International Supplementary Bursary
New for the 2022/2023 Academic Year
The Supplementary Bursary program now has two applications. Please ensure that you apply to the one that matches your citizenship status:
- Domestic Supplementary Bursary -refer to this webpage for the information for domestic (Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents, Refugees/Protected Persons) students
- International Supplementary Bursary - information for international students is below
The International Supplementary Bursary program provides funds for international undergraduate and graduate students who demonstrate a financial shortfall for the current school year's academic and basic living costs. Bursaries, unlike loans, do not have to be repaid. To be eligible for bursary funding, you must be able to demonstrate financial need for the current academic year after exhausting all available funding resources and meeting the academic and enrolment requirements.
Funding for the Supplementary Bursary programs is provided by donors, the Students' Union Access Fund and the University of Alberta.
Apply for the International Supplementary Bursary
- You must be an international undergraduate or graduate student in your second year or greater and currently attending classes at the University of Alberta at the time of your application.
- You must be in satisfactory academic standing or greater based on your most recent term grades.
- Undergraduate students: Students with either full-time or part-time enrolment in any term within the current academic year are eligible to apply.
- Graduate students: Students with full-time enrolment in either the Fall or Winter term within the current academic year are eligible to apply. If you are not enrolled full-time in either the Fall or Winter term, you are not eligible to apply. NOTE: If you are a part-time graduate student in all terms of study within an academic year, review the GSA Emergency Bursary for eligibility requirements.
- It is expected that all international students have sufficient funding support based on the Government of Canada Study Permit requirements. Documentation of the original financial plan for your entire study time period and unexpected changes to that financial plan are to be provided in the application. A financial plan to complete your study program will also be required.
- Your application must demonstrate a financial shortfall for academic and basic living costs for the academic year in which you are currently enrolled to receive bursary funding.
Before completing and submitting an application, please review the Supplementary Bursary Application Guide for tips on ensuring all requirements are met for a complete application. Applications submitted without all required information and/or documentation will be reopened. This will cause a delay in a bursary assessment.
The application will be open from September 1 to June 15 each academic year. Students can apply in any term during the academic year as long as they show current and active registration in the same academic term. Any questions about the application can be sent to bursaries@ualberta.ca. Note that the application will also be open from June 27 to July 22 for the 2022-2023 academic year only to allow students with overdue fees as well as students from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus to submit applications before the Fall 2022 term.
Bursary applications for the 2022-2023 academic year (Sep 2022 - Aug 2023) open on June 27 for early application only. Application deadlines are as follows:
- July 22, 2022: Early application for students with overdue fees (financial hold) and students from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus only
- December 15: Fall term enrolment only (no Winter 2023 enrolment)
- April 30: Winter term enrolment
- June 15: Spring and/or Summer enrolment
Bursary funding maximums are evaluated on an individual student basis and based on need associated with an educational program and basic living costs for the current academic school year. Eligibility for a bursary does not guarantee that you will receive the full amount of funding to cover all costs.
Note for undergraduate students: The Access Fund Bursary is included as part of the annual bursary maximum value for undergraduate students. If you have opted out of the Students' Union Access Fund fee for the current year, your bursary award amount will be reduced by the current year Access Fund bursary maximum amount.
If you receive a notification of bursary offer, you will need to accept your offer in Bear Tracks and indicate your preferred method of payment receipt. Note that there is a deadline to accept your bursary offer, after which time it will be cancelled. Acceptance deadlines vary, so please read your offer carefully.
Bursary offers will first be applied to any outstanding tuition or fees you have for the current or any previous academic terms. If you have an Emergency Loan balance owing with Student Financial Support (SFS), bursary funds will be applied to directly repay this loan and any remaining funds will be refunded to you via PayMyTuition. For more information, please visit the Refunds section of the Additional Scholarship Information web page. To receive additional support, please email student.payments@ualberta.ca.
Requests for a reassessment will be considered only if there is new financial information or extenuating circumstances not included on your original bursary application.
To request a reassessment, email bursaries@ualberta.ca using the subject "Request for Bursary Reassessment." Include a letter outlining the change in your circumstances and documentation that supports the change in circumstances. Your request for reassessment will be reviewed by an advisor, who will contact you if additional supporting documentation is required.
You can submit a request for reassessment up to 15 days after your final class in any term in which you are registered in the current academic year. Requests for reassessment will not be accepted after June 30.