For U of T’s graduating students, there is at least one more fee standing between them and their convocation. The cost of graduating is something most students don’t consider in their financial plan for university, and can be an unfriendly surprise for graduates. In order to walk across the stage at convocation, U of T requires that all graduates be outfitted in a gown provided by Gaspard, a company which specializes in the manufacturing and distribution of academic regalia.
According to Terry Johnston, assistant director at the Office of Convocation, gown rental is currently $45 for both a hood and gown day rental, if ordered previously online. If not pre-ordered , the gown costs $75 on-site on the day of convocation. If the gowns are not returned immediately after the ceremony students are charged the full price of a take-home gown. Regalia costs at U of T are among the most expensive of all Ontario universities, where the cost of pre-ordered gowns range from $25-$45.
JULIEN BALBONTIN/THE VARSITY
For years, the University of Toronto Students’ Union (UTSU) offered a not-for-profit regalia rental service to students at the cost of $10 for gowns and $5 for hoods. Students were not required to order these items if they had alternate access to them.
Six years ago, U of T decided to take over the administration of rentals making them mandatory for students participating in convocation. The UTSU put in a contract bid to provide these services but was not selected by U of T. Last year the published a report on university fees outside of tuition costs, which resulted in the university ceasing to charge students some fees that are banned under provincial guidelines. The ongoing investigation has highlighted some high — and in some cases, illegal, fees surrounding graduation — including regalia rentals and transcripts.
Another issue related to graduate students is the Balance Degree Fee — a minimum cost which must be paid by students in certain departments to complete their degrees. The university states that the length of the program, as defined by the graduate unit into which a student is admitted, determines the minimum total academic fee that a student must pay prior to graduation. This results in many students who complete their degree requirements early being forced to pay an additional cost to graduate. If a student has paid more than the full-time fee due to the time taken to complete the degree requirements, there will be no refund of fees. Students who have had their diplomas withheld due to outstanding fees must also pay an additional fee to receive them after graduation.
UTSU vice-president, equity, Yolen Bollo-Kamara, spoke on behalf of the union, stating: “Tuition fees at the University of Toronto are among the very highest in Canada, and it is disappointing that the university uses excessive, unfair ancillary fees as a backdoor tuition fee increase.” Bollo-Kamara added: “It’s unfortunate that even as students are leaving the university, after paying in excess of $28,000 in total for their degree, they are being solicited to pay high prices to celebrate their academic achievements.”
There are many other optional costs that graduating students may choose to partake in, such as purchasing diploma frames which are available through the U of T Bookstore and are sold at convocation plaza during ceremonies. These frames range in price from $36 to $285. A certification of degree can be printed out on a letterhead containing the name of record, degree conferred, and date of graduation at a cost of $20 per certificate. Having one’s diploma delivered costs up to $70 extra for international destinations, while having a diploma replaced will cost $80. Transcripts of academic history are available on ROSI at a cost of $10 per transcript. If friends and family choose to drive to see their loved one graduate, they must pay an average of $15 for parking on campus as outlined by the university’s campus parking report.
Immediately following convocation, U of T offers a host of services and activities held under the marquee. Few of these activities are free of charge — most of the options for students and their families involve ways for them to financially commemorate their special day. These services include convocation café, where snacks and refreshments are available through U of T’s food services; the purchase of flower arrangements, made available exclusively through Convocation Flowers; the purchase of gifts from a mini-bookstore located within the marquee; and a special photo backdrop and video corner where grads can order visual memories of their special day.
Caleigh Lusk, who graduated from U of T’s Faculty of Arts & Science in 2012 was bothered by the cost, stating: “At convocation, everyone had something with them or on them that said ‘University of Toronto’. It did seem very commercialized, but I guess that’s exactly what it’s supposed to be like. After five years at U of T, I’m used to this sort of thing.” Caitlin Embree, a recent graduate of the Rotman School of Business was less concerned, stating: “I didn’t feel a lot of pressure to buy anything other than a frame for my diploma.”
Students on campus in their graduating year, however, would like to see some of these fees absorbed into their tuition costs. Tegan Stairs, a fifth year criminology student set to graduate next term, is unhappy with the additional cost of walking across the stage, stating “I wish that the university would incorporate the extra costs of convocation into their incidental fees. We pay so much in tuition already; can’t they give us this one break?” Johnston did not comment when asked why the university does not incorporate regalia and certification of degree costs into the anually collected undergraduate campus fees.
