Graduate Students
Bursaries
Bursaries are a supplemental source of funding for students with demonstrated financial need; that is, they should not be treated as your primary source of funding.
Bursaries are available to Canadian and International students. You should be aware that you may not be awarded a bursary every term. Due to the high volume of applications received each term, payment of funds may not occur until the middle of the term of application. We encourage you to plan accordingly.
Eligibility requirement
To qualify and maintain your eligibility for a Work-Study placement, you must:
- have a demonstrated financial need (as assessed by SFU).
- be enrolled full-time in an approved program in the term of application
If you are in a per term fee program (that is, your tuition is not calculated on the number of units you are enrolled in), you must:
- be enrolled in the term of application (leave of absence is not eligible).
If you are in a per unit fee program (that is, your tuition is calculated on the number of units you are enrolled in), you must:
- be enrolled in a minimum of 6 units in the term of application.
How to apply
- Check the application period at Application Deadlines.
- Apply online by logging in to the Student Information System (go.sfu.ca).
- Click on "Apply for Bursaries/Work-Study".
- Complete and submit your application.
- Set up Direct Deposit (administered through the Student Accounts Office) as soon as possible, to receive any refunds you may be eligible to receive.
Please note: You do not need to specify the individual bursaries for which you want to apply. If you are eligible, you will be considered for all available bursaries.
For a complete listing, check out our online Scholarship, Awards, and Bursaries database.
Bursaries for Graduate Students in Specialty Programs
Students in Specialty Programs can apply for bursaries. Funding may come from Financial Aid and Awards (FAA), your program’s department, or both. Departmental bursary funding is only available if your department has provided funding for such bursaries.
The application you submit through your Student Information System (SIS) is used for the following assessment:
Assessment for Financial Aid and Awards (FAA) Bursary Funding
Funding from FAA’s bursary program does not cover the cost of the higher tuition fees for Specialty programs. The maximum allowable tuition expenses that are included in your FAA Bursary assessment is equivalent to research-based tuition fees.
While bursary funding is not guaranteed, we encourage students to apply each term as financial circumstances can change.
TSSU Member Child Care Fund
If you are a TSSU member (Teaching Support Staff Union) with children under the age of 13 (or over 13 in the case of special needs) you may be eligible to receive funding from the TSSU Member Childcare Fund. TSSU membership is retained for two semesters beyond the last appointment as a TA, TM, Sessional Instructor or ELC/ITP Instructor. Current TSSU members may apply to the TSSU Membership Child Care Fund each semester.
The application is specific to this Fund and may be found here: TSSU Childcare Fund Application. Eligibility requires both current membership in the Union (membership is retained for two semesters beyond the last appointment) and that one has children under the age of 13 (or over 13 in the case of special needs). For disbursement in that semester, applications must be received by the end of the third week of the semester. TSSU decisions as to disbursements will be made by no later than the seventh week of the semester. Students will receive disbursements as a bursary. Non-students will receive disbursements as taxable income. The terms of reference are determined by the TSSU, and information provided in the application will be forwarded to the TSSU for disbursement decisions. Disputes as to amounts of an award are to be directed to the TSSU.
TSSU Member Childcare Fund- late applications
Late applications will be accepted, but disbursement will not occur until the following semester.