Your first week at Centennial is a blur of new buildings, shuttle buses between campuses, and a to-do list nobody hands you in one place. Most of it is fun. A few pieces of it are financial, and those are the ones that cost you if you miss them. This guide walks through what to expect in your first week and the money moves to make before the deadlines sneak up.

Orientation: the actual schedule

Centennial’s Winter 2027 orientation runs January 5 to 8, 2027, across campuses. It mixes webinars, community-building sessions, and faculty and peer presentations, so you can attend from home or show up in person depending on the day.

If you’re starting in fall, orientation happens before the September 8 semester start instead, and the same structure applies. Either way, sign up through the orientation page and check the schedule for what runs on your campus.

First-year students should also complete the First-Semester Checklist on that page. It covers the “Experience Centennial” Teams channel where the college posts things you’d otherwise miss, plus headSTART, Centennial’s extended orientation program for new students.

Classes for Winter 2027 begin Monday, January 11. Most programs get a course-change deadline on January 18 and a withdrawal-with-refund deadline on January 25, so if your timetable is wrong, fix it in the first two weeks, not in March.

The tuition money: deposit first, balance after

Not sure what you qualify for?

You might be eligible for $4,000+ in grants!

Most students qualify for more than they think. The survey checks your eligibility in about two minutes.

Check what you qualify for hi finance

Centennial runs on a two-step payment schedule, and it catches people off guard because the first deadline lands before the semester does.

Your Winter 2027 deposit was due November 25, 2026. If you missed it, contact Student Financial Services right away; missing the deposit can cost you your seat in your courses. Your full fees due date is printed on your Fee Estimate in myCentennial, and late fees apply if you blow past it.

If you’re on OSAP, the rule is different: your remaining tuition balance is due within 7 days of receiving your OSAP funding. Apply to OSAP at least 60 days before your study period starts, because processing time is what makes people late, not eligibility. The Financial Aid Office sits in the Progress Campus HUB, at 416-289-5300.

Set up your transit discounts in week one

There’s no UPass in Toronto, but two discounts save you real money and both take paperwork you should do while you’re already on campus:

  • TTC post-secondary pass: $128.15/month instead of the adult $156. To get it, buy the $5.25 TTC student photo ID at Bathurst Station using your Centennial MyCard, timetable, and government ID. CCSAI walks you through it on their transit page.
  • GO Transit: 40% off standard fares with a post-secondary student ID loaded onto a PRESTO card. CCSAI approves your application electronically, so it’s mostly a form.
  • One Fare: if you connect between the TTC and GO (or other 905 transit systems) within 2 hours, the TTC leg is free. Worth knowing if you commute from outside Toronto.

The money moves to make in week one

Beyond the deadlines, a few small setup tasks in your first week save you money and stress all term:

  • Confirm your tuition status. Check your balance in myCentennial and make sure your OSAP confirmation shows. If anything’s unclear, the CASS inquiry form on the financial aid page gets you an answer.
  • Get your TTC photo ID and PRESTO set up. The $28/month difference adds up to a semester’s worth of groceries by April.
  • Apply for bursaries. Centennial College Bursaries and the awards list are under Financial Aid. Bursary money doesn’t get paid back, and deadlines vary by award.
  • Find your free food. CCSAI’s Grab and Go Breakfast gives out a free light breakfast at each campus once a week. The CCSAI Food Bank runs hampers by appointment. Use both without embarrassment; they exist for you.
  • Walk your commute before day one. Progress, Ashtonbee, Morningside, and the Downsview Aerospace Hub are spread across the city. If your courses span two campuses, figure out the shuttle or TTC route this week.

The bottom line

Your first week at Centennial is about more than finding your classrooms. Confirm your tuition is sorted, pick up your transit discounts while the lineup is short, and get your bursary applications in. Those three things handle most of the money stress before it starts.

Sources

For more on making your money work at Centennial, see our guide to eating cheap on campus.