"Post-residency fees" are reduced tuition fees paid by graduate students upon completion of course work, during the independent research and thesis writing stages of their degrees.

Post-residency fees are known by a number of names that vary from university to university. Terms such as "maintenance", "continuing", "continuance", "post- program", "re-registration", and "additional session" fees are synonymous with post-residency fees.

 Why Post-Residency Fees?
Graduate students working on their theses, dissertations, or research papers utilise fewer university resources. At the same time, during this phase of their studies, graduate students make significant contributions to the core teaching and research functions of a university. Reduced fees are a recognition that senior graduate students are a net gain in resources for the institution.

Most importantly, post-residency fees reduce the inequality of access to graduate studies by making graduate education more financially accessible.

The Loss of Post-Residency Fees
During the 1990s, universities in Ontario began eliminating post-residency fee systems. Upper year graduate students at those universities were faced with fee hikes of between 40 and 60 percent when post-residency fees were eliminated at their institutions. Today, tuition fees for graduate students in Ontario are $8,389 per year on average. By comparison, the average annual tuition fees for graduate students in Québec, where post-residency fees still exist, are $1,927.

While students in Ontario are fighting for the restoration of post-residency fees, students in other provinces need to ensure this fee system is maintained at their own institutions.

Across the country, university administrators and deans of graduate studies are discussing the restructuring of graduate tuition fee models. At some universities, changes are already occurring. In almost every case, the restructuring includes the elimination of post-residency fees, higher user fees, and the reduced accessibility of graduate studies.