Third Party Sponsorship: Information for Sponsors
Sponsors can be government agencies, companies, Indigenous groups, or other organizations, who are paying a student's fees in full, with some exceptions. Sponsors will receive an invoice for the agreed upon charges outlined in their individual sponsorship letter after the term fee deadline.
Sponsor role and responsibilities
As a sponsor engaging in a Third Party Sponsorship, you are responsible for the following:
- Provide the student with an individual sponsorship letter prior to the beginning of the term, according to the sponsor letter guidelines. Application fees, deposit fees, and late interest charges cannot be included in the sponsorship agreement. Note: students must apply with the sponsor letter by the term fee deadline to avoid late interest and holds stopping services. Late interest cannot be invoiced back to the sponsor.
Request any additional required information directly from the student, such as transcripts, course information, or receipts.
Issue payment directly to UCalgary within 30 days of receiving the invoice. If payment is not received within 60 days, the invoice may be cancelled, and the student's account may be subject to an account notice and late interest charges. The student will be fully responsible for all unpaid fees, including any administrative holds on the account and late interest charges.
Keeping the sponsor account in “good standing.” If a sponsor's account is not in good standing, this may impact their ability to sponsor students in current and future terms. To be in good standing, a sponsor must pay all outstanding invoices within 30 days of the invoice date. If any invoices remain unpaid after 30 days, the sponsor's account will have a negative service indicator and any current or new sponsorship applications may be at risk of not being approved. The student will be notified of this risk within their sponsorship link in the student centre.
Issue any related tax forms directly to the student. For more information on tax receipts, please visit the UCalgary Tax Information page.
Sample sponsorship letter
Use the sponsorship letter template if you're unsure what to include.
Information for sponsors
If you're a government agency, company, First Nations/Métis/Inuit group, or other organization that's willing to pay a student's tuition and fees in full (with some exceptions), you may be eligible to act as a third party sponsor for a student at UCalgary.
Before you begin the sponsorship process, please note that the following aren't eligible to serve as sponsors: individuals, parents and other relatives, and/or RESP providers.
Sponsor provides individual sponsorship letter directly to student
Sponsor provides individual sponsorship letter directly to student
To apply for third party sponsorship, a sponsor must provide the student with an official sponsorship Letter that includes the following information:
- Sponsor’s name and contact Information on company’s letterhead
- Include the individual student name and UCalgary student ID number
- State the term(s) the letter is covering up to one calendar year (student can only apply for one term at a time, but can use the same sponsor letter for each term application)
- Application fees, deposit fees, and late interest charges cannot be included in the sponsorship agreement
- Outline in detail which fees will be covered in the sponsorship. Sponsor must identify they will pay for tuition fees, general fees, and all optional fees. For example, if a sponsor letter does not specifically state the sponsor will cover Health and Dental insurance, then those fees will remain as the student’s responsibility to pay
- Signature of an authorized representative from the sponsoring organization
NOTE: We are unable to accept sponsorship letters that include conditions that must be met by the student in order for the sponsor to pay term fees. If the letter includes such conditions, the application for a third party sponsorship may not be approved. Examples of these conditions include but are not limited to:
- Maintaining good academic standing
- Conditions for payment beyond 30 days from the invoice date. The sponsor invoice must be paid within 30 days of the invoice date to remain in good standing with UCalgary.
Student uploads the sponsor letter through an application in their online Student Centre by the term fee deadline
After the sponsorship letter is approved through the application, the student account will be adjusted to reflect the sponsorship. This account adjustment occurs prior to the term fee deadline as long as the student applies in advance of the application deadline.
Sponsor details will be listed in a link visible to the student in their student portal under Sponsorship. It's the student’s responsibility to review their account and sponsorship information and pay any fees not covered by the sponsor which are due on the term fee deadline.
The student is responsible for any late interest or holds assessed due to late application. Late interest cannot be included in the sponsorship agreement.
NOTE: If sponsors require transcripts or any other registration information, it will be the student’s responsibility to provide and submit this information directly to the sponsor.
Invoice issued to sponsor after the term fee deadline
After the sponsorship application is approved, sponsors will be sent an invoice by email after the term fee deadline, as long as the student applied prior to the sponsorship deadline.
As part of the sponsorship application, the student is agreeing to the sharing of tuition and fee information with the sponsor only. If a sponsor should require additional information (such as transcripts or course information), the student will be responsible to submit this information directly to the sponsor.
NOTE: Sponsor letters submitted by the student after the sponsorship deadline may have processing delays that result in fee notices or late interest to the student account. The student will be responsible for these impacts.
For any questions/concerns regarding the issued invoice, please contact UC Finance through UService.
Making a payment to UCalgary
Sponsors will have 30 days from the invoice date to pay fees directly to UCalgary. After 60 days, the invoice may be cancelled and the student account may have a fee hold stopping services and begin to accrue late interest.
Payments made to UCalgary from an organization for a student without an approved third party sponsorship application will be treated as an external agency payment, not a third party sponsorship. Late fees and interest applied after the published payment deadlines will become the student’s responsibility.
The following payment methods are available for third party sponsors:
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The preferred method of payment is Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) directly to UCalgary Accounts Receivables. Refer to invoice for instructions on paying by EFT.
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Cheque or money order - made payable directly to The University of Calgary
Mailing Address
Accounts Receivables
MacKimmie Tower, 9th Floor
2500 University Drive NW
Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4
NOTE: Payments made in American dollars (USD) will be converted using the exchange rate on the day of payment receipt. Overpayments and underpayments resulting from the conversion are applied to the student’s account.