FAQ

What is the mandatory Athletics and Recreation (ATRS) student fee and why do I have to pay it?

For: Students

UVic students pay a mandatory Athletics and Recreation (ATRS) student fee as part of their tuition. This fee is essential support required to operate and maintain high quality facilities and offer an extensive range of programming related to inclusive, healthy active living and varsity sport on campus.

This portion of the student fees allows UVic to provide access to a range of facilities for all students, including access to the McKinnon pool, CARSA squash courts, drop-in activities, and regular-season varsity home games. It also supports hundreds of students participating in Vikes sport clubs, allowing UVic to provide subsidized rates for the CARSA Fitness and Weight Centre, CARSA Climbing Centre and for registered programs.

Students must pay additional fees to access the Fitness Weight Centre, fitness classes, personal training and intramurals.

Is my student status assessed or non-assessed?

For: Students

Assessed: Students who pay the Athletics and Recreation Mandatory Fee as part of their UVic tuition. All full-time and part-time students attending classes on campus pay this fee.

Non-assessed: Students who do not pay the Athletics and Recreation Mandatory Fee as part of their UVic tuition. This includes students who study by distance education.

Why has the price of a student membership changed?

For: Students

New in 2022/23 all assessed part-time UVic undergraduate and graduate students will pay the same Athletics and Recreation mandatory fee of $94.31/term.

In previous years, part-time students have paid a lower mandatory ATRS fee than full-time students - $46.23/term in 2021-22 vs $92.46/term for full-time students last year. On average, UVic part-time students use ATRS facilities and services more often than full-time students.

The revenue resulting from this fee alignment will be invested back into our programs, facilities and services to directly benefit students. One immediate benefit to students this fall is a 25% price reduction on our optional student memberships inclusive of Fit, Climb, Fit Plus and All In.

What does the ATRS fee go towards?

For: Students

The ATRS fee accounts for approximately one-third of the department’s annual operating revenue to support programs, facilities and operations. This portion of the student fees allow UVic to provide access to our facilities for our entire student population, including free access to the McKinnon pool, CARSA squash courts, drop-in activities and regular-season varsity home games. It also supports Vikes student sport clubs and provides reduced rates for all students at the CARSA Fitness and Weight Centre, climbing wall and for intramural leagues.

How does the alignment of mandatory fees benefit students?

For: Students

By aligning the mandatory fee, ATRS can provide a 25% price reduction on the Fit/Climb portion of our CARSA FWC student memberships, which include access to the CARSA Fitness Weight Centre and the CARSA climbing wall. This, in turn, decreases the fees for all other forms of optional CARSA student memberships as the Group and All In components are set add-ons to the Fit membership.

The new fee alignment will cost a part-time student an additional $20 per term if they purchase an optional membership, instead of $47. Full-time students will benefit from a $27/term savings on an optional student membership.

A 20% reduction doesn’t seem significant enough, how else will this benefit the student body?

For: Students

Whether you use the ATRS services or not, the mandatory fee provides a crucial role in supporting mental and physical health for all students at UVic enriching the university experience. The access to additional revenue will go back to the students by providing more equitable programing, inclusive offerings, services, and events for all students on campus.

Why do part-time students have to pay the same fee as full-time students?

For: Students

On average, UVic part-time students use ATRS facilities and services more often than full-time students.

Students have faced financial hardship through the pandemic, combined with inflation and the increased cost of living, why is this being added now?

For: Students

We’ve been looking at ways to eliminate barriers, improve access and reduce cost for students for a long time. We believe now is the time to do this, as the sooner we can implement this change, the more students can benefit.

The fee is mandatory to all students; however, there are some exemptions such as distance learners, regular continuing staff who are also students, and students who have a medical exemption through the Centre for Accessible Learning. Learn more about what is required for an exemption here.

Alumni Association Bursary for Active, Healthy Living

For students demonstrating an unmet financial need, bursaries of at least $200 will be awarded to undergraduate students to offset the cost of a CARSA membership. The UVic Alumni Association wishes to support active healthy living with this endowed gift. To apply for this bursary students should log into the scholarship and bursary section of online tools.

Full instructions on how to apply are listed here. Deadlines to apply are October 15^th and June 1^st.

I don’t use the gym, why do I have to pay this fee?

For: Students

The Athletics and Recreation (ATRS) fee is not a gym fee or a fee for service. It provides essential support for ATRS facilities and operations, including all programming related to inclusive, healthy active living and varsity sport on campus. It funds services that play a vital role in supporting mental and physical health for all students at UVic and enriching the UVic experience.

The mandatory tuition fee accounts for approximately one-third of the ATRS annual operating budget to support facilities and operations. It allows UVic to provide our diverse student population with free access to numerous services and reduced rates at CARSA Fitness and Weight Centre, climbing wall and other services.

Login for the first time

For: Staff & Faculty, Students

1. Visit vikesrec.ca/register
2. Scroll down and click on Log In under the Current UVic Student, Staff and Faculty section on the left
3. Click NetLink ID
4. Follow the steps to sign in using your UVic NetLink ID and password
5. Once you are redirected back to the Vikes registration portal be sure to sign your waiver
6. Start accessing all of your registration opportunities. When you are signed in your NetLink ID should appear in the top right-hand corner of your screen

Forgot your NetLink ID

For: Alumni, Staff & Faculty, Students

If you are unsure if you have a NetLink ID or you think you have one but forgot the username or password visit: https://www.uvic.ca/netlink/recover

If you try to create a new account within the Vikes Active Living Portal that has an e-mail address already associated with a NetLink ID, visit https://www.uvic.ca/netlink/recover to reset your password and login following the instructions above.

Create a new account for community members

For: Community

1. Visit vikesrec.ca/register
2. In the top right hand corner of your screen click Sign Up
3. Fill out all of the necessary fields including your name, desired username, desired password and email address
4. You will receive a confirmation by email to verify your account
5. Once verified, you can log in and agree to the Terms of Use

Note: Your contact information will only be used to inform you about programs and services that pertain to you. It will allow Vikes Athletics and Recreation to contact you with important information such as unexpected closures, cancellations or registration issues. You no longer need a Member ID number to access registration.

Add a family member to account

For: Everyone

1. Visit vikesrec.ca/register and login
2. Click on your username in the top right hand corner
3. In the Personal Information tab, scroll down to the bottom of the screen and look for the header Family Members
4. Click Add Family Member and be sure to complete the form, including birth date for children, and then click Save.
5. Your family members should now be visible on your Personal Information profile.

Note: To register a child or youth for summer camps or an activity with age restrictions, the child must be registered under 'Family' to the adult registering as per the above instructions. i.e. You can not register a parent for Vikes Summer Camps or a youth program.

Register for a program

For: Everyone

1. Visit vikesrec.ca/register and login
2. Click the ≡ icon at the top left corner of your browser window
3. Click Programs
4. Use the Classification tab to filter by type of registrable program
5. Use the Semester tab to filter by when the program will be offered
6. Once you select a classification, use the Category tab to view the specific categories (eg. Ballet is a category of the Adults – Dance classification)
7. Click on the program you want to register for to see the specific offerings (Note: there may only be one offering or session per program)
8. Click Register for the offering you want to register for. Above the button you will see how many spots are available.
9. Choose who you want to register the program for. Your name or any registered family members should appear.
10. Double check the right offering (dates, time, program) appear in your shopping cart and follow the steps to checkout.

Note: You no longer need a Member ID number to access registration.

Register a child for a program

For: Everyone

1. Visit vikesrec.ca/register and login
2. Click the ≡ icon at the top left corner of your browser window
3. Click Programs and find the offering you want to register your child for
4. Click Register for the offering you want to register for. Above the button you will see how many spots are available.
5. Choose who you want to register the program for. Only eligible members will be able to register i.e. a child with a birth date that meets the restrictions of the program offering
6. Double check the right offering (dates, time, program) appear in your shopping cart and follow the steps to checkout.

If no dependents appear you can add them in the registration process or follow these steps.

Reserve a spot in group fitness programs

For: Everyone

Note: Vikes Fit or Climb members can only access select included Group Fitness classes. Vikes Fit Plus, Vikes All-in, Group Fitness drop-in pass includes all Group Fitness classes.

1. Visit Group Fitness section
2. Select the program you wish to reserve your spot for and click Register
3. Find the instance of the program you want to reserve your spot for (specific day and time of session)
4. Click Register
5. Review booking policies and check-in timing here.

Reserve a squash court

For: Everyone

1. Visit vikesrec.ca/register and login
2. Choose COURT BOOKINGS from the main menu or front page
3. Click on Reserve and type in your name under Participants
4. Click on Reserve Now
5. An email confirmation will be sent

Did not receive a confirmation email

For: Everyone

If you did not receive a confirmation email from us, please check your junk/spam folder.

Please be aware if you are using a .gov or .bc.ca email address, the security settings may prevent some emails from being delivered.

System says email address is already in use

For: Everyone

This means an account using this email address is already in our system.

You may be creating a duplicate account or you were once a student / staff / faculty on campus and you used this email address associated to your NetLink ID and password.

If you were a student / staff / faculty and have need to regain access visit uvic.ca/netlink/recover.

If you are a community member, go to vikesrec.ca/register click on Log In at the top of the page. Enter your email address or username the field under Email or Username and click Next. On the next screen click the Trouble logging in? link and follow the instructions.