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Bursaries
A bursary is a monetary gift based on demonstrated financial need and satisfactory academic achievement. Bursaries do not have to be paid back to the university.
You’ll be required to report all sources of income, and this information will be used to assess financial need.
Bursary Programs
Entrance bursary applications are available before the start of each academic year. However, all other bursary programs are open during each academic year.
Learn about the available bursaries at Laurier below.
An entrance bursary is a monetary award for full-time, first-year students based exclusively on financial need.
Eligibility
Entrance bursaries are only available to:
- applicants who are Canadian citizens or permanent residents,
- entering into Year 1 of a full-time program at Laurier,
- who have not previously attended another postsecondary institution (college or university).
How to Apply
- Complete the entrance bursary online application.
- Report all estimated and actual available sources of income. This information will be used to assess financial need.
The Laurier Tuition Bursary Program aims to provide you with the maximum funds available to assist with your tuition.
The Donor-Supported Bursary Program is possible through the generosity of our donors.
These funds are granted to the candidates who meet all of the stated criteria for each opportunity, and demonstrate the highest financial need, based on the completion of the financial statement that is included in the student profile.
Explore bursary opportunities using the Student Awards Search Engine.
Donor-supported bursaries will be awarded on an ongoing basis between October and March.
Eligibility
- Available to all students.
How to Apply
- Complete the General Student Profile by the posted deadline.
- Complete the Student Budget portion of the profile.
Notes
- It is not possible to meet eligibility criteria for all available donor supported bursary opportunities.
- Due to the large number of eligible recipients, not all eligible candidates will be granted funding through the program.
The Indigenous Student Bursary is funded by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) to provide direct support to Indigenous students with financial need to access support to aid their participation in postsecondary education and training.
The amount granted per student is approximately $1,000, with funding for approximately 21 eligible candidates.
Eligibility
- All Indigenous students.
- Open to undergraduate and graduate students (full or part-time).
- Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident (landed immigrants).
- Be a long-term resident of Ontario as per OSAP; however, you are not required to complete an OSAP application.
- Eligible students may receive a Laurier Tuition Bursary, a First Generation Bursary and Indigenous Student Bursary.
How to Apply
To receive the Indigenous Student Bursary application when it becomes available:
- Complete the General Student Profile by the posted deadline.
- In the profile question, indicate you are an Indigenous student.
In the application:
- Complete the Indigenous Student essay question by the deadline.
- Complete the online budget form/financial statement in the General Student Profile and/or the First Generation Bursary application.
If you do not see the application on LORIS, or if you did not complete the student profile, email studentawards@wlu.ca. Requests to open the application must be received no later than the day before the deadline.
Next Steps
- Applications are assessed after the deadline.
- Funding is released in the winter term.
- Recipients will be notified through their @mylaurier.ca email account.
The First Generation Bursary is funded by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) to help students become the first in their family to attend college or university or to become an apprentice.
The average amount granted is $1,000 per year.
Eligibility
As we receive an average of 500 applications, not all eligible students may be granted a First Generation Bursary.
- Open to undergraduate students.
- Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident (landed immigrants).
- You must be registered (full or part time) in a minimum of two terms per academic year (fall, winter and/or spring terms).
- All students who fit the first generation student criteria.
- You are considered a first-generation student if:
- your parents did not attend college or university
- either parents took courses from a college or university but did not complete a program
- See the notes in this section for more definition of a first-generation student.
- Be a long-term resident of Ontario as per OSAP; however, you are not required to complete an OSAP application.
- If eligible, it is possible to receive a Laurier Tuition Bursary and a First Generation Bursary.
How to Apply
To receive the First Generation Bursary application when it becomes available:
- Complete the General Student Profile by the posted deadline.
- In the profile question, indicate you are a First Generation.
You will automatically receive the application when it opens in the fall. When you receive the application, continue with these steps:
- Complete the First Generation essay question in LORIS by the deadline.
- Complete the online student budget form/financial statement by the deadline. This form/statement is included in the General Student Profile and/or the First Generation bursary application.
If you do not see the application in LORIS or if you did not complete the student profile, email studentawards@wlu.ca after the application has opened.
Notes
- First-generation does not mean that you must be a new or first-generation Canadian or that new or first-generation Canadians automatically qualify for the bursary.
- If your parents have a postsecondary degree, diploma or certificate from another country, you would not be considered a first-generation student for this bursary; however, discretion is exercised for these cases. For example: situations where parents have been unable to use their educational qualifications in Canada.
The Learners from Care Academic Success program is administered by the Dean of Students office. The program provides support for youth from care to participate fully in their university experience both inside and outside of the classroom.
Through wrap-around support from admission to graduation, students can focus on excelling in their studies and meeting their academic and career goals.
The Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities (MTCU) and Ontario's provincially assisted universities and colleges are partnering to support access to post secondary education.
Postsecondary institutions are now required to participate in the Student Access Guarantee (SAG) that states "no qualified Ontario student should be prevented from Ontario's public colleges and universities due to the lack of financial support programs. Students should have access to the resources they need for their tuition, books, and mandatory fees when these are above the usual range of costs which are covered by OSAP."
The amount of the Student Access Guarantee awarded per student is calculated through the OSAP assessment, and no appeals are considered for the amount of funding granted through the Student Access Guarantee.
Eligibility
Student Access Guarantee funding is assessed throughout the academic year. Eligible students will recieve a notification to their MyLaurier email.
- Eligible students will be considered automatically for funding from the Student Access Guarantee, no additional application is required.
Funding Information
It is possible to receive bursary assistance from both the Laurier Tuition Bursary program and the Student Access Guarantee Bursary, unless the Student Access Guarantee fund granted is greater than the tuition bursary maximum. In this situation students will only receive funding through the Student Access Guarantee program.
Things to Consider
- Due to the amount of available funding, you may not be granted funding through certain programs even if you're eligible.
Check your Dates and Deadlines
Complete your award profiles and applications so that you don't miss out on awards, scholarships and bursaries you may be eligible for.
Check the awards important dates and deadlines to give yourself enough time to gather your required documents and make sure you apply for an award on time.