Student Awards & Financial Aid is located on the 2nd floor of Needles Hall. Office hours are Monday to Friday 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. The office is responsible for administration of the following programs:
- Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP) and other government student aid programs for both undergraduate and graduate students
- Scholarships, bursaries, and emergency loans for undergraduate students
- Bursaries for graduate students
A complete listing and description of the scholarships, awards, and bursaries administered by Student Awards & Financial Aid can be found in the Awards and Financial Aid section of the Undergraduate Calendar.
Additional information including details on when and how to apply for scholarships, awards, and bursaries as well as tips on calculating expenses and covering costs can be found on the Student Awards & Financial Aid website at http://safa.uwaterloo.ca/.
Students may contact the office by telephone at 519-888-4567, ext. 33583 or by mail at Student Awards & Financial Aid, Needles Hall, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1.
Note
The following information pertains to the award year of May 1, 2012 to April 30, 2013 and is subject to change without notice.
Academic Merit
The minimum standard used in scholarship competitions based on academic merit is an average or mark of 80%.
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:
Scholarship - A monetary award, based primarily on outstanding academic merit (80% or greater) or excellence in a specific subject or group of subjects.
Award - A monetary award, based on academic performance (normally 75% or greater) and a combination of all or some of the following: leadership or involvement in extracurricular activities or student affairs at the university or in the community, work-related experience, athletic achievement, or work-term performance, and may include a financial need component.
Prizes and Medals - A non-monetary award (e.g., book prize, instruments, graduating medal) given in recognition of academic performance or excellence in the area to which the award pertains.
Work-Term Report Award - A monetary award based on writing skills demonstrated in work-reports.
Bursary - A monetary grant based primarily on financial need, and including a satisfactory academic standing.
Note
Provincial and federal loan policies state that scholarships, awards, and bursaries provided to students receiving provincial and/or federal student loans could reduce loan entitlements. Please contact Student Awards & Financial Aid if further clarification is required.