Frequently Asked Questions

A bursary is a non-repayable financial award for students.

A bursary is intended to assist students with demonstrated financial need in relation to the associated costs of attending university. Bursaries are meant to assist students with small gaps in their budgets, they are not meant to be a main source of funding for post-secondary study. Bursaries are not intended to assist students with costs that are unrelated to attending university or to avoid debt from student loans.

Any student in an academic degree or diploma program at StFX may apply. All Canadian and International students are eligible subject to the criteria of the particular bursary.

You must apply to be considered for bursary funding. Information about bursaries is available on the Financial Aid website, all applications are online and submitted electronically. There are deadline dates for all applications and late applications cannot be accepted.

You may apply to the Limited Bursary program once per academic year (September – April). You may also apply to the General Bursary program in each of the months of October, November, January, and February.

Simply enter your information in the online application form and click submit.  No further documentation is required at the time of application. Please note, students may be asked to provide proof of student loan or line of credit funding amounts. Some bursaries have additional requirements such as letters of reference or a personal essay. Instruction will be provided specific to these bursaries.

The dollar amount can vary depending on the individual bursary and the financial need of the student. Most bursaries average between $500 and $1000 in value.

Bursary awards will be applied directly to the recipient's student account. In some circumstances, the recipient may request that some or all of the award be issued to them via cheque to use towards external student costs if your required student account term payment has already been made to the university. This requires the approval of the Financial Aid Officer and may not be granted in all cases. 

It may; any bursary you receive should be reported to your loan program. If it does affect your assessment, keep in mind you will be replacing repayable loan money with non-repayable bursary money. 

Yes, renewable bursaries must be applied for each year; renewals are not automatic. It is important that the bursary committee has a current application on file for each academic year, as you must demonstrate you continue to have need and meet the criteria in each subsequent year of study for the renewal to be granted. Students will be sent a Renewable Bursary application prior to the start of fall term classes with a deadline for submission. Renewable bursary payments will be processed only after the deadline has passed and will not be awarded early. If a renewal is not granted, it cannot be regained in a future year of study. A student who has lost a renewable bursary may be considered again as a new recipient in a future year as part of a new applicant pool, but will not be given preference as a past holder of the bursary.