BC's student-funding system has a different shape from Ontario's. Where Ontario's debate is dominated by OSAP grant-share cuts, BC's is dominated by StudentAid BC's grant-heavy structure (retained for 2026) and the province's continued spending on training-focused programs like StrongerBC Future Skills and the Industry Training Authority. A well-organized BC student has access to a mix of need-based grants, merit-based scholarships, training-linked credits, and Indigenous education supports that together can cover close to full program cost for many pathways.
Who this page is for
You're a BC resident (12 months of pre-study residency typically required for provincial programs) applying to post-secondary in BC or elsewhere. You're looking at the full BC stack: StudentAid BC loans and grants, merit scholarships, and sector-specific training credits.
StudentAid BC, the provincial foundation
StudentAid BC is BC's equivalent to OSAP. Application is online through the BC government portal, and a single application evaluates you for both federal and provincial portions:
- Federal student loan + Canada Student Grant: administered through the same StudentAid BC application.
- BC Student Loan + BC Access Grant: the provincial portion. BC Access Grant is up to $4,000/year for eligible full-time students.
- BC Graduate Scholarship: merit-based, for BC residents pursuing a graduate degree in BC.
- Adult Upgrading Grant: for students over 19 pursuing adult basic education, ESL, or high school completion in BC.
- Loan forgiveness for in-demand occupations: nurses, midwives, health care assistants, teachers in rural/remote BC. Check the current list.
Apply by May or June for September starts. Late applications are still processed but may miss first-semester disbursement.
Training + trades
BC leans harder on trades and training funding than most other provinces:
- StrongerBC Future Skills Grant: up to $3,500 per course for in-demand skills training. Applies to many short-cycle + micro-credential programs.
- Industry Training Authority (ITA): administers apprenticeships, provides tax credits for apprentices + sponsors, manages the Apprenticeship Advisor program.
- BC Access Grant for Youth. Foundation: additional support for youth-in-care and former youth-in-care.
- WorkBC Employment Services: funded training referrals for eligible unemployed or underemployed residents.
BC universities and colleges
BC has four research universities (UBC, SFU, UVic, UNBC) + a dense network of teaching universities and community colleges. Institutional scholarship budgets of note:
- UBC: Major Entrance Scholarship ($40,000 over four years), International Leader of Tomorrow, Presidential Scholars Award, International Major Entrance.
- SFU: Major Entrance Scholarship, Summit Scholarship, Specialty Entrance Awards.
- UVic: Chancellor's Entrance Scholarship, President's Scholarship, Schulich Leader.
- UNBC: Truth and Reconciliation Scholarship, Provost's Entrance Scholarship.
- BCIT, Langara, Capilano, Douglas, VIU: community/teaching institutions with their own merit + bursary programs.
Community + Indigenous
- BC community foundations: Vancouver Foundation (Canada's largest community foundation), Victoria Foundation, Central Okanagan Foundation, Community Foundations of BC collectively. Thousands of named awards.
- First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC): administers the BC First Nations Bursary program.
- Métis Nation BC: bursary and scholarship programs for Métis students.
- New Relationship Trust Scholarships: for BC First Nations students in post-secondary.
What our directory lists
Below: BC-eligible scholarships in our directory. For the full BC student funding guide with step-by-step StudentAid BC application screenshots + a cost-of-attendance calculator, use the "Read next" link.