I will be going to McMaster in September for the Medical Radiation Sciences program (Faculty of Science.) SOLAR opens up for the Faculty of Science students on June 27, I was wondering if it was possible to pay my tuition before that? Or if not, can you pay your tuition after June 27? How do you pay your tuition? Which methods are the best?

You have to first register for your courses and do your payment agreement. Your methods of paying are outlined there, so I believe you can only pay on June 27th once you do your payment agreement.

There are several options for paying, and the method that works best varies. Some people like paying a big lump sum amount in the beginning, some people use the OSAP route, etc.

As herbs mentioned, there are several options on how to pay your tuition which is outline in the payment agreement. There are some who will pay in full which is due in September 1st and some like to pay separate in each terms which is normally due before each semester ends

Over the years, I've always go for the OSAP option because you can pay 60% of the funding in 1st sem and the remainder 40% in second sem which is ok for me. If you are going for the OSAP route, definitely go for the OSAP option but starting this year, OSAP is not going to pay on your behalf. It will go straight to your bank account and you have to do the paying yourself.

Hi Rumana

There is no way to pay before you pick your classes. SOLAR calculates your tuition based on the courses you enroll in so it knows whether you're a full-time or part-time student, etc.

Simply put, you will need to wait until SOLAR opens, then select your courses, and then once you do that, SOLAR gives you the 'payment agreement' option that you'll be able to click on.

In the payment agreement it shows what your final costs are for tuition with all the fees, etc. any OSAP will also show up and scholarships as well.

Once you agree to pay, you have till Sept 1st to pay.. so there isn't a big rush. You just need to accept the agreement to pay... there is nothing you have to actually pay when you confirm your courses, it's just an AGREEMENT to pay.

You then have some time to go in and confirm everything is what you want, courses are all good, etc. and you can go back into SOLAR anytime to complete payment online via debit card/interac. OR you can write a cheque and mail it in or drop it off at the Student Accounts and Cashiers office on campus. If you choose cheque, make sure you put your student number in the memo area.

Thank you so much, Chad! I thought that you only get to pay on the day SOLAR opens for you. This really helped me.