Next Steps

Step-by-step guide for incoming first-year students

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Please continue to check back as this webpage is updated for Fall 2025 intake students. If you are joining us in Winter 2025 - please visit the Winter Intake page. 
 

This Next Steps website will ensure you are prepared for your first year. All incoming undergraduate students should review and complete all the Next Steps check list that apply to you.

International students can visit the Queen'sUBound Next Steps for a Smooth Transition webpage for specific travel and arrival-to-Canada information, and the Queen's University International Centre's website.

 

The steps below are listed in month that we recommend they be actioned, but many may be completed at any point throughout the spring and summer with the exception of a few key deadlines. However, we do encourage you to stick to the recommend months to ensure you have a smooth transition to Queen's in the fall, and are not missing out on important information or deadlines.

You will start hearing from us - The Student Experience Office - weekly, starting in June 2025 at your queensu.ca email address. These emails will ensure you are aware of upcoming deadlines, as well as online and in-person socials and summer programming so you are set for the start of the academic year!

You can also explore all of the student resources and supports available across Student Affairs and the campus.

 

Get your access to the Queen's student system

Your NetID and password give you access to online services and resources. You received information about activating your NetID (sent to your applicant email address) when your application was received.

You have to activate your NetID before you can register for your courses. Once you have activated your NetID, make sure you can login to SOLUS. That way you’ll know you’re ready for course registration in July.

Your NetID will never change, but you should change your NetID password often. A strong NetID password ensures that both your personal information and university resources are protected. 

Make your transition an easy one, and visit the ITS website to help you get started with activating your NetID. View information about setting up your NetID, and technology, resources, and services available to students. 

You will use the same NetID and password for all Queen’s applications – SOLUS, email, onQ, etc.

 

Financial Aid Options

As a future Queen's student, you have lots of options for financial aid, including options that require an application and options that do not require an application.

You are encouraged to apply for all financial aid options, including government assistance (see below). 

 

Complete your Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) application  

The 2024-25 OSAP application opens in April. Submit your OSAP application as soon as possible to ensure funding is available for the start of the academic year. 

Apply for OSAP 

Do not report your Queen’s awards on your OSAP application – learn more about OSAP and awards. 

 

Complete your provincial/territorial Student Government Assistance application 

If you live in another province/territory, check the government student assistance website where you live for information about when the application is available, and information about how to report any awards you have received. Apply as soon as you can to ensure your funding is available for the start of the academic year. 

Apply for governmental financial assistance outside of Ontario. 

 

 

Get in touch with Hospitality Services 

Hospitality Services take food allergies and dietary needs very seriously, including food intolerances, food-related medical conditions, dietary needs related to religious or cultural observances, vegetarian and vegan diets, and other dietary needs. You are encouraged to take the following steps before arriving on campus: 

  1. Complete Hospitality Services’ Food Allergy and Dietary Needs Form accessible through the Student Residence and Dining Portal. Please submit by June 2, 2025, at 4pm ET to ensure you receive important communications and helpful resources from the Registered Dietitian prior to move-in. You may update your form at any time throughout the year.
  2. Book an appointment with Hospitality Services’ Registered Dietitian before arriving on campus to discuss your dietary needs and available supports while dining on a meal plan.
  3. If your dietary need requires room accommodations, ensure a Residence Health Accommodation Form is completed by a Health Care Provider and submitted in the Student Portal by June 2, 2025, at 4pm ET.
  4. All students, especially those with food allergies are encouraged to "Ask Before You Eat".
  5. Learn more about Hospitality Services and how we support those with Food Allergies and Dietary Needs.

 

Log in to Queen’s email service and Office 365 

All new students will receive an email in mid June with information about your Queen's email account. Log in and make sure everything is set up to your satisfaction. 

Log on to your Queen's email 

From this point forward, Queen's will only communicate with you via your Queen's email account, so be sure to keep checking it regularly! 

 

Watch for information on Registration and Fees and student card photo email

The Office of the University Registrar website has detailed information regarding registration and fees, including:  

  • How to register for courses
  • Tuition and fees
  • How to make payment
  • How to submit your photo for your Student ID card

You will receive an email to your Queen’s email account in June with more information. 

Living in Residence 

Living in residence during first year provides a supportive community environment for you to thrive academically, socially, and emotionally. Living on campus helps you to meet new people, participate in organized activities, and ease your transition to university life. 

The First-Year Student Residence Application is open from March 5, 2025 until June 2, 2025, at 4pm ET for undergraduate students starting their studies in Fall 2025 and entering the first year of a full-time, direct-entry, on-campus degree program. 

If you require an accommodation to live in Residence, submit a Residence Health Accommodation Form by June 2, 2025, at 4pm ET. 

Visit the Residence website for more information about the application process, dates, and deadlines, and to explore opportunities to become part of Living Learning Communities and Unique Communities. 

Apply to Queen’s Residence and pay the $805 deposit by June 2, 2025, at 4pm ET 

Living Off-Campus 

Thinking about Off-Campus housing in Kingston for 2025-26? Do you have questions about the Kingston student rental market, your housing search, lease agreements, tenant rights, landlord rights and responsibilities, and finding housemates? Connect with the Off-Campus Living Advisor for resources and guidance.  

If you live off-campus, you can still buy a Campus Meal Plan any time during the academic year. We have multiple meal plan options designed to suit any budget and campus lifestyle. 

 

Take part in online opportunities

The Student Experience Office’s First-Year Foundation program starts this summer and gives you online opportunities to build your community, support your transition, and find your path to success for your first year at Queen’s.

Launching in June:

Launching in July:

Check out our Fall Orientation website for more information on what to look forward to when you arrive on campus.

Follow the SEO on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok to stay up-to-date on all the programming this summer and fall!

Satisfy the conditions on your offer of admission 

Satisfy any conditions on your offer of admission by the due date in your offer email. Due dates may also be found on the Undergraduate Admission Key Dates and Deadlines page. 

Review your final grades on your transcript, or on the OUAC website. Contact your guidance counsellor and Queen’s Undergraduate Admission if your academic data is inaccurate. The information that is on file will be used to determine if you meet the conditions in your offer. 

If you will not meet the conditions on your offer of admission, please email  admresp@queensu.ca as soon as possible. 

Register with Queen's Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) 

If you experience barriers in the academic learning environment due to disability-related reasons, connect with Queen’s Student Accessibility Services (QSAS) to register for accommodations. Start the process now so accommodations are in place for fall term classes. 

Click here to learn how to register with QSAS and what to expect. 

Please note: if you have applied to live in Residence and require an accommodation for your living environment, this is a separate process that can be accessed via the Student Residence and Dining Portal. 

Take part in our online SOAR program

SOAR starts July 2, 2025! Part of the Student Experience Office’s First-Year Foundation, this free online summer orientation program for incoming first-year students and their parents and supporters is jam-packed with opportunities to learn about university life, academic expectations, and campus resources.

Check your Queen's email in June for more information. 

Financial Aid and Awards Profile

July is your final opportunity to complete and submit the Financial Aid and Awards Profile. Through this single application, you will be considered for many need and merit-based awards. Some of the programs which are administrated through this application include the Admission Bursary, Commitment Bursary, Major Access Award, many donor-funded need and merit-based awards, and the Promise Scholars program. 

The Financial Aid and Awards Profile should be completed by incoming first-year undergraduate students who are Canadian, permanent residents or protected persons. It can be found on your SOLUS Student Centre in the Financial Aid tile, under Online Award Applications for future students. 

View Block Course Enrolment (pre-populated class schedules) 

If you are in one of the following programs, you will have some, or all, of your courses automatically added to your schedule by your Faculty or School in late June. 

  • Commerce
  • Concurrent Education
  • Music
  • Nursing
  • Kinesiology
  • Engineering and Applied Science
  • Health Sciences
  • Life Sciences & Biochemistry (Direct-Entry)

Log in to SOLUS beginning in July, to view your pre-enrolled class schedule. 

Students who choose some or all of their courses will be able to see their Enrolment Appointment time in SOLUS beginning in July. This is also when you may begin adding classes to your Shopping Cart. 

 

View your Enrolment Appointment (for course selection) 

Beginning in July, access your SOLUS Student Centre to view your enrolment appointment and begin adding courses to your shopping cart. Your enrolment appointment is your specific date and time when you may enrol in your courses. In advance of the start of your enrolment appointment, it is a good idea to add your courses to your shopping cart and build your schedule so that you are ready to enrol once your Enrolment Appointment begins.  
 
NOTE: You won't be able to actually enrol in the courses until your Enrolment Appointment begins. 

 

Enrol in your courses 

There are three Enrolment Periods: 

Class Selection I: Your enrolment appointment time will be your first opportunity to enrol in your courses. We suggest that you enrol as soon as your appointment time begins. Some courses may have enrolment restrictions on them. These restrictions are there to ensure that students who require certain courses receive priority.  

Class Selection II: Most enrolment restrictions will be removed, although some online classes may still have restrictions. Please note there will be an Enrolment Hiatus for two weeks in August. During this time students will be unable to complete any enrolment activities. If you have registration questions or require assistance, your Faculty and the Office of the University Registrar will be able to assist you after the hiatus.

Open Enrolment: This is an opportunity for you to make changes to your schedule. If you need help, please contact your Faculty/School. 

Visit SOLUS Help for tutorials on how to navigate SOLUS and the  Student Guide for information on registration and fees.   

If you need help selecting courses, please contact your Faculty/School. 

Residence Self-Selection

For students living in residence, self-selection is the process used to determine your residence building and room. This online self-selection platform allows you to log in and view available bed spaces in the 18 residence buildings. 

Self-Selection occurs mid-July. 

Important Dates:

  • Check back in January for 2025 dates

Looking for more information? Check out last year's Residence Self-Selection webinar recording.

Visit the Queen's Residence website for more information about residence self-selection.

Vaccinations

Before arriving to campus, connect with your healthcare provider or local public health unit to review and get a copy of your immunization record. You may need this record if you visit Student Wellness Services.

Queen's strongly encourages you to ensure that all your immunizations are up to date. This includes being fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and measles since it is on the rise globally. Find important information about immunizations and Ontario's routine immunization schedule. 

The local public health unit is also encouraging all students to get the 2-dose Meningococcal B vaccine. There have been cases of this rare but potentially life-threatening bacterial infection in Kingston, and post-secondary students are at an increased risk, as the illness is spread through saliva. This vaccine is NOT part of the routine physically funded immunization schedule but likely covered through most supplementary health insurance plans.

For more information about vaccines in residence, visit the Queen's Residence FAQs. 

Student ID Cards

All on-campus students are provided a student card when they first arrive at Queen's. We will need your help with uploading your photo to SOLUS for us to produce this card. You will be prompted by email to upload your photo in early July.

Students living in residence MUST complete this within two weeks of receiving the email from us to ensure it is ready for pickup on move-in day. You will need this card to access your meal plan along with other services.

Students living off campus can pick up their cards in September at a TBD venue. Your card will give you access to discounts, exams, and the ARC.

Learn more about picking up your Student Card

View your financial aid awards 

Check SOLUS (under the "Financial Aid" title) to find out when your award(s) will be applied to your account. The first half of the award value will be applied to in mid-August before the Fall term tuition payment deadline. The second half  be applied to your SOLUS student account in early December before to the Winter term tuition payment deadline. 

  
For all awards administered by the Student Awards Office (e.g. Queen's bursaries, awards, and scholarships granted on admission), payments will be applied on your account to all current and future university charges (e.g. Fall term tuition and student activity fees, Fall term Residence, Winter Term Tuition, and Winter term residence). 

Learn more about navigating SOLUS

Learn more about paying tuition and fees

 

Confirm your banking information 

Make sure your current information is up to date in the Finances section of SOLUS. Your banking information allows Queen’s to process any refunds directly into your bank account. Please note that Queen’s will not deduct payments directly from your bank account, and any awards will be deposited to your student account, not your bank account. 

If you are coming to Canada for the first time, you will have the opportunity to open a Canadian bank account and update your information after you arrive. 

Update your banking information

 

Access your RESP Verification of Enrolment form 

The Queen’s ‘Verification of Enrolment’ form allows you to withdraw money from your RESP. This form is available in your SOLUS account. All you have to do is download it and send it to your RESP provider. 

Learn more about RESP

 

Tuition and Fees

Check your student financial account often - whether you have a credit or an outstanding balance (e.g. tuition, ancillary fees, residence fees, transcript charges, overdue library fees) your up-to-date account balances are available online through the SOLUS Student Centre.

Check your Queen's will not send reminders or invoices for amounts, so it will be your responsibility to check your account regularly. 

 

Log Update your contact information in SOLUS

Please update your Fall 2025 address, phone number and emergency contact information in SOLUS. Watch for a link in your “To Do” list (on the top right of your SOLUS screen) for next steps.  

 

Check your Queen’s email for scholarship updates 

You will automatically be re-assessed for scholarship consideration once your final grades have been received. If your grades have increased since your offer of admission, your grades will be reviewed, and you will receive a notification via email and SOLUS in mid-August if you become eligible for a grades-based admission scholarship. 

Health Insurance Plans

Queen's students are automatically enrolled into a supplementary health insurance plan that provides partial coverage for health, vision, dental, and travel. These plans are administered by Queen's student governments. Learn more about what is covered and how to submit claims. 

If you are thinking about opting out of the supplementary health insurance plan, we encourage you to review your parent/supporter supplementary health insurance plans, if applicable, to see what is covered and how to submit claims. 

Prescription Medications

If you currently take any prescription medications, contact the health care professional who prescribed them and see if it is appropriate to bring a 3-month supply of your medications with you to school. You can transfer your prescription to a local Kingston pharmacy (e.g. DrugSmart on campus). If this is medication you need on a regular basis, we suggest booking future appointments with the healthcare provider who prescribed it to help ensure you do not run out. You can also book a medical appointment at Student Wellness Services to discuss alternative options available. 

Healthcare Providers from Home

If you receive ongoing care for a physical and/or mental health problem, we suggest you stay in touch with these healthcare providers. You could inquire if they can offer virtual care while you are away at school.

Specialists

If you have a health condition that requires ongoing specialized health care in Kingston, ask your health care professional to send referrals to community specialists in the Kingston area. If assistance is needed with this process, Student Wellness Services can help.

Manage your finances in SOLUS 

Fall term tuition and Student Assistance Levy (SAL) as shown on your Account Summary in SOLUS must be paid by September 1, 2024. 

 

Complete the It Takes All Of Us online learning program

To ensure every first-year student is aware of an understands their role in helping to prevent sexual violence, you are required to complete the It Takes All Of Us online learning program before September 1, 2025. 

If you find completing the program online difficult due to personal circumstances, you'll be asked to complete a form to opt out.