Scholastic Standing
To continue receiving student financial aid, the Canada Student Financial Assistance Act, Canada Student Financial Assistance Program policy and StudentAid BC policy require you to maintain a satisfactory scholastic standing.
You will not be eligible to receive more student financial assistance, or continue on in-study payment-free status if:
- You withdraw from a full-time course load on two separate occasions while in a funded term.
- You fail to achieve satisfactory marks in 68 weeks or more of full-time study while in a funded term.
- You fail to maintain continued part-time enrolment and/or fail to successfully complete all courses for which you were awarded your part-time funding.
Requalifying for full-time student assistance depends on several conditions, including successfully completing full-time studies for two terms without StudentAid BC assistance. If exceptional circumstances prevented you from achieving scholastic success, you can also appeal this decision if it will cause financial hardship to complete two unfunded terms.
If you are a student from a province other than B.C., please contact us for more information about Scholastic Standing.
Withdrawals
If your enrollment falls below a full-time course load, you will no longer be eligible to maintain your loan funding or in-study payment-free status. SFU will notify StudentAid BC that you no longer meet the requirements for your student loan funding or in-study payment-free status. Your funding will be re-calculated based on the number of weeks you attended school prior to your withdrawal date.
- StudentAid BC will send you a letter explaining how your withdrawal decision affects your student loan funding or in-study payment free status.
- If you receive more student aid than you were eligible for, this is called an overaward.
- Overawards are automatically deducted from any future Canada student loans and/or BC student loans
Your withdrawal, and any resulting overawards can be appealed through StudentAid BC. If you are a from a province other than B.C., please connect with us for further assistance.
Scholastic Standing FAQ
Early term Withdrawals (first 10 days of the term)
A StudentAid BC non-punitive withdrawal is not counted towards a student’s eligibility for further StudentAid BC funding. A non-punitive withdrawal occurs when any of the following conditions apply:
- A student did not attend classes at all and repaid their disbursement(s) in full within 30 days.
- A student attended classes for 10 days or less and repaid the disbursement(s) in full within 30 days.
Procedure
1. SFU will report the date on which the student ceased to maintain full-time studies to StudentAid BC.
2. Once a student has repaid their funds in full, they must provide documentation from the National Student Loans Service Centre (NSLSC) to StudentAid BC advising that the payment has been made. This documentation needs to be uploaded to the StudentAid BC Student Account.
3. StudentAid BC will confirm the payment has been made to the NSLSC and change the reported withdrawal to a non-punitive withdrawal.
In situations where repayment within the first 30 days is not possible/beyond the student’s control, a student may appeal with documentation up to 45 days from the start of classes.
Early term Withdrawals (first 30 days of the term)
If you are considering withdrawing from full-time study in the first 30 days of the term you are strongly encouraged to connect with us first. Most federal and provincial grants convert to a loan if you withdraw from full-time studies within the first 30 days of your study period (term).
Can I appeal why I needed to withdraw to StudentAid BC?
You can appeal your Scholastic Standing (Multiple Withdrawals, Overawards, and Unsuccessful Completion) directly to StudentAid BC.
You can submit an appeal to have StudentAid BC review your assessment if your personal situation has changed in a way that may have impacted your assessment.
If you need help with your appeal, please book an appointment with Financial Aid and Awards through Advisor Link.
What happens if the date to withdraw from classes has passed, and I need to withdraw?
You can apply for Withdrawals Under Extenuating Circumstances (WE) after Week 8 of the term. Before that date, withdraw through goSFU and receive a WD notation instead. For the last day to drop courses with a WD notation, and other add/drop dates, visit Academic Dates and deadlines.
Reach out to us to determine if there are any impacts to your student financial assistance and what steps you need to take next.
What is "Unsuccessful Completion"
At SFU, a D grade or better is considered a pass (although you may need a higher grade for the course to count toward your degree completion or to be used as a pre-requisite). A course withdrawal (WD or WE), an incomplete grade (N, DE, or NC), or a failure (F) are not considered to be a successful completion of a course, and students can retake these courses and have them count towards their eligible enrolment for student aid purposes.
If you do not successfully complete the equivalent of a full-time course load in your study period, SFU will report this to your provincial authority as an unsuccessful term. This may impact future government student financial assistance, and may be appealed.