Do I have to be in school for every one of these accounts?

No. CIBC Smart Start says any Canadian resident under 25 qualifies, student or not. TD uses age 23 and then proof of full time study. RBC uses full time study or age 24 and younger. Scotiabank's Student Banking Advantage Plan uses full time post secondary enrollment, and its students and youth package also prints a $0 fee under 25.

What is the fee after the student period?

RBC prints the Advantage Banking fee of $12.95. Scotiabank says the Preferred Package fee applies after a 12 month grad waiver. CIBC says the account continues as a Smart Account, and that page prints $16.95 or $0 with a $4,000 daily balance. TD points you at proof of enrollment after 23 rather than naming the next account's fee on the student page.

Is a newcomer waiver the same as a student waiver?

No. The newcomer pages are a separate offer with their own months and accounts. Use the newcomer guide for those.

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Canadian student chequing account fees

A student chequing account is a named account with its own monthly fee. It is not the basic everyday account, and it is not a newcomer offer. This page is the fee each bank printed on 20 October 2026. BMO and National Bank student offers are left out.

Last updated: October 20, 2026

Last checked: Oct 2026

The monthly fee on the student account

Opened 20 October 2026. The basic everyday accounts are on monthly chequing account fees by bank. Newcomer offers are on Canadian bank account fees for newcomers. The line on your own statement is the one that counts. Upload it on the upload page. The PDF stays on your device. Expenvo lists the lines. It does not sign in to the bank.

Opened 20 October 2026. Amounts are Canadian dollars. One named account per row.
Account	Monthly fee	What the same page says about who qualifies
TD Student Chequing	$0	TD says you keep the account with no monthly fee until age 23, and after 23 with proof of full time post secondary enrollment. The fee table prints unlimited transactions, no extra transaction fee, and Interac e-Transfer as free. A non-TD ATM in Canada is $2. There is no minimum balance rebate on this account.
RBC Advantage Banking for students	$0 while eligible, otherwise $12.95	The student page says there is no monthly fee for a full time student or anyone 24 and younger. RBC's definition of full time includes at least 60% of a usual post secondary course load. The waiver ends on the graduation date you gave once you are over 25, and the Advantage Banking monthly fee is then charged. The ordinary Advantage fee printed on the account page is $12.95.
Scotiabank Student Banking Advantage Plan	$0 while full time	The plan page prints $0 a month for students enrolled full time at a post secondary school in Canada or the US, domestic or international. Proof of enrollment is required. When you are no longer full time, or you have not shown proof, Scotiabank says the account converts to the Preferred Package with the monthly fee waived for 12 months, and the regular Preferred Package fee applies after that. A separate students page prints $0 on the Preferred Package for Students and Youth if you are under 25 or enrolled full time.
CIBC Smart Start	$0 until age 25	CIBC says there is no monthly fee until age 25 for Canadian residents under 25, and for international students under 25 with proof of student status. Unlimited debit and Interac e-Transfer transactions are included. One non-CIBC ATM withdrawal in Canada is rebated each month. At 25 the account continues as a regular CIBC Smart Account unless CIBC Smart for Students applies. CIBC says full time students can keep no monthly fee while they study.

A $0 month is not every fee

TD still prints $2, $3, and $5 for non-TD ATMs depending on the country, on the student account fee table. Scotiabank's student plan footnote says extra fees apply for shared ABM services, cross border debit, and other services that are not in the package. RBC's student page is about the monthly fee and included debits. A draft, a wire, or a paper statement on another account can still be its own charge.

If the statement shows a monthly fee after a birthday or a graduation date, compare it with the end rule in the row. Asking the bank to review one posted fee is a request. They can say no.

Questions

Do I have to be in school for every one of these accounts?: No. CIBC Smart Start says any Canadian resident under 25 qualifies, student or not. TD uses age 23 and then proof of full time study. RBC uses full time study or age 24 and younger. Scotiabank's Student Banking Advantage Plan uses full time post secondary enrollment, and its students and youth package also prints a $0 fee under 25.
What is the fee after the student period?: RBC prints the Advantage Banking fee of $12.95. Scotiabank says the Preferred Package fee applies after a 12 month grad waiver. CIBC says the account continues as a Smart Account, and that page prints $16.95 or $0 with a $4,000 daily balance. TD points you at proof of enrollment after 23 rather than naming the next account's fee on the student page.
Is a newcomer waiver the same as a student waiver?: No. The newcomer pages are a separate offer with their own months and accounts. Use the newcomer guide for those.

Sources

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