UBC Bursary program

For more information on government bursary programs for students from outside BC, visit your home province’s government funding website.

About the bursary

The UBC Bursary program is designed to help fill the gap between your assessed educational and living costs, and your available government assistance and expected financial contributions.

The bursary program follows the framework set out by StudentAid BC to give eligible domestic students access to the financial resources they need to meet their needs.

Being eligible for a bursary does not guarantee that you will receive the full amount of funding to cover all costs.

How funding amounts are determined

Several factors are considered to determine the amount of bursary funding you may be eligible to receive.

For most programs, the following is used to determine your funding amount:

Loan assessment: Your individual financial need as determined by your provincial student loan assessment.
Family demographics: Total family size and the previous year’s total income.
Applicant volume: The total number of bursary applicants within your specific program.
Comparative need: The unmet financial need of other eligible students.
Program-specific allocation: UBC Bursary eligibility and the total funds reserved for your program.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for the UBC Bursary program, you must meet all the following requirements:

You are a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or have refugee status.
You are enrolled in an eligible program with a full-time course load.
You must be receiving full-time Canadian government student loans for a study period that is a minimum of 12 consecutive weeks in length and matches the period for which you’re applying for bursary support.
You must have received confirmation of enrolment for your Canadian government student loan by the bursary application deadline.
You must have an unmet financial need as determined by UBC’s evaluation process.

Programs that are not eligible for the bursary: Certificate, Diploma, Unclassified, Qualifying, Visiting, Access Studies, and UBC Co-op.

UBC bursary applications are subject to verifications. Read UBC Bursary Verifications below for more details.

Application period

There are 2 main bursary application periods: winter and summer. An additional winter Term 2-only bursary application is available to students with a Term 2-only student loan. To be eligible, you must apply for the bursary and enrolment must be confirmed with your province for your Canadian government student loan by the application deadline.

2026/27 Winter

Applications open: Fri, Aug 14, 2026
Applications close: Tues, Sep 15, 2026 (11:59 PM PT)

2026/27 Winter Term 2-only

Applications open: Tues, Dec 15, 2026
Applications close: Fri, Jan 15, 2027 (11:59 PM PT)

Important information about student loans

Students are encouraged to apply for student loans and grants as early as possible.

Your enrolment must be confirmed with your provincial loan provider before the bursary application deadlines above to be eligible for UBC bursaries.

To meet this bursary deadline, you are strongly encouraged to apply for your provincial student loan by the following dates, depending on the application period during which you are applying:

For winter bursary applications, apply by July 31.
For winter Term 2-only bursary applications, apply by November 15.
For summer bursary applications, apply by April 15.

How to apply for the bursary

You can apply for the UBC Bursary program at lfsm.ubc.ca. View our step-by-step tutorial.

Once your UBC Bursary application is submitted, you can find the application in the “My Financial Profiles page” of the LFSM-Award application. If the application deadline has not passed, you can click on the pen icon to edit the application and submit any updated information.
If you have received a bursary, you will be notified by email with instructions on how to accept your offer. Bursary offers not accepted within the study period will be cancelled.

Information in the application is collected under the authority of section 26(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

If there are changes to your financial situation

If you are facing an unexpected financial emergency or have had a significant change to your financial situation, contact Admissions & Awards. They can help you navigate these changes and connect you to relevant support.
If you have been awarded a bursary and have since received come into additional resources not reported on your bursary application, you must report this to Admissions & Awards.

How bursary funds are issued

Bursaries issued by UBC are applied first toward tuition and student fees. When the amount of the bursary is greater than the outstanding fees in any term:

If you have provided banking information on Workday, the surplus funds are paid to your bank account through direct deposit, normally within 3 to 5 business days of the payment being issued.
If banking information has not been provided, any remaining funds will stay on your tuition account as a credit toward future tuition.

Students are required to sign up for direct deposit to ensure timely access to bursary funds.

UBC Bursary Verifications

All UBC bursary support is subject to financial reviews and verifications.

Failure to provide the requested documents in a timely manner may result in the delay or cancellation of your UBC bursary funding, and/or a reassessment of your application.

Keep all relevant receipts and documents for 18 months after you apply. Information provided on your bursary application can be verified before and after the bursary decision, and up to 18 months after you receive your funding.

If your application is selected for verification

You may be asked to provide additional supporting documents, such as:

Housing documentation: rental agreement and proof of payment (cash receipts are not accepted as proof of payment)
Bank statements: Statements for the student, parent, and/or dependents
Notice of Assessment: Canada Revenue Agency Notice of Assessment for the most recently available tax year (including line 150)
Proof of address: For students and family members living in the same household

If you are claiming child care expenses in your bursary application

Before applying for bursary support:

You must apply for government funding.
You may be asked to submit a confirmation letter from the BC Child Care Service Centre indicating Affordable Child Care Benefits (ACCB) eligibility/ineligibility.
You may be eligible for the Child Care Fee Reduction Initiative without an application.
You need to submit an application for the Affordable Child Care Benefit every year. The BC Child Care Service Centre estimates that it takes approximately 20 business days to process an electronic application. Please ensure that you apply early to allow time for your application to be processed before the start of the academic year.

Supporting documentation

You may be asked to submit proof of expenses, including:

A letter from child care service providers
Proof of payment to child care service providers (cash receipts are not accepted as proof of payment)
Confirmation of child care benefits from BC Child Care Service Centre

UBC Access Promise for eligible BC students

The UBC Access Promise program automatically assesses bursary funding for eligible British Columbia students meeting the program criteria below. All eligible students are encouraged to submit the UBC Bursary program application to ensure maximum funding support.

Students who were eligible as Access Promise in one session may not automatically qualify as Access Promise students in subsequent or future session(s).

Access Promise student eligibility requirements

You must meet UBC Bursary program eligibility requirements.
You must be registered in an eligible undergraduate program at the UBC Okanagan campus: All undergraduate programs and Aboriginal Access Studies.
You must have received the maximum Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students.
Have received a full-time student loan through StudentAid BC.
Be classified by StudentAid BC as a Dependent student who is considered to be dependent on a financial sponsor, such as parent(s), or self-identify as an Indigenous person.

Affiliation bursaries

Affiliation bursaries are non-payable awards that are adjudicated primarily on the basis of financial need. The affiliation bursaries specify requirements such as membership in an organization, affiliation with a union, specific firm, industry, or personal characteristics of the students such as gender, in addition to financial need.

Eligibility

You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and demonstrate financial need by answering all questions on the application form.

Each bursary has its own additional set of requirements – see the award descriptions listed on the application.

Application

Complete the online application form: Okanagan and Vancouver Affiliation Bursaries.

Other bursaries

- Awards for Indigenous students
- Awards for students with disabilities
- Students from BC: Government grant, scholarship, and other financial support

Frequently asked questions

I haven't applied for my student loan yet. Can I submit a bursary application?

Yes. You can apply for the UBC Bursary Program before your loan application is complete. However, UBC will need to confirm your enrolment by the bursary deadline.

I have loans from a province other than BC. How do I ensure my bursary eligibility?

If you are receiving a student loan through Quebec, Manitoba, or Northwest Territories Student Financial Assistance you will be required to upload your Notice of Assessment before your bursary application can be assessed.

Students receiving student loans from other provinces will need to make sure their loan has been confirmed by the bursary deadline, but are not required to upload their Notice of Assessment.

Are there any programs at UBC that aren't eligible for bursary funding?

The following student categories are not eligible for bursary funding

All Non-Degree Studies student categories (Certificate, Diploma, Unclassified, Qualifying, Visiting, and Access Studies)
Students enrolled in a UBC Co-op term

Am I eligible for bursary support during my Co-op term?

Students enrolled in an approved UBC Co-op term are not eligible for bursary funding during their Co-op term(s).

Students who have received bursary funds before Co-op registration has been added for their current student period will have their bursary reassessed accordingly and funds will be recovered.

Am I eligible for bursary support if my loan starts in January?

UBC Okanagan offers a Winter Term 2 only bursary which is open from December 15 to January 15 (if it falls on a weekend, the deadline will be the next working day) for students with full-time Canadian government student loans with a January start date. Loans must be confirmed by January 15 to be considered for bursary eligibility. Students are encouraged to apply for their term 2 loans by November 15th.

Is there any bursary support for high-cost professional degree programs?

Graduate programs designed as professional programs are eligible for faculty-funded or donor-funded bursaries specifically identified to their particular program. Faculty-funded bursaries are subject to faculty budget approval, and therefore, are not guaranteed. All graduate students who wish to be considered for bursary support must submit a bursary application through Workday by the deadline.

How will my bursary funds be issued?

A bursary will be issued as a payment to your tuition account first. If there are no overdue or imminently due tuition or student fees, the funds will be issued to you by direct deposit.

Students are required to sign up for direct deposit to ensure timely access to bursary funds. To sign up for direct deposit, please add your banking details in Workday.

Note: This is a separate function from tuition payments made via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) and UBC payroll direct deposit. Learn more about direct deposit.

What happens if I forget to accept my bursary offer?

Students are required to accept their bursary offer as soon as possible and no later than the last day of the study period they applied for funding. Students who do not accept their bursary within their loan study period will have their bursary cancelled.

Is my bursary confidential?

For the purpose of maintaining donor relations and informing the donor about the impact of their generosity, UBC may disclose to award donors

Your name
Contact information (mailing address, telephone number, and email address)
Year and program of study, and other information relevant to the requirements of the award

Information about your award may also be shared with University faculty and staff on a “need to know” basis but it will otherwise be kept confidential to the extent authorized by law.

If you have questions

If you have questions, please contact Enrolment Services Advising.

Courses, Money & Enrolment