Medicine students get refund after fee mix-up

By Scott Strasser, September 17 2015 —

Second-year medicine students at the University of Calgary will get some money back this semester after the Students’ Union noticed they were overcharged $75 for their student services fees in the 2015 spring semester.

SU president Levi Nilson said they noticed the error this July and notified the provost of the discrepancy in August.

“From year-two MD students, we noticed we got more fees than we were expecting,” Nilson said.

The medicine program’s academic year was recently split into spring, fall and winter trimesters for its second- and third-year students. University registrar Angelique Saweczko said the original amount was set to match fall and winter fee rates, but was later adjusted. 

“The new trimester structure required a change to how tuition and fees are applied, especially in the new combined spring and summer term,” Saweczko said.

Nilson said the fee structure wasn’t changed to match the new schedule.

“They were charged on the full semester scale instead of the spring and summer amount, which is lower,” Nilson said.

Full-time U of C students pay a $225 student services fee for fall and winter semesters. In spring and summer semesters, students pay $75.

According to Nilson, second-year students paid $225 for the combined spring/summer semester instead of the $150 they were supposed to pay.

Nilson said the student fees will be reassessed by the registrar’s office. Those who have overpaid will receive refunds through their online student centres.