The information on this page pertains to the previous format of the PEY Co-op program, and only applies to students who were in their third year of study during the 2021-2022 academic year
In September 2020, the Engineering Career Centre launched a new co-op model that provides engineering students access to workplace preparatory programming during Year 1 and 2. The 2021-2022 period will be a transition year between the current outgoing model and the new program model. To facilitate this transition, the following students are eligible to participate in September 2021 and January 2022 recruitment:
Professional Experience Year Co-op Program (PEY Co-op)
- Year 2 Engineering students are available for a summer co-op work term that goes for 12 to 16 weeks between May and August 2022. This is the first of two work integrated learning opportunities offered within the new Professional Experience Year (PEY) Co-op Program model. Recruitment for the summer co-op work term starts in Winter 2022. For more information on this program please consult the 1st & 2nd year Engineering Page
- Year 3 Engineering and Arts and Science students are available for 12-16 month co-op work terms between May 2022 and September 2023. Recruitment starts in September 2021 until July 2022. Within the new PEY Co-op model, this is the last work term year that Arts and Science students will participate in.
Engineering Summer Internship Program (ESIP)
Year 3 Engineering Students are available for a summer co-op work term that goes for 12 to 16 weeks between May and August 2022. With the launched of the new PEY Co-op model, Summer 2022 will be the final work term offering for this program.
PEY Co-op is a 12- to 16-month position in one company, providing you with a rich and immersive opportunity to focus on your professional development. U of T Engineering students may also consider participation in our Engineering Summer Internship Program, which is an optional, paid, four-month summer internship. Together, these programs offer a multiple-work-term experience at different companies.
Yes, it will appear on your transcript as “PEY Co-op 500” credit/no-credit course.
The new Professional Experience Year Co-op (PEY Co-op) program provides students with foundational personal and career development programming in year 1 and 2, prior to students entering the recruitment phase for co-op work terms.
3rd year students enrolled in PEY Co-op for 2022-2023 or ESIP for 2022 will have access to virtual (pre-recorded and live) workshops through Quercus as well as access to extra resources designed to help craft and improve resume, cover letter, and interview skills. Additionally, students can book an appointment for resume/cover letter/interview directly with a co-op coordinator.
Once students have accepted a job either verbally or in writing to the ECC or to the employer directly, they may no longer continue the job search or attend interviews for that recruitment cycle. For this reason, we encourage students to make informed decisions on whether the offer they have received is the right choice for them prior to accepting the offer.
If students renege on an accepted offer, they may be removed from the PEY co-op program. If a student is having doubts about an offer that they have accepted, they are required to connect with the appropriate co-op coordinator immediately before making any further decisions.
Yes. All students that plan on proceeding with their work term through our co-op program are required to pay all associated fees. Information on payments and fees can be found on the requirements, eligibility and fees page (PEY 2022-2023), ESIP information page (ESIP 2022), and/or the student accounts page (Year 1 & 2 Students)
Student status & incidental fees while on PEY Co-op
While you work full-time as a PEY Co-op student in your 12-16 month work term, you will retain full-time student status at the University of Toronto. Since PEY Co-op students pay part-time incidental fees, their ACORN status automatically reflects part-time on their record. Please note that PEY Co-op students still retain their full-time student status while on their 12-16 month work term.
Students pay part-time incidental fees for each of the fall and winter terms while on their 12-16 month PEY Co-op work terms, which ensures the continuation of access to important University services and plans. While your health and dental insurance plans will remain active throughout the fall, winter and summer, your access to campus services (e.g., athletic facilities) pauses during the summer term — just as it does for any U of T student who is not enrolled in courses over the summer. Throughout your PEY Co-op work term, you and your employer will have uninterrupted access to Engineering Career Centre services.
Yes, provided your PEY Co-op job is in Canada. As with OHIP, UHIP does not provide coverage (travel insurance) outside of Canada.
Student loans while on PEY Co-op
Yes. To retain your interest-free status on your previous full-time OSAP loans while on PEY, you can either reapply for 2022-2023 full-time OSAP or complete the 2022-2023 Continuation of Interest-Free Status (CIFS) online application through the OSAP website. In September 2022, U of T will confirm your full-time enrolment for your application and the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) will be notified of your status.
Yes. If you choose to reapply for 2022-2023 full-time OSAP while on PEY, please do so in May/June 2022. If you do not want to reapply for full-time OSAP, but have previous full-time OSAP loans, you can start completing the Continuation of Interest-Free Status (CIFS) online application, for the 2022-2023 academic year, as early as August 17, 2022. It is recommended that you complete the CIFS application as early as possible after August 17, 2022. U of T will confirm your full-time OSAP/CIFS application starting in Sept 2022, which will notify the NSLSC of your status.
The repayment of your previous OSAP loans starts six months from when you were last a full-time student. For example, if you were last full time in April 2022 you are given a 6-month non-payment period, in which interest accrues on your OSAP loans, with that period expiring on Oct 31, 2022. In this case, the deadline for students to have a full-time OSAP/CIFS application confirmed, to have the accrued interest reversed and to avoid loan repayment, is Oct 31, 2022. It is important to apply for full-time OSAP/CIFS well in advance of Oct 31, 2022. DO NOT wait until that deadline to submit your OSAP/CIFS application since processing times can be lengthy. OSAP/CIFS applications submitted after Oct 31st can still be processed and confirmed but you will be responsible for any accrued interest and payments. The final deadline to submit a full-time OSAP application is 60 days before the end of the term. The final deadline to submit the CIFS application is April 9, 2023. If you wait until the final deadline to submit the OSAP/CIFS application, you will be responsible for any accrued interest/payments. The processing time for applications during peak periods (start of the term) is around 4-6 weeks. Once your OSAP/CIFS application is complete, U of T will confirm your full-time enrolment which will notify the NSLSC of your status.
To submit your CIFS application, follow these steps:
- Log into your OSAP account (ontario.ca/osap)
- On the Application page, click on “Apply for interest-free status”
- In the field asking for your program name, write “PEY” (not your academic program). If you don’t write “PEY” there may be an issue with your application.
- If a status is requested, indicate that PEY Co-op is full-time
- Indicate the start date of your study period as September 1, 2022 and end date of your study period as April 30, 2023
Once you submit your CIFS application, allow 4-6 weeks for your full-time status to be confirmed by the University. You will know this has been done, when your status shows as “Eligible”, then contact the NSLSC to discuss any outstanding interest and/or payments that may be required. If you received out-of-Province government loan, please contact your loan provider for details on how to maintain interest free status. Please refer to any correspondence you have received from the Loan Centre.
If you have questions regarding this, please contact:
- Engineering students - Pierina Filippone, Assistant Registrar, Scholarships & Financial Aid – pierina.filippone@utoronto.ca
- Arts & Science students – Do not email as you will not receive a response. Please contact the Enrolment Services Help Desk (http://uoft.me/enrolment-services)
Yes, as with every year you received OSAP in the past, you must reapply if you need assistance upon returning to your studies.
If you received OSAP in the past and will not need funding again after completing your PEY Co-op job, please advise the National Student Loans Service Centre when you return to full-time studies by completing the CIFS form online through your OSAP account. If you received a student loan from another province, please contact your lender for instructions on what they require when you return to your full-time studies after completing your PEY Co-op position.
Yes, you may apply for OSAP, however, you must declare PEY Co-op income on your OSAP application. The amount of funding you receive will depend on the level of your income/resources (including that of your parents/spouse, if applicable). You should indicate your program as PEY Co-op and indicate your load is 100%. Please note that to maintain OSAP eligibility you must be registered for the 2022-2023 study period and remain in the PEY Co-op program for the Fall/Winter terms. If you receive OSAP funds while on a PEY Co-op work term and your study plans change, please upload a signed and dated letter through your OSAP account (Additional Uploads section) to notify Enrolment Services of the change.
If you are taking classes during your PEY Co-op, you must notify OSAP of your plans so that your course fees can be considered in your OSAP assessment. Before taking courses during your PEY Co-op work term, they are required to be approved by the Engineering Career Centre. You can find the form and instructions here. After you submit your OSAP application, upload a letter indicating how many courses you plan to take on the "Additional Uploads" page in the "Required Documents" section of your online OSAP application.
It is not necessary to submit the Continuation of Interest-Free Status online application if you are applying for OSAP.
Other
Thank you for your interest in the ESIP program. Please note there are changes to the program which can be found HERE.
Students entering the recruitment cycle for ESIP 2022 or the 12-16 week Summer co-op job search for 2022 will gain access to the portal after registration (ESIP) or after completion of the required modules (12-16 week Summer job search). PEY Co-op students for 2022-2023 will be required to attend the Pathway to Success Workshop. Attendance to this session is a prerequisite in order to obtain access to the job board on the PEY Co-op portal.
This workshop is available on Quercus for registered PEY Co-op students. Students will see the PEY Co-op course added to Quercus after registration has officially ended.
The workshop will consist of an introduction of the PEY Co-op program as well as important details of the next steps in the recruitment cycle.
We will continue to monitor and follow the recommendations of Health Canada and the University of Toronto’s COVID-19 response plan and notify students of updates on how the recruitment process will proceed into the next year. The Engineering Career Centre staff were able to successfully facilitate over a thousand co-op work terms in the past year by delivering our services online and virtually to both students and employers. For 2022-2023 recruitment cycle, while there are plans for the university to return to the workplace in person, we also recognize the fact that on-campus face to face interviews may not happen due to safety protocol requirements. As such, we encourage our employers and students to plan for virtual interviews in Fall 2021 and Winter 2022.
If a student has any questions regarding job postings, resume/cover letter support, interview process and preparation, please send an email to pey.coop@utoronto.ca for further guidance.
You can find pre-recorded Resume & Cover letter workshops available through Quercus. Live sessions will be hosted by our PEY Co-op coordinators to address questions regarding the content of the topics.
Extra resources: Students are encouraged to access the extra resources in the career portal designed to help craft and improve resumes, cover letters, and interview skills. Resources are available under Co-op & Experience Programs - “Resources”
One-on-One appointments will be available to students the first week of October. Before booking an appointment, please check the instructions and recommendations under ECC Portal "Appointments."
To connect with industry recruiters and learn about their opportunities, see the listed links.
If you take a gap year to work and are not registered through the PEY Co-op Program, you will not be registered as a U of T Engineering student while you are away from your studies. PEY Co-op is an official University program and you will not be entitled to call the gap year a PEY Co-op position. It is important that you don’t misrepresent this status in any way, including to employers, on LinkedIn, or on your resume. If you choose to take a gap year, you will not have access to the Continuation of Interest-Free Status (CIFS), meaning you will need to start repaying your OSAP/provincial government loan during your gap year.
This information is scheduled to be updated in September 2022 for 2022-2023 PEY Co-op Students
PEY Co-op students automatically have health and dental insurance coverage through Green Shield when they pay their part-time incidental fees.
PEY Co-op students will notice an APUS Health fee and an APUS Dental fee (Association of Part-time Undergraduate Students) on their ACORN record for the fall and winter term. That APUS Health and Dental fee means they are covered automatically for health and dental.
PEY Co-op students only have insurance coverage according to this schedule:
- PEY Fall term only coverage period: September 1, 2021 to December, 31, 2021 = 4 month coverage with Green Shield Canada
- PEY Winter term only coverage period: January 1, 2022 to August 31, 2022 = 8 month coverage with Green Shield Canada
- PEY students registered for both the Fall and Winter terms have coverage from September 1, 2021 - August 31, 2022 with Green Shield Canada.
- PEY Students working outside of Canada are eligible for a health and dental exemption through our Fall 2021 International Student exemption form.
- PEY Co-op students cannot submit any claims to Green Shield Canada until the first week of November since most accounts are experiencing a black-out period. Blackout periods primarily apply to incoming students or students who were not enrolled in our plans during the previous year. During this period, you will not be able to access your benefit coverage, online accounts and/or submit claims. Any health and dental services received during the blackout period can be resubmitted for claim reimbursement after the blackout period ends, as long as you remain a part-time student. The blackout period ends shortly after UofT confirms your academic enrollment with Green Shield Canada.
Note: If you are a PEY Co-op student who is registered with Accessibility Services and you may require accommodations not covered by the APUS Health & Dental plan, please contact your advisor at Accessibility Services as soon as possible to discuss your particular needs."
If you have urgent questions regarding Health and Dental Opt-In or Opt-Out, please email health@apus.ca and someone can help you there.
For all other Inquires:
Health and Dental Inquires
Health & Dental Frequently Asked Question & Forms (Please scroll to the bottom of the page)
Health and Dental Benefits Booklet 2020-2021
Green Shield Customer Service
Please provide GSC your APUS plan ID number (APUstudentnumber)
1 888-711-1119 or Customer.Service@greenshield.ca