How to accept a university offer in Ontario through OUAC

Universities decide on their own schedules and send decisions to you directly. OUAC doesn't make decisions and doesn't see the details of your offers. For Fall 2027, OUAC says May 28, 2027 is the latest date Ontario high school students who applied by the January deadline can expect a response, once any missing information arrives.

OUAC lists three possible responses by that date: an offer, a refusal or a deferral of admission. Early offers are usually based on interim marks, and U of T says that's why most of its offers are conditional. Our Grade 11 marks guide explains how early evidence is used.

A conditional offer depends on things still to come, like final grades, prerequisites, your OSSD or official documents. If your offer lists no conditions, confirm with the university that it's final before you relax.

U of T also describes an alternate offer, where it admits you to a different area when it can't offer your first-choice program. A waitlist means you may be reconsidered if space opens. A refusal ends that program choice, but not your other choices.

Read the offer in the university's own portal first. That's where the conditions, deadline and deposit instructions live. Then log in to OUAC to respond.

Your acceptance isn't finished when you click Accept. You must also get through Review and Payment and agree to the Applicant's Declaration.

Still at the applying stage? Start with the Ontario application process guide. For login or payment problems, see OUAC application help.

OUAC's 2026-2027 schedule sets June 1, 2027 as the earliest date an Ontario high school student can be required to respond to an Ontario university offer. It's also the earliest date you can be required to make a financial commitment, like a registration or residence deposit.

The schedule treats scholarships, other financial incentives and residence offers as part of the offer. You may accept any of them earlier if you want to. No Ontario university can pressure you to decide before June 1, 2027.

The rule covers Group A applicants. Group B applicants must respond by the deadline in each offer, which can be earlier. McMaster, for example, publishes May 1 or the offer letter date, whichever is earlier, for applicants who aren't current Ontario high school students. Waterloo's page also says the June 1 deposit protection doesn't apply to international students.

June 1 is a floor, not everyone's due date. Your offer can set a later date. See the full calendar in our Ontario deadlines guide.

Accepting one offer doesn't affect how your other universities evaluate you. If a better offer arrives, cancel your accepted offer in OUAC, then accept the new one. Waterloo says you can do this without penalty up to June 1, 2027.

After June 1 you can still switch in OUAC, as long as the new offer hasn't expired. If an offer has expired or you declined it earlier, only the university can decide whether to issue a new one.

Money is the hard part. Most deposits in the table above are non-refundable, so money paid to the first school is usually gone. Tell the first school you're not coming and cancel residence formally. Waterloo charges a $500 administrative fee on cancelled residence contracts. uOttawa invoices the full residence contract for cancellations after August 15 for a September start.

OUAC charges nothing to accept an offer. Any deposit is paid to the university, and a residence deposit doesn't count as accepting. You still have to respond on OUAC.

Among the universities in the table, TMU and York publish a set tuition deposit for domestic students. TMU's is $500 for full-time study, due June 3, 2027 for Fall 2027. York charges $300 at course enrolment. Both apply it to tuition and neither refunds it in normal cases. U of T and uOttawa charge one only when your offer or program says so.

Residence deposits are separate. Waterloo's is $500, due June 8, 2027, and refunded only if your deferral is approved by August 1 or your offer is revoked. At Queen's, Fall 2026 applicants paid $805, and $500 of it came back if a guaranteed student cancelled by July 1, 2026. Compare more in the Ontario residence guide.

TMU notes that OSAP money arrives in September and January, after its June deposit date. Plan for deposits from savings. Our OSAP guide covers the timing.

OUAC says some universities let you defer for a semester or a year. Almost every school has the same order: accept the offer, meet every condition, then ask. Nobody promises approval, and you can't take college or university courses during the year off.

What carries over varies. U of T says approved deferrals usually keep eligible entrance scholarships and the residence guarantee. Waterloo holds President's and Merit scholarships. Western reconsiders your admission scholarship using the award values for the year you start. uOttawa and TMU re-apply their scholarship rules for your new start term.

Room bookings and deposits need their own steps. York says cancelling residence and dining plans is your job. Waterloo refunds the residence deposit only if your deferral is approved by August 1. Our gap year and deferral guide compares 11 universities in detail.

Accepting an offer doesn't lock it in. Universities check your final record over the summer, and TMU warns that by then it may be too late to fix a problem. The usual reasons an offer is withdrawn are listed below.

If you think you'll miss a condition, contact the admissions office before it contacts you. uOttawa says it may suggest an alternate program first. Check your academic requirements before you change any Grade 12 course.

Most of the work is reading. Do it while the details are fresh.

Once you've accepted, your job is to keep the offer.

The OUAC response ends with the student confirming the Applicant's Declaration, so the student should submit it. Sit beside them instead of logging in as them. Ask them to share the offer letters so you can compare them on paper.

Put the money questions side by side: tuition deposit and refund rules, residence deposit and cancellation fees, the scholarship amount and its conditions, and whether OSAP arrives before each bill. Then ask the one question only your child can answer. Which program do they want? Our parent guide has more on supporting without taking over.

Group B applicants respond by the date in each offer. OUAC's June 1 floor is written for current Ontario high school students. Deposits often come first too. uOttawa, York and McMaster all tie your Provincial Attestation Letter (PAL) to a paid deposit, and Western notes most undergraduates need a PAL for a study permit.

uOttawa's standard undergraduate deposit is $2,000, and its PAL follows within about three business days. York's $2,000 deposit is fully refunded if your study permit is refused. McMaster's is generally non-refundable once a PAL is issued. Queen's refunds its tuition deposit after a study permit refusal for reasons beyond your control, but only if you applied through BorderPass before August 1.

Final exam results from outside Canada can arrive late. Send official results as soon as they're out, and ask admissions early if your exam board publishes after the condition date. Our international students hub and Caribbean pathways guide cover documents and study permits.