Financial support options

UBC recognizes the significant contribution you and your family make toward your degree. Enrolment Services Advisors are here to advise you on finances and resources like scholarships, bursaries, and other assistance programs.

Setting yourself up for financial wellness

Financial wellness at UBC involves proactive planning. Review the financial planning guide and drop into financial wellness workshops, or connect with an Enrolment Services Advisor to discuss your financial plan. You can also learn how to stay on top of your finances with the guide to budgeting.

Your responsibilities as a student

Make sure you have a clear understanding of your financial responsibilities as a student and take the proper steps to access available resources, such as:

Talking with your family about financial support
Applying for government student loans
Meeting deadlines for funding programs
Making sure you take the minimum number of courses required for financial aid
Maintaining a good credit history

If you’re facing an unexpected financial emergency or experiencing a significant change to your financial situation, contact an Enrolment Services Advisor to discuss your options.

Domestic student support

UBC is strongly committed to supporting domestic students which include Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada. For this reason, UBC established the UBC Bursary Program, which aligns with the Financial Aid Policy for domestic students (Policy LR10).

Beyond financial support from the UBC Bursary, there are other ways you can fund your studies:

Merit-based awards: scholarships and bursaries
Wage subsidy programs like Work Learn
Repayable funding: government student loans, private loans, or lines of credit
Non-repayable funding: bursaries and student grants
Other UBC case-specific funding

International student support

UBC recognizes the academic achievement of outstanding students from around the world by devoting more than $10 million annually to awards, scholarships, and other forms of financial support for international undergraduate students, such as:

Merit-based scholarships and awards
Wage subsidy programs like Work Learn

Indigenous student support

As an Indigenous student, you can finance your education at UBC in many ways. Browse financial support options specific to you, Indigenous student awards, job opportunities and training programs, band or community sponsorship, and more.

Students with disabilities

Enrolment Service Advisors coordinate with the Centre for Accessibility to help students with disabilities manage their financial challenges. If you are a student with a disability, you may be eligible for all standard programs, but there is additional information you need to know.

Student loans for students with disabilities

Both the federal and provincial governments have special programs administered through student loan agencies. These programs support eligible students with disabilities and include non-repayable grants to help with living expenses, as well as funding for specialized educational equipment and services.

Find more information about these programs through the Centre for Accessibility or by StudentAid BC’s list of programs.

Disability Programs application

British Columbia residents

BC residents who are student loan-approved and have a permanent disability or persistent or prolonged disability are encouraged to submit a Disability Programs Application to StudentAid BC. Once approved, you may be eligible for additional grants and additional financial support for services and equipment. You may also be approved for studying at 40% of a full course load.

If you are taking less than 40% of a full course load, you can apply for grant funding through the StudentAid BC Part-Time Studies application.

Students outside of BC

For government student loans for students with permanent disability or persistent or prolonged disability, the application process is different in each province. Contact your home province loan provider to ensure that you are submitting the correct information and forms. See information about loans for students from other provinces.

Awards for students with a disability

Awards in the form of scholarships and bursaries are available for students with disabilities. Each award has different values and eligibility requirements. You must register with the Centre for Accessibility to be eligible.

Browse awards

Helpful resources

If you have questions

Contact your Enrolment Services Advisor. Even if you do not have an assigned Advisor, they are still able to help.