Maintaining awards and loan eligibility

Maintaining your student loan eligibility

To continue being eligible for student loans, you must meet all of the following requirements:

  • You are enrolled in an eligible program of study. 
  • You are making academic progress and achieving satisfactory scholastic standing in each period of post-secondary study.
  • You are maintaining full-time student status. This means you are enrolled in and attending a minimum percentage of a full course load. Consult the Course Load Guide for more details.

Maintaining your Awards eligibility

If you have not taken the minimum 24 credits graded based on percentage (percentage-graded credits), your awards calculation will be impacted. Taking a course for Credit/D/Fail grading will also impact your eligibility for UBC scholarships and awards.

Scholarships, prizes, and other academic awards are normally awarded to undergraduate students who have achieved all of the following:

  • Registered in at least 24 percentage-graded credits

  • Attained a standing in the top 10% of their year and faculty, or an average of 75% or higher

  • Received a passing grade in all courses

  • Completed all courses (e.g., no missing grades or standing deferred courses)

There are some exceptions to the 24 credits rule.

Undergraduate scholarships and academic awards

Eligibility for undergraduate scholarships and academic awards for the upcoming Winter Session is determined by the student’s highest 24 percentage graded credits in the previous Winter Session. These awards are given out at the beginning of or during the Winter Session.

Awards granted at the end of the academic year

Eligibility for awards and prizes awarded at the end of the academic year (usually in May or June) are determined from the student’s highest 24 percentage graded credits completed during the Winter Session that just ended.

Calculating academic averages for scholarships and awards

Courses taken for Credit/D/Fail grading will be counted toward the 24-credit minimum requirement to maintain a scholarship or academic award, but not to determine eligibility for new or renewable UBC scholarships and awards. These are based on the weighted average of the 24 percentage-graded courses only. 

Taking courses for Credit/D/Fail grading does not affect your eligibility for student loans and bursaries.

Example scenarios of eligibility for scholarships and awards

Hussein registers for too few graded credits.

Hussein is currently enrolled in a full-time credit load of 27 credits. 6 of these credits are for Credit/D/Fail grading. This indicates he is only registered in 21 percentage-graded credits, which means:

  • He will not qualify for UBC scholarships and academic awards in the next Winter Session, as he would have needed to register in a minimum of 24 percentage graded credits in the current Winter Session.
  • He will not qualify for year-end awards for the current Winter Session, as his eligibility is based on the highest 24 percentage-graded credits completed during the current Winter Session.

An exception is granted for students registered in fewer than 24 percentage graded credits in their final year of study. They may be eligible for a prize or other year-end award if their faculty confirms that this number of credits is sufficient for graduation.

Maia registers for sufficient graded credits.

Maia completed 27 credits in the previous Winter Session. 3 of her credits were for Credit/D/Fail grading. In the current Winter Session, she is enrolled in 27 credits, three of which are for Credit/D/Fail grading.

This means:

  • She is eligible to be considered for scholarships and academic awards for the current Winter Session, since she completed a minimum of 24 percentage-graded credits in the previous Winter Session and is currently registered in the minimum credit load of 24 credits required to retain a scholarship or academic award.
  • She is eligible to be considered for year-end awards for the current Winter Session, since she is registered in at least 24 percentage-graded credits in the current Winter Session.

Leela registers for sufficient credits to retain an award but not to be eligible for year-end awards.

Leela completed 24 percentage-graded credits in the previous Winter Session. In the current Winter Session, she is enrolled in 24 credits, three of which are for Credit/D/Fail grading.

This means:

  • She is eligible to be considered for UBC scholarships and academic awards for the current Winter Session, since she completed 24 percentage-graded credits in the previous Winter Session and is currently registered in the minimum credit load of 24 credits required to retain a scholarship or academic awards.
  • She is not eligible to be considered for year-end awards and prizes for the current Winter Session, since she is only registered in 21 percentage-graded credits for the current Winter Session.

An exception is granted for students registered in fewer than 24 percentage-graded credits in their final year of study. They may be eligible for a prize or other year-end award if their faculty confirms that this number of credits is sufficient for graduation.

If you have questions

If you're an undergraduate student, please contact your Enrolment Services Advisor directly. To find your advisor’s contact information, log into your Student Service Centre (SSC) and select “UBC Contacts” under Personal Info.

Graduate, postgraduate, and all other students can contact an Enrolment Services Advisor by calling 604 822 9836 or submitting a question through the online form.

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