Edgewood College/UpGrad DBA; potentially $11,250

[bjcheung77]

Just wondering... Where in Canada are you? Do you have the requirements for entry into the Edgewood program?

Edgewood University, Yes. Upgrad, No. You're referring to this form: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/...tl11a.html

The educational institution outside Canada does not qualify in the following cases:

it confers only associate degrees, diplomas, certificates or other degrees at a level lower than the bachelor level or equivalent
it affiliates with a university but does not have the authority to confer degrees

Info: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/...anada.html

And, not many Canadians use this program (or even know about it), you can take out up to $20K from your RRSP. I suggest using it wisely. Canada Lifelong Learning Plan Link: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/...-plan.html

[sdimic]

Thanks a lot, @bjcheung77, for the detailed information. I’m based in London, Southwestern Ontario.
When applying through upGrad, they require a letter of intent and a master’s degree - though I believe relevant experience might be accepted as a substitute. It would be ideal if I could use $20K from my RRSP for this purpose, and based on my age, I qualify for the Canada Lifelong Learning Plan.

[MarieF]

Oh, there are actually quite a few Canadians in my cohort. We started in 2024 and submitted a request for the TL11A form. Here’s the response we received:

“Please note that Edgewood College reports tuition amounts based on the end date of each course, rather than the date of payment. As none of your enrolled courses concluded within the 2024 calendar year, there is no tuition to be reported for 2024. Therefore, a TL11A form for the 2024 tax year cannot be issued at this time. Any courses that end in 2025, including those that may have started in 2024, will be included in the tuition total for the 2025 tax year and will be reflected accordingly in the TL11A certificate issued for 2025.”

The main concern we're noticing is that Edgewood likely received only a portion of what we paid, with Upgrad retaining the rest. I’m not sure how much that might be, but the TL11A probably only reflects what Edgewood actually received.

Another major issue we're currently facing in my cohort is the matter of specializations. I was referred to this program by a friend, and my main interest is Healthcare Management. But now, it no longer exists, and we’re all being told we have to go with the Leadership specialization, without any choice, not even the other options like Marketing, Finance.

[bjcheung77]

Thanks a lot, @bjcheung77, for the detailed information. I’m based in London, Southwestern Ontario.
When applying through upGrad, they require a letter of intent and a master’s degree - though I believe relevant experience might be accepted as a substitute. It would be ideal if I could use $20K from my RRSP for this purpose, and based on my age, I qualify for the Canada Lifelong Learning Plan.

Great stuff, there are requirements, shouldn't be too hard to qualify, as long as you're able to take some RRSP, you'll still be in the tax bracket and won't be taxed as much. I would take some time to apply, get everything organized, research/review requirements, and verify conditions and terms of the plan/tax implications. There are savings to be made with these options.

Oh, there are actually quite a few Canadians in my cohort. We started in 2024 and submitted a request for the TL11A form. Here’s the response we received:

“Please note that Edgewood College reports tuition amounts based on the end date of each course, rather than the date of payment. As none of your enrolled courses concluded within the 2024 calendar year, there is no tuition to be reported for 2024. Therefore, a TL11A form for the 2024 tax year cannot be issued at this time. Any courses that end in 2025, including those that may have started in 2024, will be included in the tuition total for the 2025 tax year and will be reflected accordingly in the TL11A certificate issued for 2025.”

The main concern we're noticing is that Edgewood likely received only a portion of what we paid, with Upgrad retaining the rest. I’m not sure how much that might be, but the TL11A probably only reflects what Edgewood actually received.

Another major issue we're currently facing in my cohort is the matter of specializations. I was referred to this program by a friend, and my main interest is Healthcare Management. But now, it no longer exists, and we’re all being told we have to go with the Leadership specialization, without any choice, not even the other options like Marketing, Finance.

What happened to the specializations? It seems they're forcing people into one specialization as the others are not taking enough students... I wonder what's happening at Upgrad. It seems they're going through some growing pains, just like any other educational provider or learning system, they're having issues expanding properly.

[sdimic]

Thanks @MarieF for sharing those details - very interesting structure for the tax documents!

On my side, I’ve just submitted the enrolment request and am now waiting to hear back from the admission committee.

[lidel]

Hey all,

Quick update. So, the proposal and IRB were approved, and I am slated to send out my survey tomorrow morning. I get an email from my advisor with another batch of revisions that will require a complete rework of my document, including foundational changes and likely an amendment to my IRB. These came from someone high up in the program who was not one of the official readers. 

I'm honestly furious as I was told in no uncertain terms that I was free to proceed and the milestones were completed. I sent an email to that effect stating that I appreciate the input but not so much the timing and that I felt this was not respectful of my time as I would not have spent the last couple of weeks doing the IRB for a proposal they wanted more work on.

Anyhow, nothing to be done but roll up my sleeves and get to work. I'm sure it will all be fine once my anger subsides. 

I'll keep on motoring and let you all know how it works out.

S

Here's a quick update. The last month consisted of the previously mentioned revisions, followed by the requirement to produce a presentation for a proposal panel defense. I completed my defense on Thursday and was approved for a second time. I submitted my IRB changes, and that approval came through this morning. I've since distributed my survey link and started the data gathering phase, fingers crossed that I get enough responses from here. 

The additional revisions and panel review were all very helpful for sharpening my proposal. In hindsight, I am happy to have done them, though I wish the communication had been better from the start. My advisor 100% took the blame for the mistake, and I have no hard feelings, as she is learning the process as well.  I will give another update down the road. 

Have a great summer all!

S

[sdimic]

Congrats @lidel on getting through all those revisions and the panel defense - twice! That’s a huge milestone. ? Glad to hear the IRB came through and the survey’s out - fingers crossed for a flood of responses! Appreciate the update and hope you get to enjoy some summer too!

On my end, I’ve been accepted into the DBA program and just had my onboarding session with upGrad. Really looking forward to the orientation and kicking off the first course in late September! That said, I’ll be on vacation for the first two weeks of October, so I’m a bit nervous about keeping up with the coursework in a brand-new learning environment. Fingers crossed it’s manageable!

[bjcheung77]

Awesome and congrats on getting in, as long as you have the requirements, I don't think upGrad and the program is that selective. Cool, where are you going on vacation? I have taken 5 weeks off Sept 19 to Oct 24, going to be in South East Asia.

[handlemethis]

I was able to access the program using a VPN. It sucks that Americans are getting penalized because we're American and have to pay full tuition for a program like this when we're already drowning in student debt.

The tuition section states "Students outside the U.S...." but does that mean you have to not be a US Citizen? What if I have a passport from another country (probably expiring soon) from before I became naturalized. Would I still be able to get the 40% discount on the tuition pricing?

What does the application process look like in terms of residence and identification?

Side note - I was soft-accepted into Walsh for their DBA through greatlearning, but $$$ keeps me from pursuing any program currently.

[MarieF]

U.S. students enjoy direct access to their professors, while Upgrad learners interact primarily with the teaching assistants provided by Upgrad. U.S. students can also choose from three concentrations, something not currently available through the Upgrad pathway. This sheds some light on the reasons behind the price difference.