Frequently Asked Questions

Each full-time program at BCIT has specific entrance requirements. These can be found on the Entrance Requirements section of your program web page.

Review our How to Apply page for further details.

We recommend that you submit your application early to allow Admissions to verify all entrance requirements have been met. If you have not met the entrance requirements you may have time to upgrade or submit other supporting documents if required. Applicants have until the application deadline to submit new or outstanding, supporting documents to complete their application.

For application dates and information regarding program availability, visit our Program Availability page.

Most applicants are allowed to have only one active application at a time.

BCIT programs are cohort-based and have a limited number of seats for each intake. Therefore, we cannot accept students into more than one concurrent program at a time. We recommend that you apply to the program in which you are the most interested.

If you have been accepted to one program and would like to apply for a second program, you may be allowed to submit an application for the second program if the start and end dates for each program do not overlap. Please submit a request directly to your admissions officer.

• $90 CAD if you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (with official proof)
• $154 CAD if you are an international applicant holding a study permit

You’ll need to submit transcripts and supporting documents proving that you meet all the entrance requirements for your chosen program. All documents must be uploaded to your online application form before it can be submitted for assessment. Detailed information can be found on our Submitting Your Documents page.

Once you’ve found a program that you want to study, make sure you:

• Find and review the specific entrance requirements for the program on the Entrance Requirements page.
• Have the required documents that show you meet all of the entrance requirements for your chosen program.

All high-school applicants

For program requirements at the Grade 11 or 12 level, you can apply with either of the following:

• Midterm grade for the required course*
• Final grade for the required course*

Current BC high-school applicants

For program requirements at the Grade 12 level, you can also apply with the following:

• Final grade for the Grade 11 “prerequisite” course and proof of registration in the Grade 12 required course*

Read more about applying as a high school applicant.

* Grade 12 provincial exams are not required.

Our Requirements web pages provide information on the many different ways that you can meet the entrance requirements for BCIT programs.

No. If you aren’t sure if you meet the entrance requirements, you should check the Equivalency web page and if you are still unsure, contact Program Advising.

If your previous education is equivalent to part of a BCIT program, you may be eligible for direct entry to an advanced level. Check your program’s Advanced Placement page for requirements.

If you’ve been accepted into a full-time program, you must pay a commitment fee (deposit) to hold your seat in the program. The commitment fee is applied to your tuition and is non-refundable and non-transferable.

• $200 for trades programs
• $500 for technology programs
• $3,000 for international applicants

Yes, it is.

Our Tuition & Fees page lists tuition and other program fees.

• Technology programs: First-term fees are due 60 days before your program starts.
• Trades programs: First-term fees are due 60 days before your scheduled intake. (Many trades programs are only one level, therefore full tuition must be paid.)

If the fees are not paid by the due date, your acceptance will be withdrawn and the seat will be given to another qualified applicant.

1. Debit card (in person only)
2. Cheque or money order payable to BCIT – include your BCIT ID (student number)
3. Online banking (bill payment) through your financial institution using BCIT – Tuition as the payee

If you are paying by online banking, use your BCIT ID (student number) as your account number. Please allow up to 48 hours for online bill payments to be posted to your account.

Note: BCIT does not accept credit cards for payment of tuition and related student fees.  BCIT accepts payment from all Canadian banks and credit unions and it is the recommended method for paying your fees. For more information view Payment Options at BCIT

In certain circumstances, you may be eligible for a fee deferral (an extension of the payment deadline date). Contact the Student Financial Aid and Awards office for more information. You must notify the Admissions office if you will be applying for a fee deferral.

Yes. Student loans are not available until the first week of class, but you must pay your tuition fees by the dates outlined in the acceptance letter. See the preceding answer about fee deferrals. Your tuition must be paid or a fee deferral granted at least 60 days before your first day of classes. You must notify the Admissions office if you will be applying for a fee deferral.

Yes. Your commitment fee tells us to hold a seat for you in the program you applied for. If we do not receive a commitment fee within the deadline date, your application will be cancelled.

You need to submit a confirmation of sponsorship to Admissions as soon as possible so that your sponsor can be invoiced. Read our Sponsorship web page for details.

The cost of books and supplies varies from program to program and can range from $200 to $2,000 per year. The estimated cost for your program is listed in the online program description, and details can be found through the BCIT Bookstore.

Please refer to the Refunds & Withdrawals page for details.

BCIT—along with all Canadian designated post-secondary institutions—is mandated to comply with a request from the Canadian Revenue Agency to collect Social Insurance Numbers (SIN) from registered students.

BCIT is required to provide the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) with information about each of its students via a T2202–Tuition and Enrollment Certificate. The T2202 supplies the CRA with student information (including tuition fees paid and the number of months of full or part-time enrolment) and, beginning with the 2019 tax year, the student’s Social Insurance Number. This information facilitates eligibility for the Canada Workers Benefit.

For 2019 and subsequent taxation years, the Canadian government has introduced an enhanced version of the Working Income Tax Benefit called the Canada Workers Benefit (CWB). The Canada Workers Benefit is a tax credit that is intended to supplement the earnings of low-income Canadians. As a student, you may be eligible for this tax credit. For more information, please visit the CWB website.

If you registered to BCIT prior to spring 2019, a Social Insurance Number (SIN) was not required. However, in early 2019, Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) requested that all Canadian designated post-secondary institutions collect this information for taxation purposes.

If you attended BCIT after January 1, 2019, BCIT must submit a T2202–Tuition and Enrollment Certificate to the CRA on your behalf. The T2202 is different only from the current T2202A in that it includes a Social Insurance Number (SIN).

BCIT takes the safeguarding of personal information very seriously and takes appropriate precautions to ensure security of data. Student Social Insurance Numbers (SIN) are collected by BCIT under the authority of the College and Institute Act, RSBC, 1996, c. 52, section 26 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, RSBC 1996, c. 165, and section 203 of the Income Tax Regulations CRC, c. 945 for the purposes of providing an annual information return, called a Tuition and Enrollment Certificate, to the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). This will facilitate the provisions of the Canada Workers Benefit in situations where a student has not applied for it.

If you don’t have a Social Insurance Number (SIN)—a 9-digit number needed to work and be paid in Canada, to file taxes, and to access government programs and benefits—learn how to apply.

An Individual Tax Number (ITN) is a nine-digit number issued to individuals who are not residents of Canada who need an identification number for tax purposes but who are not eligible to obtain a social insurance number (SIN). This might be the case if, for example, you don’t have a study permit allowing you to work in Canada. You can apply for an ITN online.

If you do not submit your SIN to BCIT, BCIT will not be able to submit a completed T2202– Tuition and Enrollment Certificate to the CRA on your behalf, and you will not be eligible for the Canada Workers Benefit. Note that individuals are not able to submit their own T2202.

Please login to myBCIT self-service to update your personal profile. Scroll down to the SIN field, and then click Update my Profile.

Our Flexible Learning (Part-time Studies) Orientation web page will help you get prepared. It provides an overview of BCIT services and information, including:

• myBCIT
• Distance and online learning
• Textbooks and materials
• Classroom locations
• Parking

You will need your username (your primary BCIT email) and your initial password is your birthday in this format: YYMMDD. You can reset your password if needed.

The Student Information and Enrolment Services office is also here to help.

Not necessarily. You can shop online or by phone at 604-432-8379 or 877-333-8379 (toll free within Canada). If you’re on a budget, you may even want to look for used textbooks. Avoid line-ups by buying what you need before the course starts.

All Flexible Learning course withdrawal requests must be submitted using the official Flexible Learning Course Withdrawal form [PDF]. Visit the Flexible Learning Withdrawals page for more detailed information.

Contact Student Information & Enrolment Services to request a transfer from one course to another. The transfer is subject to a $16 fee and must be requested and processed before the refund deadline.

Many courses allow you to register prior to the second class. Contact Student Information and Enrolment Services to discuss your options.

No further registrations will be accepted for full courses. If there is a cancellation before the course start date, then that seat will be released and registration will be re-opened on a first come, first served basis.

If minimum enrolment for a course is not reached, it may be cancelled. BCIT will cancel courses no later than two days prior to the start date. Variations to this practice will be stated in the course outline.

If your course is cancelled, an email will be sent to your myBCIT account. You will receive a cheque for a full refund within four weeks. You may also transfer your fees to a different course by contacting Student Information and Enrolment Services.

Limited financial assistance is available to eligible students registering for part-time programs and courses. Contact or visit Student Financial Aid and Awards for more information.

Parking rules and rates differ depending on which campus you are attending. Our Parking at BCIT web page will provide you with all the information you need.

BCIT will usually evaluate your previous education on a course-by-course basis. This means that you must have completed courses in each of the subject areas in the BCIT program at the level for which you wish to get credit. Some programs have bridging courses to help make it easier for degree and diploma graduates to qualify for admission. Please check the specific entrance requirements for the program in which you are interested.

Once your application has been assessed and has been approved for direct entry, a seat must become available in the program you have selected. The Admissions department must wait until the current students in most programs obtain their final grades in either December or May to determine how many seats will become available for direct entry applicants.

Direct entry admission into some of the business programs can become quite competitive. When the number of eligible applicants exceeds the number of available seats, the selection process will be competitive. All direct entry applications are subject to the approval of the program area.

If you have read the program information, including course descriptions and you’re still not sure for which level you are best suited, we recommend that you speak with a program advisor.

You may be granted academic credit towards a BCIT credential based upon successful academic studies at other educational institutions (transfer credit and/or direct entry) and/or through credit granted based upon life and/or work experience (prior learning assessment and recognition).

In order to satisfy academic residency requirements for a BCIT credential, you must satisfactorily complete a minimum of 50% of the total required program of study at BCIT. For apprenticeship programs, the residency policy will be satisfied by completion of the final term at BCIT.

Direct entry in trades programs is possible if you have had previous vocational or trades training from another recognized post-secondary institute or another BCIT trades program. Since some trades programs have very specific requirements regarding grades and attendance, we recommend that you contact Program Advising before applying.

You must successfully complete a course within a maximum of three attempts at the course. If you’ve made two unsuccessful attempts at a single course, you will be allowed to repeat the course only with special written permission from the associate dean, detailing any special considerations embodied in a contract. If the associate dean denies permission, your application for direct entry will not be approved.

If you meet all entrance requirements, but there are no seats available, you will be placed on a waitlist. When a seat becomes available and your name is on the top of the list, you will be offered a seat.

All the seats in your program have been filled. Remaining applications are not transferable to the next offering of a technology program. If a space becomes available, for many programs the earliest applicant on the waitlist will be offered the seat, but for highly competitive programs, please refer to the program web page for information about the waitlist process.

Our goal is to have an admissions officer assess your application, update your application status, and send correspondence to myCommunication within 4 weeks.

You will receive a letter of acceptance through myCommunication. To confirm the offer, you must pay the commitment fee within 2 weeks of the date of acceptance. Payment methods and deadline date are listed in your letter of acceptance.

Please note: If we do not receive your commitment fee by the deadline, you will lose the seat and your application will be withdrawn.

If you submit your application and are missing one or more requirements, your application status will be updated to “incomplete” and you will receive myCommunication correspondence stating that you must provide proof of meeting the missing requirement(s) by whichever of the following deadlines occurs first:

Technology programs

• the program’s application deadline, or
• the program’s start date

Trades programs and part-time degree programs (continual intake)

• 60 days from the date you are assessed

Applicants will not be placed on a waitlist until all entrance requirements are met. Read more about when your status is showing as incomplete.

A conditional offer of acceptance may be granted to you if you have met all the entrance requirements of your program however, you must submit an additional requirement to be fully accepted. All outstanding criteria must be successfully fulfilled 30 days before the start of class.

We have 3 different conditional acceptances:

Conditional Acceptance – proof of status
You have been offered conditional acceptance to the program. You must bring proof of your status in Canada (e.g., original study permit) to the International Student Centre as soon as possible.

Conditional Acceptance – to follow-up program
You have been offered conditional acceptance to the follow-up program you have requested. You must successfully complete all entrance requirements to your follow up program.

Conditional Acceptance – supplemental
You have been offered conditional acceptance to the program. You must submit supplemental requirements.

Instructions can be found on our Student Records FAQ page.

After you’ve applied, submit a Consent to Release Personal Information to a Third Party form [PDF].

You’re automatically registered into your classes which you can view through myBCIT. Timetables will be given out on the first day of class and are not available ahead of time.

Check your myCommunication for important information regarding Orientation Day.

Because each program has different entrance requirements, BCIT does not allow direct transfer between programs.

To change your program:

1. Ensure you meet your chosen program’s entrance requirements.
2. Withdraw from your current program.
3. Submit an application for admission to your chosen program.

If you are at an advanced level in your studies (beyond Level 1), please contact Program Advising to inquire about direct entry options.

Yes, there are on-campus and off-campus options. Visit the Student Housing web page to find out more.

Contact Accessibility Services for assistance.

BCIT supports several processes that help you get credit for your past study and work experience.

Check out our Welcome to BCIT guide.

Your student number and e-mail address are still active, so you can login to your myBCIT account or contact Student Information and Enrolment Services for assistance.

Student Employment Services is here to help. Once you are enrolled at BCIT, be sure to register for eJobs, BCIT’s web-based job posting system. You’ll gain access to on- and off-campus, part-time, full-time, and summer employment, and learn what employers want in graduates. You can also visit the work search coach for help with your resume, to prepare for interviews, or find answers to job search questions at any time while you are a BCIT student (you don’t have to wait until you graduate).