Undergraduate awards

There are hundreds of awards for newly admitted and current undergraduate students at the University of Waterloo. Learn more about some of the opportunities to fund your education, below.

Undergraduate Awards database and Entrance Award database - for award opportunities at Waterloo

The Undergraduate awards database is available for new and current undergraduates to search for award opportunities at Waterloo. The Entrance Award database is for future Waterloo undergraduate students. Details on awards, bursaries and other scholarships administered through Waterloo are contained within. Current and future students are advised to check the databases often as changes to award information including eligibility criteria, award value, application process, deadlines and the availability of funds can occur at any time.

External awards - for award opportunities outside of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo regularly receives and processes award payments on behalf of external organizations. Visit the external awards web page to learn how to have your external funds applied to your Waterloo account.

Student Awards and Financial Aid (SAFA) frequently receives award notices from external agencies and organizations. Find more information about these opportunities on the External awards web page.

Federated University College students

In general, students enrolled with a federated university college are eligible to apply for most of the awards managed by the Student Awards & Financial Aid office unless otherwise indicated. In addition, students should consult their respective schools to find out about awards offered exclusively by them.

Please visit the following links:

Award spotlight

Indigenous student awards

The Office of Indigenous Relations' website provides information and links for a number of funding opportunities provided by the *University of Waterloo, the affiliated and federated institutions of Waterloo, as well as from external agencies.

*For a complete list of UW undergraduate student awards, including those designated for Indigenous students, check out the Undergraduate Awards Database (select "Indigenous" under Affiliation).If you are an incoming student, search the Entrance Awards Database (use Award Type to limit your search for "Indigenous") Adjust your search options to explore all awards available to you.

International experience awards

Numerous international experience award funds are available to University of Waterloo undergraduate students who participate in an international study, work, or volunteer experience. Award selection and values are based on a variety of factors such as type of experience, destination, financial need, academic success, extracurricular/volunteer involvement, motivation for the experience, etc.

Visit the International Experience Awards web page for more information.

President's upper-year awards

The President's Upper-Year Award program is the renewable part of the President's Scholarship of Distinction. It was created to encourage student participation in undergraduate research and international experiential activities among these scholars. The awards consist of the President's Research Award and the President's International Experience Award.

For more information, visit the President's upper-year awards web page.

Frequently asked questions about awards

How many courses do I need to take to remain eligible for my entrance award?

In order to receive your entrance award (scholarship or bursary) payment, you must be enrolled in full-time degree studies with a minimum of three courses (1.5 units).

If your course load is reduced due to academic accommodations for a disability, contact the Student Awards and Financial Aid office.

When will I find out if I am receiving an award?

Awards are granted throughout the year and all applicants are informed of award decisions via an email to their University of Waterloo email address.

Many award decisions require Student Awards & Financial Aid (SAFA) to consult with departments or committees. If you have applied for an award, please be aware that decisions may not be made for several weeks or even months after the advertised deadline.

How are awards issued?

Normally awards are paid only during terms in which you are a registered full-time student. Exceptions may be made for certain types of awards such as research awards or travel awards which are intended to support a student during a non-academic term.

The first charge against any award is to pay outstanding University fees including tuition and incidental fees and other university-related fees.

If you have paid your fees in full from other personal funding, the award will be refunded to you. Refunds will only be issued by direct deposit to a personal bank account at a Canadian bank. Your refund will be held on your student account until you have had an opportunity to add your Canadian banking information on Quest.

How do I use award funding on my Promissory Note?

If you are receiving award funding for an upcoming study term, it will normally be listed on your Quest account as Anticipated Aid (once tuition fees have been assessed). If you wish to use these funds to help pay your fees, you will need to complete the Promissory Note. The Promissory Note process allows you to leave a balance owing on your student account that is equal to the amount of financial aid you will be receiving during the term. Please refer to the information provided by Student Financial Services for full details.

When will my award be applied to my student account?

Undergraduate scholarship, bursary, and award amounts indicated as Anticipated Aid, will be automatically applied to your student account balance provided your registered status is Fees Arranged as follows:

in early-October for Fall awards
in early February for Winter awards
in early June for Spring awards.

Award decisions made after the above dates, will normally be applied to the student account on a weekly basis during the applicable term.

If you used this award funding to make your Fee Arrangement, then the awards will be used to clear up the outstanding balance that may be showing on your account.

If you have not yet made a fee arrangement, please refer to the information provided by Student Financial Services for full details.

I've already paid my fees. How and when will I receive my award funds?

If you've paid your fees in full from other funding, the award will be refunded to you. Refunds will only be issued by direct deposit to a personal bank account at a Canadian bank. Your refund will be held on your student account until you have had an opportunity to add your Canadian banking information on Quest.

The timeline for award refunds is as follows:

by mid-October for Fall awards
by mid-February for Winter awards
by mid-June for Spring awards.

Award decisions made after the above dates will normally be issued weekly during the applicable term.

What type of changes will affect my eligibility?

Awards may be adjusted if you enrol in less than a full-time course load, if there is a change to your program or plan, or if you withdraw from studies.

Certain renewable scholarships require you to maintain a particular average. Please contact SAFA if you have questions about maintaining your scholarship.

Will my student loan be affected?

OSAP applicants/recipients:

SAFA reports award funding to your OSAP file unless you have already done so. As a result, award funding may affect your assessment.

Out-of-province student loan applicants/recipients:

It is your responsibility to report awards on your application. As a result, award funding may affect your assessment.

How can I say thank you?

We would love to hear from you! Students who have received donor-funded awards are asked to complete our online form where they can express their thanks, which will then be shared with the donor.

General award information

Definitions

The term "award" is a general designation applied to any scholarship, prize, medal, fellowship, or grant of money assigned to a student. Within this designation, awards are further defined as follows:

Scholarships are based primarily on outstanding academic merit (80% or greater) or excellence in a specific subject or group of subjects.
Bursaries are based primarily on financial need.
Awards are based on a combination of criteria such as academic performance, leadership or involvement in extracurricular activities or student affairs at the university or in the community, work-related experience, athletic achievement or participation, or work-term performance, and may include a financial need component.

General award guidelines and regulations

For additional details related to undergraduate award payments and general eligibility guidelines, please refer to Regulations Governing University of Waterloo Undergraduate Awards on the Undergraduate Calendar website.

Establishing awards at the University of Waterloo

The University of Waterloo is committed to attracting and rewarding talented undergraduate students and to ensure that all qualified students have access to the best university education possible. Our generous donors are essential to achieving this goal. The Office of Advancement works with donors to establish scholarships, awards and bursaries to help recognize and support outstanding and deserving undergraduate students. For additional information, please visit the Office of Advancement web page.