Your first week at York is a blur of orientation, new buildings, 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 on the Keele campus, and the money moves to make before the deadlines sneak up.
Orientation: the actual schedule
York’s Social Orientation Week (O-Week) runs Sunday, August 30 to Sunday, September 6, 2026, and it’s where you get your bearings and your YU-card, your student ID. It’s your library card, your building access, and the card you use for a range of campus services. Pick it up early, because a surprising number of campus things need it.
O-Week is organized by your college or faculty, and it’s a completely dry week. Most events are free, but there’s a cost for the Social Orientation kit, which includes tickets to events. You can only buy a kit for one O-Week, so pick the college or faculty you belong to. Use the College Finder to find yours.
Beyond the social week, you’re required to attend Academic Orientation, which is program-specific and introduces your academic resources and support systems. If you’re an international or residence student, you have additional required orientations.
A note on times: York’s O-Week is decentralized, so each college and faculty runs its own events with its own times. There’s no single universal schedule. As an example, the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies (LA&PS) holds its Academic Orientation on Wednesday, September 2, 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Keele, and the Faculty of Science runs its Academic Orientation 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. with optional evening programming. Your college or faculty emails you your specific schedule, so watch your inbox and your college’s Instagram.
Classes for Fall 2026 start Monday, September 14. Use orientation week to find your buildings and walk your route, so you’re not late and stressed on the first morning.
The tuition due date: September 10
York’s tuition is due on the 10th of the month. For Fall 2026, that means your fall tuition payment is due September 10, 2026, before classes even start.
If you’re on OSAP, your funding is applied to your account once it’s confirmed, and you’re responsible for any shortfall by the due date. If you’re paying out of pocket, don’t leave it to the last day, because payments can take a few days to land on your account.
Add, drop, and refund deadlines
Your first weeks are also your window to fix your schedule without academic or financial consequences. The Fall 2026 dates for full-year (Term Y) courses:
| Deadline | Date | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Course start | Sep 14, 2026 | First day of classes |
| Last day to add a course | Sep 21, 2026 | Last day to add a course for the term |
| Last day to drop without a grade | Oct 19, 2026 | Last day to drop a course and not have it on your transcript |
The practical takeaway: if you’re going to add or drop a course, do it in the first couple of weeks. After September 21 you can’t add, and after October 19 a dropped course stays on your transcript.
If you’re on OSAP, report any course load changes. Dropping below full-time can change your funding, and OSAP needs to know.
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:
- Pay your tuition or confirm your OSAP before September 10. This is the one date you can’t miss.
- Get your YU-card. You’ll need it for the library, buildings, and campus services.
- Check your fees for things you can opt out of. Some incidental fees are optional, and the opt-out windows are early in the term.
- Report your course load to OSAP if it changes. Dropping below full-time can change your funding.
- Find your classes before day one. Orientation is the time to walk your route.
The bottom line
Your first week at York is about more than finding your lecture halls. Get your YU-card, pay your tuition or confirm your OSAP before September 10, and put the add/drop dates on your calendar. Those three things handle most of the money stress before it starts.
Sources
- York Orientation Guide: Find Your Path
- York College Finder
- York Fall/Winter 2026-2027 important dates
- LA&PS Academic Orientation
For more on making your money work at York, see our guides to student housing at York and eating cheap on campus.
This guide is general information for Canadian students, not personalized financial advice. Program rules and dollar amounts change, so confirm the details with the official government source before acting on them.
