Twelve hundred students — accounting for more than eight per cent of the student body — have dropped out of Conestoga College since the beginning of the college faculty strike on Oct. 16.

Students had two weeks to decide whether to continue with their program or completely drop out. Tuesday was the deadline to apply to receive a full tuition refund.

For students who stay the college has opened a Student Strike Relief Fund. It offers up to $500 for full-time students who "experienced unexpected additional costs" as a result of the five-week strike.

The college will be accepting applications for the relief fund until April 27, 2018.

Other colleges in the province have seen similar numbers of student withdraws. St. Clair College in Windsor Ont., had over 1,200 students drop out.

However, 300 of the students who have withdrawn at Conestoga College have already signed up for a future programs in January or whenever the full term is next offered.

Deb Matthews, the Minister Advanced Education and Skills Development, said in a release Thursday they will ensure students who chose to drop out will "receive a full tuition refund."

"While I am encouraged that it seems that the vast majority of students chose to stay and finish the semester, it was also important to us that those students who felt unable to complete the semester were also supported," she said.