Guelph tuition due date: pay by September 18 (and other first-week deadlines)

Your first week at Guelph is a blur of O-Week events, move-in day, and a to-do list nobody hands you in one place. Most of it is fun. A few pieces are financial, and those are the ones that cost you if you miss them. Here’s what your first week looks like and the deadlines that actually matter.

O-Week: the schedule

O-Week 2026 runs Friday, September 4 to Saturday, September 12, with residence move-in on September 4 and 5. The week is packed with faculty events, the clubs fair, and the first real look at campus before classes start.

Your exact schedule comes out before the week starts and depends on your faculty, so keep an eye on your student portal. One note: the orientation fee for new full-time fall students is $90.81, and it’s already part of your compulsory fees. You don’t pay it separately at the door.

The one date that matters: September 18

For Fall 2026, your tuition payment deadline is September 18, 2026. Miss it and a late payment fee kicks in the next day, and if you’re still unpaid by September 30, a $50 financial sanction lands on your account along with possible registration holds for future terms.

The full fall money calendar:

Deadline	Date	What it means
Registration deposit ($500 domestic, $2,000 international)	Jun 15, 2026	Confirms your spot for fall
Meal plan selection (Service Selections)	Jul 31 – Aug 25, 2026	Pick your plan before the window closes
Late registration fee	Sep 10, 2026	Extra charge if you register after this
Tuition payment deadline	Sep 18, 2026	Fall charges due in full or via payment plan
Late payment fee	Sep 19, 2026	Charged the day after the deadline
Financial sanction	Sep 30, 2026	$50 fee plus possible registration holds

OSAP: sort it out before you arrive

U of G asks you to apply to OSAP and have it fully complete 8–10 weeks before your study period starts. For a September start, that means finishing everything by around early July. A completed OSAP assessment shows up on your student account and counts toward your fees, but the money itself lands after classes start, so budget your first month from your own funds.

Also worth knowing: the fall add/drop window is your chance to fix your schedule without a financial hit. If you’re going to drop a course, do it before the refund deadline, not after.

The money moves to make in week one

• Check your account statement. Tuition plus compulsory incidental fees (about $1,800 a year), plus residence and meal plan if you’re living on campus.
• Opt out of the health and dental plans if you’re already covered. The Student Medical Plan runs $200 a year and the Student Dental Plan $143. Opt out through mystudentplan.ca before the deadline and the fee comes off your account.
• Set up your Gryph card. It’s your student ID, your meal plan card, and your campus payment card all in one. Load it through the GET app.
• Remember your U-Pass is already paid. The $163.10 Guelph Transit bus pass is in your compulsory fees, so rides across the city cost you nothing extra.
• Pay early, not on the deadline. Bank transfers can take a few days, and “I paid on the 18th” doesn’t count if it lands on the 20th.

The bottom line

Your first week at Guelph is about more than O-Week events. Get your tuition paid by September 18, opt out of the plans you don’t need, and set up your Gryph card. Those three things handle most of the money stress before it starts.

Sources

• U of G important dates and deadlines
• U of G O-Week
• U of G Residence important dates
• U of G payments
• U of G new student registration guide

For more on first-year costs, see our guides to student housing at Guelph and the cheapest food on campus.