A lot of students think applying for financial aid is scary or overwhelming, but that is far from the truth. UWaterloo's financial aid programs have really gone a long way in supporting my journey and making it a lot easier for me to finally make it across the finish line.
On this page
1 - Scholarships and awards
There are a variety of awards and scholarships available to students at the University of Waterloo. Some of these awards are specific to the students in the Faculty of Science.
There are two databases created by the Student Awards and Financial Aid (SAFA) to help students find awards they qualify for.
A - Entrance Awards - Future Students
President’s Scholarship
To recognize your outstanding academic achievement, you'll be awarded one of the following entrance scholarships if you're admitted to a full-time, first-year degree program and you're beginning the University of Waterloo for the first time in September.
No application is required.
| Name | Requirements | Amounts | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Waterloo Entrance Scholarship |
95% or Higher | $2000 first year | |
| $3000 available for upper years | |||
| 85-94.9% |
$1000 to $2000 first year |
Faculty of Science Scholarships
Additionally, there are Entrance Scholarships specific to the Faculty of Science.
No application is required.
| Name | Requirements | Amounts | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty of Science Entrance Scholarship** | 95% or higher | $2000 | |
| 90-94.9% | $1500 | ||
| 85-89.9% | $1000 | ||
| 80-84.9% | $500 | ||
| Science and SHSM Entrance Award | Completion of any specalist High Skills Major at an Ontario High School | $1000 | |
| Science Contest Award | Completion of one UWaterloo contest in 2025; Sir Isaac Newton, CHEM13 News or Euclid Math | $1000 |
*Year One of any full-time undergraduate degree program in the Faculty of Science. Excluding Aviation, Optometry and Pharmacy
**This Science Entrance scholarships are in addition to the Waterloo President’s Scholarship of Distinction, President’s Scholarship, or Merit Scholarship mentioned above.
International Students entrance scholarship
| Scholarships | Eligible Programs | Value | Criteria |
|---|---|---|---|
| Faculty of Science International Student Scholarships | All programs (excluding Aviation, Pharmacy, and Optometry) | $25,000 to $80,000 | An application is required. Available to international fee-paying students only. Application deadline is February 14th, 2025 |
B - Undergraduate Awards - Current Students
Explore the Undergraduate Awards database designed to assist current undergraduate students explore award and funding opportunities at Waterloo.
We endeavor to ensure that all information in the database remains accurate; however, it is subject to change at any time depending on available funding, changes made to the eligibility criteria, and new award opportunities.
2 - Government Funding
The Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) is a mix of grants and loans for students. Through your OSAP application, you may have access to a mix of different financial aid programs, depending on your circumstances. Visit how to apply for OSAP for more details.
If you are an out of province student, you are required to apply for government aid through your home province. Visit out of province student aid for more details.
3 - Bursaries
Bursaries are non-repayable awards issued to students who demonstrate financial need. There is a range of bursaries offered by SAFA, please check their website to determine which bursaries you may be eligible for.
How I applied for bursaries at UWaterloo:
“The process is fairly simple and can be done through one form. There are also bursaries available if you're part-time student as well. A tip that has helped me is having a document that has a list of all your responses so that you're able to re-use some of the work you've done on the bursary application instead of starting from scratch each term. I've always recommended applying for bursaries even if you think it's competitive because you never know unless you try 🙂 Some bursaries have essay questions but the general application can be completed in 10 minutes so it's not even a huge time commitment, but it can make a big difference.”
~Ravicha, Science and Business4 - Other funding opportunities
Work programs
In addition to awards, scholarships and bursaries, SAFA funds various work programs to provide full-time and part-time on-campus positions. Students looking for full-time positions (both co-op and non co-op) should visit the work placement program, while students looking for part-time jobs while in classes should visit the work-study program or international work-study program.
President's Upper Year awards
*New application procedure: here is how to apply
-
Look for undergraduate research opportunities.
-
Once you have found a research position and connected with the research supervisor, complete the President’s Research Award online form.
-
Full eligibility details and application instructions can be found on the application/claim form.
Waterloo Science Endowment Fund (WatSEF)
Waterloo Science Endowment Fund (WatSEF) aims to enhance the learning environment of Waterloo Science by ensuring the most recent and advanced laboratory equipment are available in Science, Optometry, and Pharmacy labs. For more information about WatSEF and how you can get involved, please visit the WatSEF website.
Faculty of Science Foundation (FSF)
The Faculty of Science Foundation's (FSF) mission is to enhance the scholarly life of Science students at the University of Waterloo through a variety of means. FSF provides funding opportunities for events and awards to benefit Science students. For more information about FSF and how to receive funding or get involved, please visit the FSF website.
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
Students who are interested in conducting research, may want to consider applying to for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Undergraduate Student Research Award. The award program is designed for undergraduate students to nurture their interest and fully develop their potential for research, in addition to encouraging students to peruse graduate studies. For more information about the award, please visit the NSERC website. Additional details can be found on the Waterloo Research site.
Each department has its own process when applying for NSERC. Biology, Chemistry, and Physics all have their own website outlining the process. For Earth and Environmental Sciences, please contact Sue Fisher.