corporate governance
Student Activity Fees
Also known as Ancillary Fees, consist of a mixture of mandatory and optional fees assessed to all members of the Alma Mater Society. The fees are established by a dual process of validation and through a campus-wide Fall & Winter referenda administered by the Office of the AMS Secretariat. The fees are used to support a variety of essential student services, as well as student groups, clubs and other grants.
Students may opt-out of optional fees following the procedures outlined by the University Registrar’s Office. Please note that the AMS does not run the Optional Fee Opt-Out process; we simply facilitate the process to be put on the ballot. If you have any issues or concerns with the process, please contact the Registrar’s Office at .
Student FAQ
AMS-affiliated, full-time, undergraduate, on-campus students are assessed student ancillary fees. AMS-affiliated students are those represented by the following Faculty Society members: Arts and Science, Applied Science and Engineering, Computing, Commerce, Concurrent Education (years 1-4 only), Health Science, Nursing, and Physical & Health Education & Kinesiology students.
Students registered in 9 or more units (equivalent to 3 courses) are considered full-time and are assessed full student ancillary fees; both mandatory and optional. This assessment is done in the Fall Term. Students enrolled solely during the winter term are assessed 50% of mandatory student fees only.
AMS-affiliated part-time undergraduate on-campus students who would not normally be charged student ancillary fees may opt-in through the University Registrar if they wish to participate in and have access to undergraduate student government activities, jobs and services and the AMS Health and Dental plans. Please select the Self Enrolment button above to learn about and complete the Self Enrolment process.
Students 65 years or older, those not AMS-affiliated, and those registered exclusively in certificate programs, correspondence, off-campus or evening courses (including students registered in the undergraduate online career), are exempt from this process and are not able to opt-in.
Students who formally complete their degree program or withdraw from the University must submit their student card to the Office of the University Registrar, Gordon Hall, Room 125 in order to obtain a refund of student ancillary fees.
Fee refunds, in accordance with University Policy can be viewed here: https://www.queensu.ca/registrar/financials/refunds
If you are a member of the Alma Mater Society, you cannot opt-out from the mandatory fees. Students may opt-out of optional fees following the procedures outlined by the University Registrar’s Office. The AMS does not run the Optional Fee Opt-Out process. If you have any issues or concerns with the process, please contact the Registrar’s Office at SOLUS@queensu.ca
Link to opt-out: https://qservices.queensu.ca/apps/optout/
Queen’s University Board of Trustees has established a Queen’s University Ancillary Fee Protocol. Under this protocol, the Alma Mater Society can establish a process to assess members for a variety of fees. The current process is governed by the Student Activity Fee Policy, governed by the AMS Board of Directors and has a two stages:
1. The validation stage, in which groups wishing to assess students fees, must establish that they meet the eligibility criteria. Groups are also asked to submit a budget to demonstrate eligibility and need. The Student Activity Fee (SAF) Review Committee reviews all submissions and makes final decisions about approvals if it is satisfied that groups have demonstrated eligibility.
2. The referenda stage, is the second part. It follows after the approval from the SAF Review Committee, in which groups then must participate in the referenda process. A referendum is a question asked via secret ballot to ALL members of the AMS. All students get one vote, and have the final say on whether a group can assess fees. All groups that have a fee established must go through a formal ballot procedure every three years; this is known as Triennial Review.
Please not that the AMS, specifically the Office of the Secretariat facilitate this process and ensures that the required information is forwarded to the SAF Review Committee. That said, the Alma- Mater Society does not decide whether a group receives a fee; that is the responsibility of the constituents, your student body, to vote upon.
I am running into some technical issues. How can I get help?
If you’re experiencing general technical difficulties logging into your Queen’s account, we recommend using Incognito Mode (private browsing).
If the issue continues to persists, please submit a technical ticket directly to Queen’s IT Services via www.queensu.ca/its/contact-us.
If there are any technical concerns about the SAF process itself, please reach out directly to the Secretariat ().
Any student wishing to opt-out of an Optional AMS or Faculty-Specific Fee—or from the AMS Health and Dental Plans — may do so once a year during the Change of Coverage period which opens on September 1st — 29th, 2026.
Please note: For the AMS Health and Dental Plans, in order to opt-out, you are required to prove an equivalent coverage by another plan.
Validation Information
Student Activity Fees are ancillary fees assessed to members of the Alma Mater Society. They are established by a campus-wide referendum in which all students get to vote to establish, increase or continue a fee. All groups, except those exempt by the AMS Board of Directors, are required to participate in the referendum every three years. Please note the following key dates for the Validation Stage of the Fall 2026 Civic Period:)
Fall Deadline: September 18th at 12:00 PM for all groups – except those that have been emailed with an extended time.
Winter Deadline: Dec 4th at 12:00PM – except for those that have been emailed with an extended time.
Please CAREFULLY REVIEW the relevant policies and packages
The two packages you should review are the Fall 2026 Validation Package & the Fall 2026 Referenda Package (can find them linked above).
These both have all the key information not only for those interested in being considered but it also outlines the procedures AMS follows.
While it is your responsibility to become familiar with both documents, and to ensure that you demonstrate eligibility during the validation stage, and for the duration of the time you receive a fee; please do not hesitate to reach out to the Secretariat for any clarification or consultation.
How to submit the application (Helpdesk):
- Set up / log in to your AMS Helpdesk account
- How to set up your account (step-by-step): How to Create and Activate an AMS Helpdesk/Elections Desk Account | Scribe
- Helpdesk link: Service Catalog : Alma Mater Society
- To navigate from the website:
- go to myams.org → Employees → AMS Support Portal.
- Once your account is set up and you’re logged in, you’ll see Requisition forms and Submissions. Click there to access the Elections/SAF portal.
- Re-submit the Triannual Review form. In that form you can upload:
- the validation form
- the budget
- any additional information
Please note that it is YOUR responsibility to demonstrate eligibility and compliance with the Student Activity Fee Policy. If there is anything that you feel the committee should be aware of, please bring it to their attention in your validation submission.
Once all material required is submitted, the Student Activity Fee Review Committee will meet to discuss your application and make a decision on whether your application demonstrates eligibility; the committee has the opportunity to reach out to follow up with groups on further clarification prior to a decision being made.
The SAF Review Committee only oversees the validation process; the referenda is a separate process from this, please refer to the Fall 2026 Referenda package to note the required actions after you pass the validation stage. In the decision letter, you will be informed of the following:
- Whether or not your application has passed the validation stage.
- Any conditions that you must meet as a part of your approval.
- Information on whether you will need nominations, or to attend the Ratification Assembly to establish a fee.
Please note that decisions of the SAF Review Committee are final and not subject to appeal.
That said, you are always welcomed to reach out to the Secretariat for further clarity regarding the decision.
SAF Review Committee Composition
- AMS Secretariat (Chair, Non-Voting)
- AMS Chief Returning Officer (Scribe, Non-Voting)
- AMS General Manager (Ex-Officio, Non-Voting)
- AMS Controller (Observer, Non-Voting)
- AMS Clubs Commissioner (Advisory, Non-Voting)
- AMS Social Issues Commissioner (Advisor, Non-Voting)
- AMS Chairperson of the Board (Voting)
- AMS Vice Chairperson of the Board (Voting)
- AMS President
- Up to three members of the AMS Assembly (Voting)
For more clarity on what the terminology of these positions mean, please refer to the Assembly Committee section found in Assembly Policy.
If the SAF Review Committee has decided that you have passed the validation stage, you will then go on the Referenda ballot to be voted upon by our AMS Constituents. It is not AMS, the organization who decides a group can have a fee established; it is under the purview of the AMS Civic Affairs Office to simply facilitate this process.
The decision on whether a group can establish a fee is by the students votes.
Please note that in your decision letter, please be sure to review it in detail, and complete any conditional items of approval if required.
For more information on Referenda and those voting dates, please refer to this page: https://www.myams.org/about/governance/elections/
Once the referendum is complete, the AMS Elections Team will announce the results of the referenda and whether your group has passed the referendum.
Fee Passed:
If your fee has passed, you will be added to the AMS Fee Slate for the September immediately following the referendum cycle in which it was approved. You will begin to receive fees after your fee was added to the fee slate, and the Queen’s University Board of Trustees approves the fee slate. More information on the fund administration can be found on the next step.
Fee Failed:
If your fee has failed the referendum, you may NOT participate in the referendum immediately following the one in which your fee failed. For example, if you failed during the Fall 2026 Referendum, you are not able to be considered during the Winter 2027 Referendum.
If you have concerns about funding, please contact the AMS President at .
Please note when you pass and your fee is established you have to wait until the incoming year to have it on the ballot.
Once the opt-out period closes, your fee is then collected, and you will then receive the majority of the funds by November/December of the same year; and the remainder in March/April. Please keep the following in mind:
Eligibility: You must continue to remain eligible for receiving your student fees. If there is anything that may potentially impact your eligibility, please contact for support as soon as you become aware of this.
Budget Records :Make sure to keep a record of your actual spending at the end of each fiscal academic year (April 30th). The next time you participate in the referendum process (Triennial Review – more information on Step 5), you will be asked about your spending and actual dollar values. We encourage that you download a copy of the budget template you used for the validation process to keep your records.
Audits:Every year, a number of groups and fees are selected to undergo an audit. If you are selected for an audit, follow the directions provided to you at the time! This is an internal process – so there is no public information available, all instructions can be found in the email sent out:)
Update Your Information: It is your responsibility to keep the AMS updated with your banking information, contact addressed, etc. If your group name changes, you may use Student Activity Fees – Formstack to let the Secretariat know.
Suspend Your Fee or Decrease Your Fee: As a part of your eligibility, you are required to spend the majority of the fees received for the reasons you intended at the time you made your application. If you have concerns about being able to spend your fee, you can contact the AMS Secretariat () for more guidance and support. Groups may decrease the value of their fee at their own discretion; increasing a fee has to go through another validation process and vote.
In the third year you receive your fee, you will be required to participate in the validation and referendum process again!
