A bursary is a non-repayable award granted to a full-time student who is progressing satisfactorily in their BCIT credential program and who demonstrates that they are in need of financial assistance. You are a full-time student if you are enrolled in 60% or more of a 100% course load.
Eligibility criteria
To be considered for a bursary you must:
- Be a citizen or a permanent resident of Canada..
- Be enrolled in a StudentAidBC-eligible BCIT credential program (credential programs lead to a certificate, diploma or degree).
- 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).
- Have successfully completed a term/level of full-time study in their program (or 4 months of full-time study for those programs which are not term or level based) at BCIT in the last 12 months, with no Fail, Unsatisfactory or Incomplete grades during the most recent term/4 months of study.
- Have a minimum average of 60% in prior full-time studies at BCIT (Technology students).
- 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).
- Document financial need by completing a bursary application form.
- Be enrolled in one of the Technology or Trades program levels/terms/intake dates that is included on the posted list of bursary-eligible programs for that deadline (for the fall October 30 and the spring June 30 deadlines).
Note: You can only receive BCIT full-time student bursaries once per calendar year (January 1 to December 31), or one time per program if program is 12 months or less.
Selection criteria
As funds are limited, bursaries are awarded to those students who demonstrate that they have exhausted all other sources of financial assistance.
Some bursaries are restricted to specific applicants (e.g. 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.
How to apply
During a bursary application period, the application form for that period will be available to download below.
Please submit your completed application by email to sawards@bcit.ca prior to the application deadline.
Details and deadlines by term
Expand each section below to find the term-specific application period, application form, deadline, and bursary eligibility list.
Applications must be received by the BCIT Student Financial Aid & Awards Office by 4:00 pm on the deadline date (or next business day).
Note: Not all browsers allow you to add an electronic signature. If you are having trouble adding an electronic signature to the fillable form, please download the form.
Bursary application results
Spring term bursary results will be available on your myBCIT account by end of July 2023.
To view your results, log in to myBCIT and select:
- Student Self-Service
- Financial Aid link on the top of the webpage
- Select ‘Apply & view status of tuition fee deferral & Bursary application status’ to view your bursary results
- If approved, select ‘View Awarded Bursaries & Amounts’ to view the name(s) of the bursary you are receiving and the amount of your award(s)
A bursary cheque will be mailed within four weeks from the date the bursary is disbursed. Please ensure your mailing address is current on your myBCIT account.
Note: If you have outstanding monies owing to BCIT, this amount will be deducted from your award.
Letter of appreciation
Bursary funding is generously donated by interested individuals or organizations. To show gratitude for their support, we encourage you to write a Letter of Appreciation. In the letter, please include the name of the bursary, a brief biography, and your educational and career goals. Please email your letter to the BCIT Foundation Office, and they will forward your letter to the donor.
Terms and conditions
Bursary appeals
Students who wish to appeal the decision for their bursary application may submit a BCIT bursary appeal request outlining their extenuating circumstances.
The application status and decisions for bursary appeals are also viewable on your myBCIT account.
Note: If you are having trouble with adding an electronic signature to the fillable forms, please download the form.
Cancelled awards
Awarded bursaries are subject to cancellation. Students that withdraw, reduce their course load, or no longer meet the bursary eligibility criteria may have to forfeit all or part of their award. This decision will be made by Student Financial Aid and Awards. A cancelled award will be charged against the student’s BCIT account.