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We understand that circumstances may prevent you from enrolling for the term specified on your offer of admission. In such cases, a deferral of admission may be granted to you.
Laurier has created pathways for students to defer to the winter 2021 term in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can also request to defer for one full academic year.
Deferring to Winter 2021
To help students navigate the extraordinary circumstances caused by COVID-19, one-term deferrals to winter 2021 may be granted to students who were admitted to the fall 2020 term. The winter term starts in January.
Not all programs are available for winter deferrals due to their progression requirements. For these programs, you cannot begin studying in January because you would not be able to obtain all the necessary prerequisite courses to enrol in subsequent terms.
Winter Deferral Deadline
You must apply to defer by Aug. 1, 2020. We will email you if your deferral request has been approved or denied in early to mid-August. Please note that deferrals are not guaranteed.
Programs That Do Not Permit Winter Deferrals
If you have an offer of admission to one of the following programs, you cannot defer for one term. Instead, you can apply to defer for one full year.
If your program is not found on this list, you can submit the Winter Deferral Request Form.
Faculty of Human and Social Sciences
- Game Design and Development
- Public Health (Bachelor of Arts and Science degree; please note this program is being renamed to Community Health)
Faculty of Liberal Arts
- Digital Media and Journalism
- User Experience Design
Faculty of Music
- Music
- Community Music
Faculty of Science
- Chemistry and Physics
- Computer Science and Physics
- Health Sciences
- Kinesiology
- Physics
Faculty of Social Work
- Bachelor of Social Work
Lazaridis School of Business and Economics
- Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA)
- BBA and Computer Science (Laurier Double Degree)
- BBA and Computer Science (Double Degree with the University of Waterloo)
- BBA and Financial Mathematics (Laurier Double Degree)
- BBA and Math (Double Degree with the University of Waterloo)
- Business Technology Management
- Diploma in Business Administration
Faculty of Arts
- All programs can be deferred.
Martin Luther University College
- All programs can be deferred.
Rules for Winter Deferrals
Rules of Deferment
- You must have an offer of admission to an undergraduate program.
- This must be your first time attending Laurier.
- You must confirm your offer of admission before you can defer.
- You must satisfy all conditions listed on your offer of admission.
- You can defer for one academic term (from fall 2020 to winter 2021).
- If you enrol in academic courses at another postsecondary education institution during your deferment, your offer of admission will be voided. You will have to reapply to Laurier and disclose any new academic information.
- If you return to high school during your deferment, you must submit an updated transcript and you may be reassessed for an updated scholarship.
- Deferrals are not available to applicants with offers to the LEAF program; however, you can postpone your entry term of LEAF.
Winter Deferral Checklist
Deferral Checklist
- Confirm your offer of admission. Please see your official offer letter on LORIS for further details.
- Check that your program permits students to defer to the winter term. Not all programs allow winter deferrals.
- Submit the Winter 2021 Deferral Request form by Aug. 1, 2020.
- If you wish to live in residence in the winter term, contact housing@wlu.ca to inquire about space availability. We are working within public health guidelines to provide on-campus residential housing that meets physical distancing standards. Residence spaces will be available in accordance with public health restrictions and recommendations.
- If you registered for courses for the fall 2020 term, you must drop them in LORIS.
Deferring Entrance Scholarships and Bursaries
Entrance Scholarships
When you defer for one academic year, entrance scholarships are also deferred. You receive half the value of your entrance scholarship in the fall term and the other half in the winter term. You must be registered in full-time courses in both terms to receive your entrance scholarship.
When you defer to the winter term, you will still receive your winter term installment of the entrance scholarship. To receive the second half, you must register in full-time courses in the spring 2021 term. Please note that you are not required to register in courses in the spring term if you defer to the winter term, but you will not receive the second half of your entrance scholarship.
Entrance Bursaries
Like entrance scholarships, you will receive half your entrance bursary in the winter term. If you enrol in full-time courses in spring 2021, you will receive the second half of your entrance bursary. You must be registered in full-time courses in both terms to receive your entrance bursary.
If you do not receive an entrance bursary, you can apply for the Laurier tuition bursary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee to defer my offer?
Laurier has waived the $60 administrative fee that is normally charged to process deferral requests for the 2020/21 academic year.
If I defer to winter, will it take me longer to complete my degree?
A four-year undergraduate degree is 40 undergraduate courses. If you do not take classes in the fall term, you will have to take those courses at another time. Laurier offers courses in the spring terms as well.
Can I live in residence if I defer to the winter term?
We are working within public health guidelines to provide on-campus residential housing that meets physical distancing standards. Residence spaces will be available in accordance with public health restrictions and recommendations. Please email housing@wlu.ca to inquire about space availability for the winter term.
Can I attend high school during the fall term?
You are able to return to high school but you must complete your courses before you enrol in winter term courses at Laurier. You will be required to submit an updated transcript to the Recruitment and Admissions office.
Can I upgrade my courses during my period of deferment and gain admission to a different program?
If you are approved for a deferral, your deferral is only valid for the program you accepted your offer to on OUAC. If you would like to be considered for a new program, you must submit a new application through the OUAC.
Should I register for courses if I am considering deferring?
You should register in courses because deferrals are not guaranteed. Deferral requests for the fall 2020 and winter 2021 terms will not be reviewed until after the Aug. 1 deferral request deadline.
Course registration for incoming first-year students opens June 15, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Deferring For One Year
Deferrals of one year may be granted to students who are attending Laurier for the first time. Please note that deferrals are not guaranteed. We will email you after the deferral deadline to inform you if your deferral request has been granted or denied.
If your request to defer is granted, you will receive an email from us the following year to request that you reconfirm your offer of admission by completing a readmission form.
Deferral Deadlines
|
Term of Entry Listed on Your Offer of Admission |
Deferral Request Form and Fee* |
|---|---|
|
Fall |
Aug. 1 |
|
Winter |
Dec. 15 |
|
Spring |
April 15 |
*The $60 administrative deferral fee has been waived for 2020.
Rules for Deferring for One Year
Rules of Deferment
- You must have an offer of admission to an undergraduate program.
- This must be your first time attending Laurier.
- You must satisfy all conditions listed on your offer of admission.
- You must confirm your offer of admission before you can defer.
- You can defer for one academic year. 101 applicants can defer for one academic year to the fall term only. 105 applicants can defer for one academic year to fall, winter or spring terms.
- If you enrol in academic courses at another postsecondary education institution during your deferment, your offer of admission will be voided. You will have to reapply to Laurier and disclose any new academic information.
- If you return to high school during your deferment, you must submit an updated transcript and you may be reassessed for an updated scholarship.
- Deferrals are not available to applicants with offers to the LEAF program; however, you can postpone your entry term of LEAF.
Faculty of Music Deferrals
Faculty of Music deferrals for Fall 2020 will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
If you are interested in applying for a deferral, you must first email the Academic Advisor for the Faculty of Music to start the deferral process; email Kathy Gauci at kgauci@wlu.ca. This must be completed before you can submit the deferral request form.
Deferral Checklist
Deferral Checklist
- Confirm your offer of admission. Please see your official offer letter on LORIS for further details.
- Submit the Offer of Admission Deferral Request Form.
- Reconfirm your intent to enrol by submitting the Readmission Form for Deferred Students, which will be emailed to you.
- If you wish to live in residence beginning in a fall term, apply for residence and submit the non-refundable deposit by the June deadline of the academic year you will begin studying. For all other terms, contact housing@wlu.ca to inquire about space availability.
- If you registered for courses for a term from which you are deferring, you must drop them in LORIS.
Deferring Entrance Scholarships and Bursaries
Entrance Scholarships
When you defer for one academic year, your entrance scholarship is also deferred. You receive half in the fall term and half in the winter term. You must be registered in full-time courses to receive your entrance scholarship.
Entrance Bursaries
Entrance bursaries cannot be deferred; however, you will have the opportunity to apply for an entrance bursary again in the year you plan to enrol at Laurier. You will have to provide updated financial information.
If you do not receive an entrance bursary, you can apply for the Laurier tuition bursary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a fee to defer my offer?
In response to the COVID-19 situation, Laurier has waived the $60 administrative fee that is normally charged to process deferral requests. The fee has been waived for 2020.
Can I live in residence if I defer for one year?
You can apply to live in residence by the June deadline of the year you plan to enrol. Please consult the Department of Residence website about deadlines and eligibility to live in residence.
What happens if I enrol in postsecondary studies during my period of deferment?
If you enrol in academic courses at another postsecondary education institution during your deferment, your offer of admission will be voided. You will have to reapply to Laurier and disclose your new academic information to the Recruitment and Admissions office.
Can I attend high school during my period of deferment?
You can enrol in secondary school if you would like to. You will be required to submit an updated transcript to the Recruitment and Admissions office.
Can I upgrade my courses during my period of deferment to gain admission to a different program?
If you are approved for a deferral, your deferral is only valid for the program you accepted your offer to on OUAC. If you would like to be considered for a new program, you must submit a new application through the OUAC.
Should I register for courses if I am considering deferring?
You should register in courses because deferrals are not guaranteed. Deferral requests for the fall 2020 and winter 2021 terms will not be reviewed until after the Aug. 1 deferral request deadline.
Course registration for incoming first-year students opens June 15, 2020 at 3 p.m.
Contact Us:
Recruitment and Admissions
