Bursaries

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

UBC Bursary Program

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 StudentAidBC to provide eligible domestic students access to the financial resources they need to meet their needs.

UBC’s Common Assessment Mechanism

The bursary application collects information such as family income and size to ensure that the greatest possible number of students receive financial support.

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

Apply on the SSC

A defined set of criteria is followed when determining the amount of funding you can receive.

For Master of Data Science (Okanagan):

  • Bursary funding for students in this designated graduate program is provided from your department/faculty
  • Eligibility and bursary amounts depend on funds your department/faculty can provide

For all other programs:

  • Your individual student  needs assessment, which is determined by your provincial lender’s maximum funding available and UBC’s Common Assessment Mechanism
  • Your program’s eligibility for UBC Bursary funding
  • Your family size and prior year’s total family income

To be eligible, you must:

  • Be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or have refugee status.
  • Be enrolled in an eligible program with a full-time course load.
  • Apply for the bursary by the deadline.
  • 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
  • Have received confirmation of enrolment for your Canadian government student loan by the bursary deadline.
  • Have an assessed unmet financial need using UBC’s Common Assessment Mechanism, which is based on StudentAidBC policies.

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. See UBC Bursary Verifications tab below for more details.

Bursary application periods

Winter

August 15, 2024 – September 16, 2024 (11:59 p.m. PST)

Summer

May 1, 2024 – June 3, 2024 (11:59 p.m. PST)

If the deadline falls on a weekend it will move to the next business day.

Important loan deadlines

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

When to apply for your loan

To meet the bursary deadline, we strongly recommend that you apply for your provincial student loan by:

  • Winter Session: July 31
  • Summer Session: April 15

How to apply

  1. Log in to the Student Service Centre (SSC)
  2. Make sure your contact information is up to date by selecting “Contact summary” under Personal info.
  3. Select “Apply to UBC Bursary” under Finance.
  4. 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.

Changes to your financial situation

  • If you are facing unexpected financial distress or have had a significant change to your financial situation, contact Student Services. They can help you navigate these changes and connect you to relevant support.
  • If you have been awarded a bursary and have recently come into additional resources not reported on your bursary application, you must report this to Student Services.

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
  • 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

Note: Cash receipts will not be accepted as proof of payment.

if you are claiming child care expenses in your bursary application

Before applying for bursary support:

  • You must apply for government funding before applying for bursary support.
  • 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 that may be asked to prove your expenses:

  • A letter from child care service providers
  • Proof of payment to child care service providers
  • 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 an 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 criteria:

  • You must meet UBC Bursary Program criteria.
  • You must be registered in an eligible undergraduate program.
  • You must have received the maximum Canada Student Grant for Full-Time Students.
  • Have received a full-time student loan through StudentAidBC.
  • Be classified by StudentAidBC 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.

Eligible Programs for Access Promise:

All undergraduate programs at UBCO and Aboriginal Access Studies

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: Vancouver and Okanagan Affiliation Bursaries

Other bursaries

Learning Disability Assessment Bursary

Government Grant, Scholarship, and Other Financial Support for students from BC

Frequently asked questions

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.

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.

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

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.

Yes, starting 2020 Winter Session, UBC Okanagan will be offering 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 starting in Winter Term 2 (January). 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.

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 the Student Service Centre (SSC) by the deadline.

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 the SSC under Finances > Banking Details > Direct Deposit.

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.

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.

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.