Frequently Asked Questions
Notice: If the information presented in this section differs from that presented in the official documents, the official documents are considered to be correct.
Future students
Cégep à distance is a lively, innovative, flexible, motivating learning environment that has been fostering the full development of its students for over 25 years.
Cégep à distance develops and offers free-standing asynchronous courses. Every student benefits from personal support.
- Free-standing course: A free-standing course includes all the course materials.
- Asyncronous mode: The student does the course work when and where it suits them. In this sense, the education is customized.
- Personal support:Our progress and academic development team and our tutors offer professional services tailored to every person who studies with us, from their initial admission application to graduation.
Go to the About Cégep à distance page to find out more.
Yes. Cégep à distance is an integral part of Cégep de Rosemont, which has been mandated by the Ministère de l’Éducation et de l’Enseignement supérieur to develop and offer distance college education for Québec. Our courses are therefore recognized as equal to those of other colleges.
To register for one or more courses at Cégep à distance, you first have to apply for admission or, if you are already enrolled in another cégep, get a reciprocal arrangement for visiting students (commandite) from your college.
Then you have to complete a registration form on the portal (Campus). You will receive your course materials by mail, generally within five business days.
The courses currently being developed are multimedia courses, which use the best available means to deliver the course material: websites, multimedia capsules, MP3s, videos, PDF or print documents (workbooks, textbooks, novels, etc.) and more.
All the materials you need for your course are included in the package you receive by mail or within the course. You need to have the required computer resources.
As soon as you receive your course materials, you can begin. First look over your Study Guide and then plunge into the workbook or textbook. Set a schedule for each course. Ideally, you should pass in your first assignment during the first month of the course. You will have between three and seven assignments, depending on the course.
A tutor who is a specialist in the subject matter will coach you in every course you take.
At all times, 24/7, you can go to the Cégep à distance Campus, where you can access your courses, course forums, the messaging system to contact your tutor, your notes and administrative services.
You are never alone!
You have a maximum of six months to complete all your assignments, as set out in the Cégep à distance rules. Then you have to do the final evaluation(s) no more than three months after the grade for your final assignment is posted by your tutor.
You can complete your course quickly or take the entire allowable time. On average, Cégep à distance students take four and a half months to complete a course.
There is no exact length of time for completing the programs offered at Cégep à distance. Since the education is individualized, you study at your own pace. You can take from one to four courses at a time. You can take a break between two sessions or continue in order to reach your goals faster.
Cégep à distance uses a continual registration system. Since the courses are individualized, you can enrol whenever you choose, at any time of year.
That said, the date of your application will determine the session you are enrolled in:
| Registration period | Session |
|---|---|
| Novembre 1 to April 15 | Winter |
| April 16 to June 30 | Summer* |
| July 1 to October 31 | Fall |
The summer session is for part-time students and commandite students (visiting students).
The processing time for new applications to Cégep à distance depends on the program chosen, the complexity of your academic record and the number of applications received. Our team is working actively to process every application as quickly as possible.
To find out the cost of a course, please see our online Course Selection Guide. Search for the course you are interested in and then scroll to the bottom of the page for the Fees section.
The tuition fee is the same as at other public cégeps. If you are eligible for free tuition, you will not have to pay the tuition fee.
To enrol in the summer session with a commandite, you have to pay the total fee at the time of enrolment. The tuition fee will be reimbursed after your college sends the Ministère de l’Éducation confirmation of your eligibility for free tuition.
You always have to pay for the course materials, shipping and handling costs and session fees. Please see the Fees page for more details.
Yes, as a Cégep à distance student, you can apply for student financial aid if you live in Québec and do not have enough financial resources to pursue your education.
To find out more about eligibility conditions for student financial aid, please go to the Ministère de l’Éducation financial aid website at www.afe.gouv.qc.ca.
Students admitted to Cégep à distance can find more information about the specifics that apply to our institution on our Financial aid for students page. Students registered with a commandite must see the financial aid office in their own college.
The total cost for a program varies. If you want an estimate of the total amount, you have to calculate the cost of the materials for each course in the program, as well as the tuition fees, if any, based on your status and eligibility for free tuition (please see the Fees page and the section on that page called Student status and tuition-free studies). Other factors may also influence the total cost to pay.
Only the courses you intend to take in your initial session are considered in the calculation of costs payable at the time of registration. The cost for the entire program will be spread out over the duration of your studies.
Yes. Regardless of the DCS/DEC you want, you can start, advance or complete your general education by enrolling in the Springboard to a DCS/DEC pathway (081.06). If you need a prerequisite for admission to a university program, Cégep à distance also offers many university prerequisites (080.04). Finally, if you want to take a course for your own personal interest, you can register as an independent student (080.02).
Yes. Depending on your situation, the college where you are enrolled may issue an authorization (commandite) to allow you to study at Cégep à distance and still remain enrolled in your home college. Please see the Student already enrolled in another cégep section for more information.
Students who apply today with a commandite from their college can expect the usual processing time of five business days.
Students
The tutor’s primary role is to support you in your learning process. Your tutor will:
- Answer your questions about the subject matter
- Correct and provide comments on your assignments
- Help you prepare for the exam and then correct it
No. You have to complete your course with the tutor assigned to you, so there is no point in asking to switch tutors during the course.
You cannot submit more than one assignment at a time to your tutor. If you send more than one assignment at a time, the extra assignments will be returned to you unmarked, which may end up causing you a delay.
If you have had one assignment corrected and the mark is posted in the Campus, you can apply for a two-month extension to submit your other assignments. There are specific conditions for physical education courses: please see your Study Guide.
You can also apply for a one-month extension to take your exam.
A fee is charged for extensions. Access the Campus:
- On your home screen, under My Courses, click on your course title, then click Request extension
- You must apply separately for each course, if applicable
- There is a $40 fee for each extension for assignments and exams, for each course
Your request must be received by Cégep à distance:
- No later than five business days after the deadline date for your last assignment
or - No later than five business days after the deadline date for your final evaluation – exam(s)
After this date, no extensions can be granted. Cégep à distance will not grant a second extension.
To pass a course and earn the credits, you have to:
- Have all your assignments corrected in order and in compliance with the Cégep à distance rules
- Get at least 50% on the final exam
- Get an overall grade (assignments and exam) of at least 60%
Even if your total for assignments and exam is higher than 60%, you must get at least 50% on the exam to pass the course. Some courses offer you the possibility of re-writing the final.
If you are registered as a Cégep à distance student (without a commandite), you will receive a transcript from us. It is cumulative and includes all courses you have taken within the cégeps network. If you register with a commandite, a final copy of your transcript is issued directly to the registrar of your home cégep. Please see the Official forms and documents page for more information about receiving a diploma.
If you fail and reregister for the same course, it may be possible to reuse your course materials. In this case, you will be presented with the option during your registration process. Make sure you have kept all the course materials, and be sure to mention this in your registration.
Note! Course materials cannot be transferred from one student to another.
Online examinations
You have up to six months to submit your assignments, one at a time, under the Cégep à distance guidelines. Given mail delivery times and the need to wait for your tutor’s corrections before submitting the next assignment, it is hard to complete all the assignments in less than three months. From the time the grade for your last assignment is posted in the Campus, you have up to three months to take the exam.
Access My Course” and then go down to the bottom of the page to the Final Evaluation section. If you are already used to submitting your assignments online, you will see that the Final Evaluation section is just below the Assignments section.
To begin the exam, click the “Attempt Quiz Now” button. An electronic timer starts and remains visible throughout the evaluation. Then you download the answer booklet.
The instructions and questions are displayed at the beginning of the exam. You can navigate from one question to another using the Quiz Navigation function. You must write your answers in your answer booklet.
At the end of the exam, you have to upload the final files (answer booklet, etc.) to the learning environment and then click “Finish Attempt.” A new page will open. Click on “Submit All and Finish” to send your evaluation to your tutor.
The online exam is followed by a mandatory interview, to authenticate your evaluation process.
Yes, all your course materials are allowed.
The length of the exam varies by course. To find out how long your exam is, please refer to the General Guidelines section. You can read this section without starting the counter, by clicking on your final evaluation in the Final Evaluation section.
Yes, you can choose whatever time suits you to take your online exam, as long as you comply with your deadline. But once you start the test, you cannot stop and complete it later. Since it is impossible to stop the counter, please make sure you choose a time when you can complete the entire exam.
Pay attention to our planned maintenance periods, which are posted on our website. Please avoid taking an exam during these periods.
If unusual technical difficulties (network outage, electrical outage, etc.) occur during your evaluation, please contact your tutor as quickly as possible through the Campus messaging system to:
- Submit your final evaluation
- Explain your technical problem
This step is very important, because the time at which you submit your final evaluation validates the time it took you to complete it. This factor will be taken into consideration in our analysis of the situation.
You must contact Cégep à distance if you have a disability or learning disorder. In collaboration with the organizations concerned, we can offer some possibilities for learning evaluation. Each case is treated individually.