ENTRANCE FAQ
I received an entrance financial aid offer. Where do I find the Terms of Reference and how do I accept or decline my offer?
What final admission evaluation range/IB Diploma score must I maintain in order to keep my entrance scholarship, award, or bursary offer?
Your final grades must meet the academic requirements to maintain admission to your program of study for the Fall term.
Entrance Scholarship recipients whose final grades are not in the 90% range in courses required for their primary program or 31 IB points will be contacted by the Financial Aid and Awards office for additional requirements. The minimum requirement for awards and most bursaries is final grades in the 80% range or the IB diploma score required for admission into your primary program. Predicted bonus points are not considered in the calculation.
For information on eligibility requirements for your 2nd term onwards, please review your Terms of Reference or the Regulations page.
How will I receive my entrance scholarship, award, or bursary?
When you enrol in classes in July, your tuition and all SFU fees will show up on your student account, which you will be able to see using goSFU (go.sfu.ca).
Your scholarship eligibility will be reviewed right before the start of your first term, and you will receive an email from our office at that point informing you that your scholarship status has been reviewed and updated on your Student Centre.
Your SFU funding will be placed on your SFU student account during the 2nd week of classes - prior to the deadline to pay tuition and student fees - as long as you continue to meet the scholarship eligibility requirements.
If you are the recipient of the USES with Distinction scholarship that covers tuition and fees, your funding will be calculated and applied to your SFU student account based on your enrollment at the time. You will be responsible for ensuring any remaining balance owing on your student account is paid prior to the payment deadline. Late fees are only charged on the balance remaining after the scholarship payment has been placed on your account.
I received an entrance financial aid offer. Where do I find the Terms of Reference and how do I accept or decline my offer?
How can I view the status of my entrance scholarship, award, or bursary?
You can log into your Student Centre to view the status of financial aid you receive by following the steps below:
- Log in to your Student Centre (SIS)
- In the finances section, click on “Student Aid & Award Profile”
- Click on the tab along the top that says “FA Term Selection Detail”
- Click on “view term details” – if your entrance scholarship, award, or bursary consists of more than one payment, this will show you the value of the payment for that term only, not the total value.
This is the best way for you to check the status of any scholarships, awards, or bursaries that you receive now or in the future.
If I receive an entrance funding offer that is higher in value from a competing institution, will you match or exceed the offer?
No, we do not match entrance funding offers.
Can I have multiple entrance scholarships, awards or bursaries?
If you have been offered two SFU entrance scholarships, you will only receive the one with the higher value. Students may have SFU entrance bursaries and awards in addition to entrance scholarships.
SFU does not restrict you from having external scholarships in addition to an SFU entrance scholarship; however, check with the external donor if they have any restrictions.
What final admission evaluation range/IB Diploma score must I maintain in order to keep my entrance scholarship, award, or bursary offer?
Your final grades must meet the academic requirements to maintain admission to your program of study for the Fall term.
ENTRANCE SCHOLARSHIPS
Entrance Scholarship recipients whose final grades are not in the 90% range in courses required for their primary program or 31 IB points will be contacted by the Financial Aid and Awards office for additional requirements.
For information on eligibility requirements for your 2nd term onwards, please review your Terms of Reference or the Regulations page.
ENTRANCE AWARDS/BURSARIES
The minimum requirement for awards and most bursaries is final grades in the 80% range or the IB diploma score required for admission into your primary program. Predicted bonus points are not considered in the calculation.
How many units do I have to enrol in to receive my entrance scholarship, award, or bursary?
Entrance Scholarships
You must be enrolled in 12 units throughout the SFU term in order to receive your funding. If you enrol in fewer than 12 units, your scholarship payment will automatically be deferred; however, your academic performance on any SFU work attempted will be considered for future scholarship eligibility.
If you are completing your final academic term and do not require 12 units to meet graduation requirements, please contact our office at fiassist@sfu.ca.
Entrance Awards/Bursaries
You must be enrolled in 9 units throughout the SFU term in order to receive your funding. If you enrol in fewer than 9 units, your scholarship payment will automatically be deferred; however, your academic performance on any SFU work attempted will be considered for future scholarship eligibility.
Residence
Students who applied to residence will receive priority for the Fall term and in subsequent terms if they wish to live in residence.
I have a disability. Am I eligible to receive my payment at a reduced course load?
Students registered with SFU’s Centre for Accessible Learning (CAL) are eligible for a reduced course load. A reduced course load is enrollment in a minimum of 6 units of standard graded courses. You must meet all other eligibility requirements of your scholarship/award/bursary.
To register with SFU's Centre for Accessible Learning, please visit their website for their contact information.
Will I receive my entrance scholarship during Co-op terms?
You will not receive an entrance scholarship payment during a Co-op term. During a Co-op term, you are not enrolled in standard graded units and therefore are not meeting the scholarship eligibility criteria. Your scholarship payment will be automatically deferred to a future term in which you meet the eligibility criteria again.
Will my scholarship cover summer terms and intersession courses?
Yes, unless otherwise stated in your Terms of Reference, the scholarship covers your summer terms, as long as you are enrolled in at least 12 units and you are meeting the CGPA requirements.
Intersession and summer session courses are included in the total unit requirement. However, because the timing of registration for intersession and summer session courses varies, the units may not calculate accurately at the beginning of the term. Please contact our office if your scholarship status needs to be reviewed.
Will my scholarship cover study abroad terms?
Yes, the scholarship covers study abroad terms that are administered by SFU’s International Services for Students (ISS) as follows:
Full-time exchange programs where SFU tuition is charged and a minimum 12 units are earned. Direct-pay Exchange and Short-term Summer programs are not covered by scholarship funding.
Full term Field Schools in which a minimum 12 units are earned.
Do I have priority for course enrollment and residence?
Entrance Scholarships
As an entrance scholarship student, you have priority course enrollment access for as long as you hold your SFU entrance scholarship. For the Fall term, course enrollment takes place in July. You will be notified about your course enrollment date via email in June, and it will also be posted on your Student Centre. Please see our guide to enrolling in classes.
Entrance Awards/Bursaries
Recipients are not eligible for priority course enrollment.
Do I have priority for residence?
Recipients of a Undergraduate Scholars Entrance Scholarship (USES) Program scholarship who meet all applicable deadline dates have priority access to Residence. Residence deadline dates are specified at Residence and Housing.
How will I receive my entrance scholarship, award, or bursary?
When you enrol in classes in July, your tuition and all SFU fees will show up on your student account, which you will be able to see using goSFU (go.sfu.ca).
Your scholarship eligibility will be reviewed right before the start of your first term, and you will receive an email from our office at that point informing you that your scholarship status has been reviewed and updated on your Student Centre.
Your SFU funding will be placed on your SFU student account during the 2nd week of classes - prior to the deadline to pay tuition and student fees - as long as you continue to meet the scholarship eligibility requirements.
If you are the recipient of the USES with Distinction scholarship that covers tuition and fees, your funding will be calculated and applied to your SFU student account based on your enrollment at the time. You will be responsible for ensuring any remaining balance owing on your student account is paid prior to the payment deadline. Late fees are only charged on the balance remaining after the scholarship payment has been placed on your account.
What expenses can my funding offer cover?
Your funding is applied towards any outstanding balance on your SFU student account such as tuition, student fees, U-Pass, residence, and meal plan. The funding doesn't cover textbooks or other supplies as these require traditional methods of tender: cash, debit, and credit. However, if your funding exceeds the outstanding balance on your SFU student account, you will be issued a refund after the 6th week of classes. It is then up to you to use the money as you wish.
What happens if there is money left over once my entrance scholarship, award, or bursary is placed in my SFU student account?
If your funding covers all of the fees on your account and you have extra funds remaining, these will be available to you in the form of a refund after the 6th week of classes. We strongly encourage all students to set up Direct Deposit, administered through the Student Accounts office, in order to receive their refunds as soon as possible. There are no stipulations on how you use your refund.
I am eligible for an SFU Employee Tuition Waiver. Can I combine my entrance scholarship/award/bursary with the SFU Employee Tuition Waiver?
If you are the recipient of a USES program scholarship, you cannot hold this scholarship and the SFU Employee Tuition Waiver concurrently in the same term. However, the SFU Employee Tuition Waiver can be used in academic terms in which you do NOT receive entrance scholarship payments.
If you are eligible for an SFU Employee Tuition Waiver and have received another type of entrance scholarship, award or bursary, please contact our office at fiassist@sfu.ca to review the terms of reference of your funding.
For more information about the tuition waiver, visit the Employee Tuition Waiver webpage.
Transfer Scholarships
I enrolled in less than 12 units in my first term. Can I claim my Transfer Scholarship next term?
As per the Regulations, transfer scholarships must be claimed in the first term. If you do not enroll in a minimum of 12 SFU standard graded units in your first term, you will not be eligible for the scholarship in a later term.