Scholarships & bursaries FAQ

Check the Award Bulletins section. Throughout the year, bulletins and updates will be posted. Visit the website often so you don't miss any newly-posted information!

Entrance Scholarships and Entrance Bursaries are intended for newly-admitted students.

Entrance Scholarship recipients are automatically chosen by the Faculties during processing of admission applications throughout the spring and summer. Candidates must be admitted to Bachelor's programs. An offer of admission to Concordia does not guarantee selection for an Entrance Scholarship. These awards are not available to students admitted to Certificate programs, or Visiting students, or Independent students. Selection for most of these scholarships is automatic and based on academic ranking. For Faculty of Fine Arts programs requiring submission of a portfolio for admission, selection is based on the portfolio and not grades achieved prior to admission.

Entrance Bursaries require the submission of a detailed online application to the Financial Aid and Awards Office along with a statement and a number supporting documents during the early spring. Candidates must be admitted to Bachelor's programs. An offer of admission to Concordia, and submission of an Entrance Bursary application, does not guarantee selection for an Entrance Bursary. These awards are not available to students admitted to Certificate programs, or Visiting students, or Independent students. Candidates are considered by the entrance bursary committee during the summer each year.

In-course scholarships and in-course bursaries are intended for returning students. Most in-course scholarship recipients are automatically selected on the basis of Assessment Grade Point Average each fall – very few in-course scholarships require students to apply. In-course bursaries require the submission of a detailed online application along with a statement and a number supporting documents in the spring each year.

A number of scholarships and bursaries with varying criteria are open to International Students. Information on these awards can be found on the Financial Aid and Awards Office website using the Award Search feature.

Most scholarships are awarded automatically based on top academic performance. There are many more students with top grades every year than there are scholarships – so there is a very high level of competition for available awards. For those scholarships that do require students to apply, there is also a high level of competition each year. Watch the "Award Bulletins" section of the Financial Aid and Awards Office website for announcements concerning application-based scholarships.

Bursaries are based primarily on financial need and applicant statements. You have to apply to be considered for available bursaries. For new students, the Entrance Bursary online application is available from February to May, while for returning students the In-Course Bursary online application is available from March to June. Announcements will be posted on the Financial Aid and Awards Office website regarding the availability of applications, and deadlines. There are always more applicants than available bursaries each year, and the submission of an application does not guarantee that you will receive a bursary.

For Entrance Scholarships, the Undergraduate Awards Office notifies the Faculties of the availability and value of scholarships, then the Faculties select scholarship recipients during admission processing after they have done an admission assessment and established their ranking of students who have applied for admission.

For In-Course Scholarships, the Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards Committee selects recipients on the basis of top Last Annual Grade Point Average. For the small number of Entrance Scholarships and In-Course Scholarships that do require applications, the Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards Committee oversees the adjudication process.

Entrance Bursary and In-Course Bursary recipients are selected by committees overseen by the Undergraduate Awards Office on behalf of the Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards Committee. These committees are composed of staff from a number of departments across the University.

Entrance Scholarship decisions and offers are made by the Faculties during admission processing throughout the spring into the summer, until all available awards have been filled. In-Course Scholarship decisions and offers are normally made by the Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards Committee during the first two weeks of October each year.

Decisions on Entrance Bursary applications are normally made in July each year, while decisions on In-Course Bursary applications are usually made in late August each year.

Most scholarships and bursaries do not have recipients recommended by departments. However the Undergraduate Awards Office may consult with particular departments on candidate evaluations and recommendations in certain cases.

Entrance Scholarship offers are sent by the Faculties during admission processing; however notification letters are not sent to students who are not selected.

For In-Course Scholarships that are based only on top Grade Point Averages, offer letters are sent by the Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards Committee only to those who are selected.

For the application-based scholarships, each applicant will be sent a notification letter.

The Undergraduate Awards Office sends notification to all applicants as soon as the selection committee has finished its adjudications and has final results available.

Scholarship and bursary values vary greatly, from approximately $500 to more than $7,000. However the average value of most scholarships and bursaries ranges from approximately $1,200 to $2,400.

The general policy of the Undergraduate Scholarships and Awards Committee allows students to hold only one award of any kind during a given academic year. In some cases, the Committee may make exceptions where a student holds an award of low value.

Most scholarship recipients are selected based on top scholastic performance. For the few scholarships that require applications, selection is based on top scholastic performance plus an evaluation of the application and the strength of the submission compared to the rest of the applicant pool for the award.

Bursary recipients are selected following a lengthy holistic evaluation by the selection committee. In general, students must be in financial need and acceptable academic standing before the committee will be able to review their applications. The committee's evaluation will include a review of the applicant's financial situation, their academic performance, and also personal statements and supporting documentation. Each application is considered and compared to its peers in the applicant pool.

For Entrance Scholarships and Entrance Bursaries, letters of offer will include candidate response deadlines. If a student misses their response deadline, the offer will be cancelled and the award will then be offered to the next student on the waiting list.

For In-Course Scholarships and In-Course Bursaries, there are rarely response deadlines but if there are, they will be detailed in the offer.

In general, receiving a scholarship from an external source will not affect a student's eligibility to receive a scholarship through Concordia University.

The majority of scholarships and bursaries require full-time enrollment. Before releasing any scholarship or bursary funds to recipients, the Undergraduate Awards Office is obligated to check the student's registration and credit load. Students who were offered a scholarship or a bursary which requires full-time enrollment will not be entitled to receive their award if they do not meet the full-time credit load requirement. A very small number of scholarships and bursaries are open to part-time students, or do not have a full-time restriction. For these, the Undergraduate Awards Office will perform a registration check; however, there may be some flexibility regarding the student's credit load.

All scholarship and bursary funds received must be reported on your tax return in the appropriate section. The university will issue a T4A tax slip for this purpose. In general, T4A slips are mailed by the university each February or March.

If you move, make sure you update your new address. The link to manage your personal information can also be found on the Student Hub's My CU Account page.

The majority of scholarships and bursaries are not renewable. For the few that are renewable, each year the Undergraduate Awards Office reviews recipients' records to check for renewal criteria, which are usually continuing full-time status and acceptable Grade Point Average. Notification will be sent to the recipient by e-mail to confirm that the renewal is on track, or that there is a problem preventing the renewal (e.g. GPA too low).

In general, no. However if you feel there are extenuating circumstances (e.g. you were ill and your doctor advised you to drop some courses and study part-time for a semester) please get in touch with the Undergraduate Awards Office.

The value of each entrance scholarship at Concordia University is predetermined, and it is not possible for us to match larger offers made by other educational institutions.

Entrance Scholarships and Entrance Bursaries are not available to students transferring to Concordia from other Universities. Transfer students must complete one year of studies at Concordia University before they are eligible to be considered for in-course scholarships and in-course bursaries.

The Undergraduate Awards Office oversees all awards available to students in Bachelor's programs, as well as a small number of awards that are open to all levels of study. For detailed information on award programs that are restricted to Graduate-level students, visit the Awards Directory.

Yes, as long as you meet the eligibility criteria specific to a given scholarship / bursary. Where scholarships and bursaries are concerned, authorized Exchange Programs and Work Study semesters appearing on students' records are considered equivalent to full-time on-campus registration.