Every student must purchase their own casebooks. No exchange student is exempt. Please include this figure in your budget.  DO NOT ASSUME that you can avoid paying for casebooks. Be prepared!!!

Cooking at home is the most economical. If your budget is very limited, you will want to carry your lunch to school and "eat out" less often. The University Food Services is not subsidized, therefore some students find it expensive. There are many quick and easy-to-prepare foods in the grocery stores which students use frequently. Here's your chance to develop your culinary skills. Bring some favourite recipes from home.

Sample prices:

Coffee (cup)              $ 1.45
Hot meal on campus $ 5.00 - $10.00
Entree in restaurant   $12.00 - $20.00
Bread (loaf)               $ 2.29 - supermarket
Bread (loaf)               $ 2.99 - corner variety store

Former students tell us, "Things are not cheap, but a careful budget and buying necessities instead of luxuries can greatly assist."

TAXES

This may be a surprise -- In Canada taxes are added on top of every purchase. Everything in Canada is either a federal or provincial responsibility. The federal government administers the GST (goods & services tax) on all purchases. The Ontario Provincial Government administers HST (harmonized sales tax) on all purchases. There are very few exceptions. 

EXPECT 13% more on every purchase!!!

EXPENSES SPECIFIC TO EXCHANGE STUDENTS:

Tuition - You will not be required to pay tuition here, since you have paid it at your home university. Tuition at each university covers different costs. Your tuition may include your books. At Richard Ivey School of Business tuition includes a sports pass to use all athletic facilities and some HBAA activities, but it does not include casebooks.

Administrative Exchange Fee - An administrative fee of $100.00 will be included in your casebook invoice. This covers miscellaneous items such as your nameplate for the classroom, etc.

Books - Casebooks and textbooks are different for each course. They can cost up to $900 per term. Casebooks are sold by the Ivey Publishing Office during the first or second week of the term. You will be invoiced for your casebooks based on your course registration. Casebooks are a requirement. You cannot be prepared for class if you have no casebook. Participation is the heart of the class. Be prepared to participate!

The case method of study requires cases written about current business situations. While this is a costly method of study, it is also very practical. When you leave this program you will have the implementation skills to do the job, rather than being a graduate whom the company must train to do the job.

In order to effectively teach you, new cases are written each year and casebooks are updated annually to include only the cases used in each class. The cost of the casebook varies with each course. Textbooks and casebooks are not included in Canadian tuition fees.

HEALTH INSURANCE - All international students MUST be covered by the University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). This is a government requirement for all Ontario universities and colleges.

Students are not registered in this university until the UHIP application is received and paid.

Course registration is not completed until the UHIP application has been completed and paid.

UHIP has very extensive coverage. Check the UHIP website for details at www.uhip.ca 

If you have an extensive health plan from your home country, you must apply and pay for UHIP first. Then you can complete an application for a waiver, together with full details of your coverage, written in English. If a waiver is granted by UHIP, your application fee will be reimbursed.  We need to forewarn you that your waiver application will probably NOT be accepted. If you buy health insurance at home, you will probably pay "double". 

****Please note that UHIP does not cover prescribed medications, dental work or eyeglasses.

Student I.D. Card - (Western 1 Card) Upon receipt of your International Exchange Program Application we will process a student number for you. Upon arrival you may obtain your student card ($20.00), which includes a photo taken at that time. Student cards are handled in Room 190, Stevenson-Lawson building, UWO. During the first week of September, student cards are processed at another location. Watch for signs. International Student Cards are available through ‘Travel Cuts’ on campus.

Bus Pass - All students registered as undergraduates at UWO receive a bus pass that allows them to ride on the LTC buses from September - April. The cost is significantly less than a monthly pass for two months. This is automatically added to the UWO invoice for undergraduate exchange students.

Sports Pass - Every Western student pays a large activity fee, part of which covers the use of all sports facilities, (pools, courts, gyms, weight room, etc.). This is one of the privileges paid for you by the students who are currently away on exchange. Think of this as the tradeoff for the books you may have paid for in your tuition fees at home. Use your student card to enter any sports facility at UWO.

At the UCC Info Desk, you may pick up a brochure on all facilities. Take time to find out about any sports intermurals you are interested in. The Info Desk also has Gold cards (to obtain discounts at many businesses).

Computers At Ivey -

If you do not have a laptop, you can write your exams on paper. Please speak to the professor early in the term if you do not have a laptop.

The Ivey School has a small student computer lab, known as the Internet Cafe, (12 computers for 80 exchange students!). You will have access to the computer lab (and the building overnight) with your student card. Ivey students are required to have their own laptop so you aren’t likely to see many Ivey students in the computer lab.

The Ivey School has a wireless network. If you have a laptop please see the Ivey IT help desk re connectivity. Exchange students, who do not have a laptop, are often the only students in the lab, especially late nights or weekends. The lab is booked for some classes during the school year. We, at Ivey, cannot REQUIRE that you have a laptop. However, there are many disadvantages in not having a laptop in the Ivey programs. Exams are written on laptops. Calculations in finance exams require the use of computers. The Ivey Internet Cafe is not available for writing exams.

Club Memberships - There are several student clubs. You might like to join the Marketing Club or International Business Club, etc. Fees are set by the club and vary from $50 to $100 per club. You will have time for no more than two clubs.

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