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Parents & guardians
As parents or guardians of students transitioning to university, this resource page will help you support them as they explore their options, possibilities, and future at SFU. We'll help you help your student!
What you can do for your student
By informing yourselves about what to expect at each step of your student’s journey to SFU—including exploring our undergraduate programs, admission requirements and application process, next steps, action items for international students, and more—you’ll be able to explain, guide, and support their decisions about university.
Exploring your student's future at SFU
Canada's top comprehensive university
#1
Maclean's University Rankings: 2008-2013, 2015-2024
International outlook for students, faculty, and staff
#2
Times Higher Education 2024 World University Rankings
Impact on Sustainable Cities and Communities
#1
Times Higher Education 2023 Impact Rankings
The SFU student experience
The entirety of your student's experience at SFU is the combination of many positive factors. Understanding these will help paint a picture of what university life will be like for your student, and how we can help them prepare for their careers:
- The interdisciplinary education students get inside and outside of the classroom, by being in an entrepreneurial environment that encourages innovation
- The immersive, experiential opportunities like co-op or study abroad, that help students develop global professional careers
- The services and resources that set students up for academic success, and make them feel supported throughout their educational journey
- The diversity and openness of the SFU community, where students feel a strong sense of belonging through student clubs and social groups
37,000+ students in the SFU community
8,640+ international students from 136 countries
185,000+ proud alumni
1,050+ faculty members
Choosing the right university can be overwhelming for students. For example, some of the things they'll need to consider are programs and faculties, tuition and student costs, financial aid, location and proximity to family, and access to student support networks and resources. Help your student navigate the application process at SFU confidently, while encouraging independence as they plan for their own future. You and your student can get started with the suggestions below.
Application periods & deadlines
| Term of admission | Pathway | Application period |
|---|---|---|
| Spring 2025 | All students | August 1, 2024 to September 15, 2024 |
| Summer 2025 | All students | Please check back soon |
| Fall 2025 | High school students | Please check back soon |
| Transfer students | Please check back soon |
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Understand general admission requirements
Admission requirements vary with students' pathways to SFU. For example, Canadian and international high school students will each find different eligibility requirements, while college or university transfer students will have a different process in place, too. There are also additional categories of requirements, such as pathways for Indigenous students, Advanced Placement (AP) program students, International Baccalaureate (IB) program students, and many more.
Basic eligibility for high school students
Domestic high school students
- All required Grade 11 courses (or equivalents), excluding Quebec
- English language requirement
- Quantitative and analytical skills requirement
- Province-specific requirements
International high school students
- Graduation from a university-preparatory program at a senior high school
- English language requirement
- Quantitative and analytical skills requirement
- Faculty and/or program-specific requirements
- Country-specific requirements, where applicable
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Understand program-specific requirements
Once your student decides which undergraduate programs they’re interested in, ensure they understand the admission requirements specific to those programs, in addition to the general admission requirements for SFU covered above.
Did you know?
Each faculty has its own admission requirements, so students are encouraged to do sufficient research on their first and second choice of program. Meeting the requirements for both program choices on your student's application can optimize their chances of getting a competitive offer of admission from SFU.
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Consider undergraduate fees and scholarships
Financial planning
We understand that the cost of a university education can add up, so we make financial aid supports and income opportunities more accessible to students to offset some of these costs each term. We recommend you and your student do a bit of financial planning together, and explore different options that will help fund their undergraduate studies and personal expenses during their time at university.
Use our cost calculator to estimate your student’s costs
Calculating an estimate of an undergraduate student's typical expenses can help you and your student anticipate costs for each term of study. Keep in mind that tuition fees for domestic and international students can vary widely, so your student will need to budget accordingly. Once an approximate value is calculated, your student will be able to explore more suitable options and make appropriate financial decisions.
Financial aid and awards
Undergraduate Scholars Entrance Scholarship (USES)
SFU awards incoming domestic and international students who demonstrate academic excellence and extracurricular involvement or community contributions. This entrance scholarship covers tuition from $20,000 up to a sufficient amount for any undergraduate program. And for exceptional students with demonstrated financial need, further funding is available in the form of living allowances each term.
Uggla Family Scholarship (UFS)
The only one of its kind in Canada, SFU's Uggla Family Scholarship is awarded to a select number of domestic Canadian students, who demonstrate a high level of academic excellence. By giving them the opportunity to overcome significant financial barriers to university education, UFS aims to foster future leaders among the SFU community. UFS provides scholars through the entirety of their academic program with:
- Tuition fees, including textbooks and materials
- On-campus housing and meal plans
- Mentorship programs
- Networking and engagement opportunities
Support for youth in care
If your student is currently living or has previously lived as a youth in care in BC, they may qualify for additional financial support to help cover the costs of their education, such as through the BC Provincial Tuition Waiver Program (PTWP), which waives tuition and mandatory fees for students who meet the eligibility criteria.
Download our 2025 viewbook
Flip through our viewbook together to find even more information about SFU and our programs, and how the university can be a good fit for your student!
Participating in tours and events is the best way for students to see for themselves if SFU is the right fit for them and their educational goals. By meeting with current students and other SFU representatives, they’ll receive guidance on applications and the admission process, gain invaluable insight into university life, sample a bit of the student experience, and more.
Campus tours
We offer regularly-scheduled tours led by current SFU students at SFU Burnaby and Surrey campuses. Visiting students will have the opportunity to talk to our guides about their interests in school and what they'd like to study in university. At the same time, our guides will be able to share their firsthand knowledge and personal experiences in the SFU community.
You're invited too!
While students are certainly welcome to attend campus tours on their own, we strongly encourage parents and guardians like you to join in so that you can see and experience SFU together, and ask any important questions you may have in person. To accommodate people’s busy schedules we offer several tours throughout each month.
Book a campus tour today
In 2023, there were:
530+
Campus tours hosted
3,160+
Tour attendees
3,160+
Tour attendees
51+
Countries tour attendees visited from
Feedback from tour attendees
"I liked how we were able to go and immerse ourselves in the university, like going to the cafeteria with all the other university students and being shown what a dorm room looks like... What I liked most of all was our tour guide's personality and how engaging she made it... It wasn't boring as she embedded her own personal experiences and other people's while showing us around the campus."
"The guide was friendly, knowledgeable, warm, and kind. She created a welcoming atmosphere and answered all of our questions. My son and I are glad to be part of the SFU family!"