Deferring an offer of admission

If you'd like to take time to pursue other activities before you start your studies at Waterloo, you can request to defer your admission for a year.

During the deferral period, you can not pursue college or university studies. However, you may take high school courses for personal interest.

All programs (other than iBASE) allow deferrals to September. Some programs also allow deferrals to January. 

1. First, you must accept your Offer of Admission from Waterloo on the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) website by the deadline stated on the offer.
   • Most offers have a deadline of June 2, 2025.
2. Next, you must meet all conditions outlined on your Offer of Admission by the deadline specified on that offer.
3. From July 1 through August 29, 2025, you can request a deferral.
   1. Request a deferral.
      • You'll use your userid@uwaterloo.ca email address and password to log in to the form. Your password will be the same you use to access Quest.
   2. On the form, you'll be asked to explain your reasons for requesting the deferral and to summarize your plans for the deferral period.
   3. The maximum deferral period is one calendar year (three academic terms).
      • For students with military service requirements, you could be eligible for a two-year deferral, pending documented proof of service. Please email myapplication@uwaterloo.ca for more information.

Deferring to January 2026

Winter deferrals (for the term starting  in January) are possible for a limited number of programs. If the program you have been admitted to allows for a winter deferral and you're interested in starting in January, we strongly recommend that before submitting the form, you contact your academic advisor to discuss the possible sequencing of your courses.

When will I find out about my deferral?

Each request will be considered on an individual basis. Decisions on deferral requests will normally be made in July and August after all conditions outlined on an offer of admission have been met.

What happens when I want to start studying?

1. You will not be required to reapply through the Ontario Universities' Application Centre (OUAC) next year. We’ll send you a new offer of admission in early 2026. 
2. Follow the instructions in the deferral approval email we'll send you and accept your new Offer of Admission in Quest by the date indicated on the offer.

Please ensure the email address listed in your Waterloo Quest account is one you'll check in February 2026. That is the address we'll send the instructions to. You can log into Quest during your deferral to update your email address if needed.

Scholarships and entrance bursaries

• If you received a President’s Scholarship, the scholarship will be held for you until you begin your first-year studies.
• Consideration for other entrance scholarships you were awarded will be on a case-by-case basis.
• If you're an Ontario student and you received an entrance bursary for September 2025, you'll need to reapply when the application opens in February 2026.

If your deferral is approved before August 1, you're eligible to receive a refund of the residence deposit. If your deferral is approved after August 1, your deposit will be carried forward to when you start in January or September. 

To have your deposit refunded, you must submit a Confirmed Contract Cancellation Form before August 1 and select ‘deferral’ as the reason. Your deposit will be refunded back to the original payment source/method.