BCIT Bursaries

A bursary is a non-repayable award granted to a full-time student who is progressing satisfactorily in their BCIT credential program, who submits a completed full-time student bursary application form and who demonstrates that they need financial assistance to complete their current academic period. As bursary funds are limited, preference is given to those students who demonstrate that they have exhausted all other sources of financial assistance.

You may obtain a bursary application from the Student Financial Aid and Awards office during application periods or download a copy to hand in.

Some bursaries are restricted to specific applicants (i.e., hometown, geographic region, union affiliation, gender, etc.). On the last page of the application, identify any Specified Bursaries you are eligible for and wish to apply for.

Note: All applicants are notified of bursary decisions in writing.

Eligibility criteria

To be considered for a bursary you must meet all the following criteria:

1. Must be a citizen or a permanent resident of Canada.
2. Must be enrolled in a BCIT credential program that is eligible for StudentAid BC Program (credential programs lead to a certificate, diploma or degree).
3. Must be enrolled as a full-time student at BCIT during the bursary academic period (full-time is defined as 60% or more of a 100% course load).
4. Must successfully complete a term/level of full-time study in their program (or four months of full-time study for those programs which are not term or level based) at BCIT in the last twelve months, with no Fail, Unsatisfactory or Incomplete grades during the most recent term/four months of study.
5. Technology students must have an overall GPA of at least 60% in prior full-time studies at BCIT.
6. You are expected to have applied and been assessed for financial need by the StudentAid BC (or the government student assistance loan program from your home province if you are not a BC resident).
7. Must document financial need by completing a bursary application form.
8. Can apply for BCIT full-time student bursaries one time only in each calendar year (January 01 to December 31).
9. For the fall October 30 deadline and the spring June 30 deadline, your Technology or Trades program and level/term or intake date must be on the posted list of bursary-eligible programs for that deadline.

Bursary deadlines

Applications must be received by the BCIT Student Financial Aid & Awards Office by 4:00 pm on the deadline date. The Student Financial Aid and Awards office is closed on Saturdays and Sundays. When a deadline falls on a day the office is closed, then the deadline will be extended to the next working day.

If you are not able to drop off your completed bursary application during office hours, a blue drop-off box for Student Financial Aid and Awards is located outside Building SW1-2132 at the Burnaby campus.

Fall term deadline: October 30

• Open to designated programs, levels/terms and intake start dates
• The list of bursary-eligible programs [PDF] levels/terms and intake start dates is posted and available on October 01
• Bursary application form [PDF] available on October 1st each year

Winter term deadline: January 30

• Open to eligible Technology students enrolled in Level 2, 4, 6, 8 or 10
• Medical Laboratory - Level 2, 4, 5
• Nursing – Level 2, 4, 5
• Sustainable Resource Management - Level 2, 4, 5
• Trades students who meet eligibility criteria
• Bursary application form [PDF] available on January 2nd each year
• Please Note: the winter term bursary results will be available by mid-March 2013

Spring term deadline: June 30

• Open to designated programs, levels/terms and intake start dates 
• The list of bursary-eligible programs, levels/terms and intake start dates is posted and available on June 01
• Bursary application form available on June 1st each year

Bursary appeal

Students who wish to appeal the decision for their bursary application may submit a BCIT bursary appeal request to Student Financial Aid and Awards. Students are encouraged to attach a letter with their appeal form outlining their exceptional circumstances.

Frequently asked bursary questions

• What is the difference between levels and terms?

  Whether or not your program progresses by terms or levels can be determined by searching for your program and checking to see where you are in your program. Often, technology programs progress by term, and trades progress by levels.

• How do I complete the budget section?

  If you have applied for StudentAid BC funding (or student assistance from another province) you complete your budget for the same time period as your student loan funding. For example, if your student loan covers you from September through January, your budget would be for those 5 months.

• How do I find out my student loan debt load?

  You can log in to StudentAid BC and check the status of your student loan application. In the letters section, you can choose to view the Notification of Assessment letter. On the Notification of Assessment, it will show the amount of loans that have been authorized to date. This may differ from the amount that you have borrowed if you have not negotiated all of your documents or made any payments to your student loan accounts.

• Do I need to attach a letter to my bursary application?

  Although you do not have to include a letter with your bursary application, it is strongly encouraged to do so. A letter allows Bursary Committee members to understand your unique situation and consider any exceptional circumstances or expenses.