Enrolment Services
Student Development & Services
2016-1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z1
Merit-based awards, such as scholarships and prizes, are offered mainly based on your academic performance. Most will not require that you indicate financial need, although there are a number that combine need and merit. Scholarships and prizes are provided by the University and by many other donors, including the government, community organizations and corporations.
Scholarships are awarded primarily for academic achievement but some may require achievement in other areas such as leadership, community service, artistic endeavours and athletics. Typically, they will be offered based on achievements in the preceding school year and will be awarded at the beginning of the Winter session. Scholarships are applied to tuition first.
While "award" may refer to many types of academic funding, it may also refer to a specific category. Awards have an academic requirement but will also emphasize community involvement or other non-academic qualifications. They may be awarded at the beginning of the year, like a scholarship, or at the end of the year, like a prize, depending on the intent of the award.
Prizes are awarded based on academic achievement at the end of a session. They may be awarded on the basis of performance in a specific course, best student in the program or for some other specified characteristic. Prizes are awarded at the end of the session and recipients are not required to return to UBC in order to receive them. Some prizes have a monetary award while others may be in the form of a book or medal.
Most scholarships, awards and prizes at UBC do not require an application form or nomination. UBC faculties and departments make recommendations and the University contacts the recipients
For minimum scholarship course load requirements, please see the UBC Senate Regulations Governing University Awards.
We recommend you take advantage of outside scholarships by searching actively in your community and by using websites such as:
Be sure to notify Student Financial Assistance and Awards of all outside scholarships and prizes, even if the award cheques are made payable directly to you. Failure to do so may result in the forfeiture of future financial assistance from UBC. Scholarships and prizes are treated as income and will become part of your student contribution in calculating your financial need.
Enrolment Services
Student Development & Services
2016-1874 East Mall
Vancouver, BC Canada V6T 1Z1