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Academic Calendars

Awards

Scholarships, Bursaries, Awards, and Prizes

The Registrar’s Office is responsible for:

  • Undergraduate Scholarships
  • Undergraduate Bursaries
  • Undergraduate Awards and Prizes
  • Convocation Medals

IMPORTANT NOTE: The University regularly reviews the policy governing undergraduate awards. Consequently, portions of the following statement of policy may be modified or altered and may be implemented during the course of the academic year of this Calendar.

Helpful Terms

Admissions Average

This is the average of the subjects which were used for entry to the Dalhousie academic program and is governed by admission requirements for the degree/diploma selected.

Adjusted Average

This number is the sum of the Admissions Average, plus points which are assigned to the level of course difficulty (for AP and IB courses) and the number of university-preparatory subjects beyond the minimum five.

Faculty Groupings

There are eight: agriculture; architecture and planning; arts and social sciences; computer science; engineering; health professions; management; and science.

Types of Awards

  • Scholarships: A monetary award, at the entrance, in-course and/or graduating level, based on academic performance (in specific subject or group of subjects).
  • Awards: A monetary award, at the entrance, in-course and/or graduating level, based on academic performance (in specific subject or group of subjects) and on the recognition of additional relevant attributes.
  • Bursary: An award granted on the basis of financial need.
  • Medal: An award based on recognition of an outstanding academic record at Dalhousie for a specific degree program in a particular subject.
  • Prize: A monetary award of any value, or a non-monetary award, based on general academic excellence, or proficiency in a specific area of study or competition.
  • External Award: An award given to the student of the university by an external agency. The University may share in the selection, administration and/or payment of such an award.

General Policy

Applicable to those awards administered by the Registrar’s Office. Selection criteria may be different for those awards administered by individual faculties/schools/departments.

Where Dalhousie Scholarships can be Used

Dalhousie University scholarships can be used only at Dalhousie unless the Will or Trust Deed should otherwise permit. The University of King’s College has its own scholarship program. Insofar as scholarships, bursaries, awards, prizes, and governmental student loans are concerned, Dalhousie and King’s are separate. In order to receive Dalhousie funds you must be a registered Dalhousie University student.

Changing Degree Programs or Faculties

Changing degree/diploma programs or faculties can have implications for scholarship retention. Scholarship holders considering degree or faculty changes should consult the Awards Office prior to making the change.

Scholarship Payments and Rebates

To receive scholarship funds, a student must be registered at least as a full-time student (minimum nine credit hours for degree students, six credit hours for technical students) at Dalhousie during the term(s) in which they are receiving the funds. Students registered in Graduate Studies, Medicine, Law and Dentistry (with the exception of Dental Hygiene students), are ineligible to receive in-course scholarships or renew an existing scholarship. These faculties have their own awards programs.

  • Payments: Dalhousie University scholarships are credited towards students’ accounts in two equal installments first and second term. Awards are applied first to tuition and prescribed fees, and secondly for residence fees.
  • Rebates: The portion of scholarship money in excess of the above charges will be refunded to the student. Refunds are made by the Student Accounts Office in October and February upon request.

Entrance Awards

Entrance awards are available to students applying to Dalhousie directly from high school. Transfer students are not eligible for entrance awards, with the exception of the First Nations and Indigenous Black Students Scholarships. Entrants coming from Year II of a CEGEP program are considered to be transfer students. Students entering the third year of engineering (including students entering from Associated Universities) should review the In-Course Awards (Engineering) section of this Calendar for award opportunities.

Dalhousie offers both renewable and non-renewable entrance awards. Non-renewable awards are held for one year. Renewable entrance awards are typically renewable for a maximum of four years. To be considered for entrance awards, applicants must submit a complete Dalhousie application for admission, a scholarship application, and an official transcript, to the Registrar's Office by March 15. Students must be admitted with a minimum 80% average (26 predicted points for IB diploma candidates) for entrance award consideration. Achieving the minimum academic average does not guarantee that an applicant will receive an award.

Applicants will be evaluated for entrance awards based on some or all of the following criteria: academic merit, extracurricular involvement, financial need, initiative to fund their own education, ancestry, and leadership. A DalOnline application is available for accepted applicants in December. A paper-based application is available for applicants yet to be accepted the following February. Visit http://www.dal.ca/scholarships for more information.

Eligible Courses for Scholarship Assessment

The Registrar’s Office (Awards) considers all those Dalhousie courses which are taken for credit in a designated degree/diploma program during the academic year (or term in the Co-op program) as eligible courses for scholarship assessment.

Correspondence courses are considered for scholarship purposes.

Unless taken on Letter of Permission, transfer credits do not count towards the credit hours reviewed for scholarship assessment.

Please note that courses taken at other institutions are counted, to a maximum of one course per term, for scholarship assessment if such courses are taken on Letter of Permission towards an eligible degree/diploma at Dalhousie.

Scholarship GPA (SGPA) Calculation

The scholarship GPA (SGPA) will be calculated for students who have completed a minimum of 30 credit hours of work over two terms within the preceding academic year. The SGPA will include all eligible courses attempted during this time period. Please note that the scholarship GPA and the sessional GPA normally differ. The scholarship GPA, expressed to two decimal places, does not show on a student’s transcript.

Renewable Scholarships

Unless otherwise advised, an SGPA of 3.70 is required to maintain a renewable scholarship. Students must also complete a full course load (a minimum of 30 credit hours) over two terms within the previous academic year to be eligible for renewal. Co-op students who are on a work term during the calendar year must also complete 30 credit hours over two terms to be eligible. Students completing two work terms within one academic year must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours during their one academic term and achieve a minimum term GPA of 3.70 to be considered. In those cases where students have taken more than 30 credit hours, assessment is based on all courses taken within the term(s) being assessed. Transfer credits do not count towards the credit hours reviewed for scholarship assessment. Holders of renewable awards are notified of either the renewal or the non-renewal of their awards annually, via Dalhousie email.

Holders of renewable scholarships are not also entitled to hold Dalhousie in-course scholarships. Students registered in Graduate Studies, Medicine, Dentistry (with the exception of Dental Hygiene students), or Law are ineligible to receive in-course scholarships or renew an existing scholarship.

In-Course Scholarships

All undergraduate Dalhousie students not on a renewable scholarship, in eligible programs in the faculties of Architecture & Planning, Arts and Social Sciences, Computer Science, Engineering, Health Professions, Management and Science, who have completed a full course load (a minimum of 30 credit hours) over two terms within the previous academic year and achieved a minimum SGPA of 3.70 will be eligible for in-course scholarship consideration. Co-op students who are on a work term during the calendar year must also complete 30 credit hours over two terms and achieve a passing grade in the work term to be eligible for consideration. Students completing two work terms within one academic year must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours during their one academic term, achieve passing grades in both work terms, and achieve a minimum term GPA of 3.70 to be considered eligible for consideration. In those cases where students have taken more than 30 credit hours, assessment is based on all courses taken within the term(s) being assessed. Transfer credits do not count towards the credit hours reviewed for scholarship assessment. In-course scholarship recipients are notified of their award over the summer, via Dalhousie email.

Students registered in Graduate Studies, Medicine, Dentistry (with the exception of Diploma in Dental Hygiene students), or Law are ineligible to receive in-course scholarships or renew an existing scholarship.

Bursaries

The University's bursary program is intended as possible supplementary assistance to help qualifying students with a portion of their educational costs.

The University has funds for the purpose of assisting its students who may face certain types of financial situations. These bursaries are awarded primarily on the basis of demonstrable need as determined by the appropriate University office or committee, satisfactory academic standing (see as defined in Academic Regulations) is also expected. Students whose financial needs are exceptionally large and/or students whose academic standing is unsatisfactory may not be assisted.  Normally, bursaries will be awarded only to students who have availed themselves of assistance under the Canada Student Loan Program and/or corresponding provincial or territorial loan programs or bank loans. Normally, receipt of the first installment of such funding is a prerequisite to the University's consideration of an application for bursary assistance. Students may access the bursary program for a maximum of five years.

International Exchanges

Students who have permission to study for one or two terms outside of Canada in an approved exchange program, and are considered to be full-time (normally 30 credit hours), can be considered eligible for in-course or renewable scholarship assessment. Students who hold a Dalhousie scholarship and are planning to study abroad are advised to contact the Assistant Registrar (Awards) prior to departure to discuss their funding schedule.

Scholarship Assessment

Students who hold renewable scholarships will be assessed for renewal in either June or September depending on completion of two academic terms. If a student has previously failed to renew their scholarship and subsequently achieves the required 3.70 SGPA in the next academic year, or in any academic year within four of the original offer, the scholarship may be reinstated.

All other undergraduate students are assessed for in-course scholarships in June or September depending on completion of two academic terms.

Reduced Course Load and Retention of Scholarship

Scholarship holders considering taking a reduced course load should consult the Registrar’s Office - Awards before dropping courses. Students must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours over two terms within the academic year to qualify for renewal of their scholarships or an in-course scholarship.

Record of Scholarships

Scholarships, awards, and prizes are recorded on academic transcripts. The University retains the right to reassign the source funding of a student’s scholarship as circumstances may warrant (but there would be no reduction in the amount).

Graduation and Renewable or In-Course Scholarships

Students holding a renewable scholarship who choose to graduate earlier than originally expected, and later decide to return to upgrade their degree to a four-year degree, must submit a request to access their scholarship for the final year. In addition, if a student graduates and then decides to upgrade their degree, they cannot be assessed for an in-course scholarship until a further 30 credit hours over two terms within the same academic year are completed and a minimum SGPA of 3.70 is achieved.

Taxation

Students registered as full or part-time students are not required to claim financial awards (e.g. scholarships, bursaries) as income on their taxes.

Withdrawing

Award funds are credited to a student's account with the expectation that they will remain registered at Dalhousie at least as a full-time student (minimum nine credit hours for degree students or six credit hours for technical students) within the applicable term. Therefore, if a student reduces their course load or withdraws, these funds are expected to be returned to the University. However, depending on the time of the withdrawal, a student may be entitled to retain a prorated portion of the scholarship. Students in this situation are advised to contact the Assistant Registrar - Awards prior to withdrawing.

Scholarship Appeals

The deadline to appeal a scholarship decision for an entrance/in-course/renewable scholarship or entrance bursary is September 30.

Students may appeal under the following grounds:

  • extraordinary or compassionate circumstances;
  • unfair scholarship decision under the circumstances; and/or,
  • inconsistent scholarship decision compared to other offers/decisions (compared to other Dalhousie scholarships)

Students must submit their appeal, in written form, to the Assistant Registrar, Awards, in the Registrar's Office, by the deadline noted above. The letter should clearly outline the grounds for appeal and the remedy being sought. Students should include documentation, if applicable, to support the basis of their appeal. The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.

Convocation Awards

The Governor General's Silver Medal, Governor General's Bronze Medal, University Silver Medal, Avery Prize, and University Medals are administered by the Registrar's Office (Awards) and are awarded at convocation. For the aforementioned medals and prize, a student who is completing a second Dalhousie degree will have only those courses required for the second degree used when calculating their cumulative average. Students graduating in the fall convocation are eligible for consideration for the aforementioned medals and prizes in the following spring convocation. In addition, any disciplinary action by the Senate Discipline Committee shall be deemed sufficient cause for any student to be ineligible.

In the College of Pharmacy, the School of Health and Human Performance, the School of Health Sciences, and the School of Nursing, a University medal is awarded annually at the spring convocation to a graduating student who demonstrates the following criteria have been met:

  • The candidate has successfully completed the equivalent of three full-time years in their respective baccalaureate program (90 credit hours) at Dalhousie.
  • Has met the FHP cumulative GPA requirement or better on courses taken at Dalhousie towards the degree.
  • Of those eligible, has the highest GPA.

All credits taken towards the degree at Dalhousie will be used in the calculations. Transfer credits taken prior to entry into the program are not counted towards either the 90 credit hours criterion, or towards the cumulative GPA requirement. Classes taken on Letter of Permission, while registered in the program, are included in the 90 credit hours criterion and calculated as part of the cumulative GPA requirement. As the School of Social Work does not offer a three year (90 credit hour) BSW degree, it is not eligible for the University Medal.