UBC is committed to ensuring that all domestic (Canadian citizens and permanent residents) and continuing students are not denied the privilege to study at UBC due to financial reasons.  Student funding is divided into two major categories:

1. Merit-based funding, such as scholarships and prizes, which is awarded according to academic achievement.

2. Need-based funding, such as bursaries, loans and grants, which is awarded according to assessed financial need. 

For details on merit-based and need-based funding, visit the Scholarships & Bursaries page of UBC's Awards, Fees and Finances website.

Find out how you may qualify for financial support.

UBC offers several scholarships that range from $500 to $40,000. Every applicant is automatically assessed for a scholarship, which are awarded on admission averages starting at 90% (on a 50% pass scale).

More information on scholarships

Plan your finances early: if you find you don't have the resources to attend UBC you should apply for a student loan. Most UBC bursaries require that you submit an application for a student loan.

We’ll find it for you: no need to apply

Many, if not most, UBC scholarships need no application.

• Trek – $1,500 awarded to top 5% of students in the Faculty. 
• The Faculty of Arts Dean's Office and departments nominate students for awards, usually on the basis of academic achievement. Search the awards database for available awards.

Arts Undergraduate Research Award (AURA) funds undergraduate assistants working with faculty members on start-up or continuing research projects.  Participating in these projects, AURA-funded assistants contribute to, and learn about, scholarly inquiry.

If you are interested in research in Arts, look into the AURA award and discuss it with a faculty member you'd be interested in working with.

The Russ Patrick Arts Undergraduate Student Research Award was endowed in 2009 by Russ Patrick to recognize the outstanding achievement in research writing by an Arts undergraduate student.

The recipient of this award is usually selected from reports submitted by Arts undergraduate students hired as Research Assistants as a result of funding made available via the Arts Undergraduate Research (AURA) awards.  The award is made on the recommendation of a selection committee in the Faculty of Arts, which includes the Dean of Arts in its membership. Submissions are judged by professional standards and assessed on their ability to communicate the research and its significance to a non-specialist audience.

The 2010/2011 award went to Ashley Whillans for her submission, "From Doing Good to Feeling Good: The Health Benefits of Prosocial Behavior." We would also like to acknowledge Roydon Tse for his submission, "Arranging and Orchestrating Music for Bassoon." To read more research paper submissions, visit the Research in Arts page.

The 2009/10 award went to Aaron Kirschner for his submission, “Synchronization in the Default Network of the Human Brain.”

The 2008/2009 award went to Katrina Lo for her submission, “Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles - Bateau.”

All individuals hired as Research Assistants via the AURA funding will be sent information regarding the Russ Patrick Award in late August of each year.  The deadline for submissions to the Arts Dean’s Office is normally October 1st of each year but for the most accurate information please contact the Office of the Dean, Faculty of Arts at sec.students@ubc.ca

In addition to the standard UBC awards there is also the Awards for Students with Disabilities program. Twenty awards are available, ranging in value and eligibility criteria. Supporting documentation may be required in some cases.

A complete list of these awards is available on the application form.

The application form is available from this website and from the Access & Diversity office in Brock Hall (1874 East Mall).

Application for 2009/10 is now closed.

UBC offers over 60 awards for Aboriginal students. You can apply for Aboriginal scholarships and bursaries by submitting the Aboriginal Awards application form, which is available in March on the Awards, Fees and Finance website.

Aboriginal Student Affairs also emails a newsletter called The Post to Aboriginal Arts students with information about scholarships and bursary opportunities. If you have not been receiving the email, contact fnsp.assistant(at)ubc.ca to be added to the mailing list.

Michael Wong works with Aboriginal students to provide financial advice, planning and assistance. If you would like to make an appointment with him, please contact:

Michael Wong
Brock Hall (East Wing) - 1036-1874 East Mall
Tel: 604-822-6652
Email: michael.wong@ubc.ca

View information about current scholarships for students going on exchange, international service learning and group study programs, eligibility for scholarships after your international learning program, and cheque forwarding requests on the Student Services website.

Also check out the ATLAAS award below.

This award is in the process of being discontinued due to a shift in funding to Go Global Study Abroad Awards and ARCAAP (Arts Research Course Abroad Award Program).  There will be very limited funding available for the 2013 Summer session for senior students with excellent academic performance and demonstrated interest in the area of study.  In 2012S two awards of $2,000 were awarded.

Eligibility:

• Students who will be receiving funding through ARCAAP funding or Go Global funding/scholarship may not also receive ATLAAS funding for the same experience.
• Students who previously received ATLAAS funding may not receive further ATLAAS funding.
• Students must be eligible for award funding. Please review Senate Policy Governing Awards.
• Please see the application form for further information.
• Please note that travel abroad to Ecuador and Chile via the Spanish Department will now be processed through UBC Go Global Office.  Applicants to these programs should contact Go Global for information.

Application Deadline:

Applications are hand-delivered to the Dean’s Office, Buchanan A240.  The deadline for submission is the first Friday of March for study abroad experiences occurring during the next  Spring/Summer Academic session and the upcoming Winter (Sept/Jan) Academic session.  Notification of the winners will be made in very early April to ensure recipients are able to travel during the summer months. The application form is offered in PDF or WORD.

Students may direct their questions to Lois Nightingale, Dean’s Office, Faculty of Arts, lois.nightingale@ubc.ca.

UBC’s most prestigious awards recognize third- and fourth-year students with academic achievement and involvement in sports and community pursuits.

Applications are available on the Student Financial Assistance and Awards website but MUST (no exceptions made) be submitted to the Associate Dean (Students) Office,  Buchanan A240, c/o Lois Nightingale, Coordinator by Friday, October 14, 2011, 4 pm. This date has been set earlier than the UBC deadline of October 21 as the Arts Dean’s Office must review all applications and add the Dean's signature prior to submitting them to the Awards Office.

Several generous donors have offered scholarships to UBC students, provided they meet the criteria for their scholarship. The scholarships normally require some affiliation with a certain group, organization, company, or community. To find out if you might meet one of the scholarship’s criteria, download the Affiliation Scholarships Application from the Student Financial Assistance and Awards website.  The application lists the scholarships and their corresponding criteria on the last few pages.

Two scholarships of $15,000 each are offered by The William and Nona Heaslip Foundation to undergraduate students entering their second year of study in the Faculty of Arts. In selecting recipients, consideration is given to strong academic performance (minimum 75% average), financial need, and community involvement. 

Please review the application form for further information. Application forms are due the last Wednesday of June by 4:00 pm, in the Dean's Office.

Every year, about a dozen outstanding Canadian students are honoured with the opportunity to pursue graduate studies at Oxford University on full scholarship alongside fellow accomplished leaders from around the world. Applications for the scholarship are normally required in the fall of your graduating year. For more information visit the Rhodes Scholarship page on the Student Services website.

The Killam Fellowships Program provides exceptional undergraduate students
from select universities in Canada and the United States with the opportunity to spend either one semester or a full academic year as an exchange student in the other country.For more information visit the Killiam Fellowships website.

The McGraw-Hill Ryerson Student Scholarship Award program consists of 20 individual $1000 scholarships available to any full-time undergraduate student currently studying a degree, diploma or certificate at an accredited college or university in Canada during the current academic year (June 1 - May 31).  For information and application details, visit the McGraw-Hill Ryerson Student Scholarship Award website. 

Up to three Frank Knox Memorial Fellowships will be awarded to students from Canada for graduate study at Harvard University. The Frank Knox Memorial Fellowship program was established by Annie Reid Knox who sought to honor her late husband and his lifelong commitment to America.  Mrs. Knox expressed the hope that the holders of the Fellowships return to their homes and become leaders in their chosen field once they had gained knowledge and experience from their study away from Canada.

Interested candidates will find the information needed to apply for this program by visiting the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada’s website.

Many organizations offer their own scholarships that can be used towards a UBC education. Students apply directly to a corporation, parent's employer or community group. You should conduct a broad search for these scholarships, including viewing two useful websites:

Scholarships Canada : Canadian scholarship portal with searchable database containing scholarships, student awards, bursaries and grants.

Student Awards: Online awards search service that includes information on scholarships, bursaries, grants and other forms of financial assistance.

Work Study is an employment program that helps fund on-campus jobs for students. A Work Study position will help you to offset the costs of your education. Plus, you can gain valuable career-related skills and become more involved with the campus community.

To be eligible, you must:

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Be registered in at least 9 credits per term as an undergraduate student or pay full-time fees as a graduate student

For details, visit the Work Study website.

Work Learn is an employment program that helps international students gain experience in a UBC workplace. To be eligible, you must be an international, degree-seeking, undergraduate student who is registered in a full-time course load and has a valid study permit.

The program runs from September to April. For more information, including additional eligibility requirements, visit the Work Learn website.