operational changes at the university due to the ongoing global pandemic, the university has implemented initiatives and process changes to help smooth out tuition and fee payments, awards disbursement and registration processes for students. To learn more about these changes, check out the link below.

Click here to access Office of the University Registrar’s Dates & Deadlines site

With the majority of Queen’s teaching and learning resources being moved online for Fall 2020, it is imperative that you make sure you are set-up with your Queen’s NetID. Queen’s ITS has put together a “getting started” guide for new students to help you get set up.

Click here to access ITS’ New Student IT Guide

The move to online learning means it is more important than ever to make sure that you know how to access everything you need for your classes remotely. Queen’s ITS has put together a page to help you prepare to teach and learn remotely.

Click here to access ITS’ “Preparing to Teach and Learn Remotely” Page

Check out the School of Graduate Studies’ 20-21 Orientation page for live webinars, online modules, and pre-recorded videos all devoted to ensuring you have access to the information you need for a smooth transition to the new academic year.

Click here to access the SGS 20-21 Orientation Page

The School of Graduate Studies understands that uncertainties around the Fall term have generated many questions from our community – students, fellows, staff, and faculty. In an effort to address your questions and concerns, the SGS has compiled a website answering Frequently Asked Questions.

Click here to access the SGS Fall 2020 FAQs

Check out the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC) 20-21 Orientation page for live webinars and prerecorded videos, geared specifically to assist international students transition into the new academic year.

Click here to access QUIC’s 20-21 Orientation Page

COVID-19 has changed a lot of things for 2020 – 2021 academic year, especially for international students. QUIC has pulled together a resource page to assist international students in finding the information they need to answer any questions they may have.

Click here to access QUIC’s Fall 2020 FAQs