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Managing your award

Find out how to keep your award, meet renewal requirements, and understand how course changes, program changes, or study abroad can affect your funding.

Stay eligible for your award

To receive and keep your scholarship, you must:

Be registered in an eligible undergraduate program at Dalhousie

You must be registered in an eligible program in one of the following Faculties:

  • Agriculture
  • Architecture & Planning
  • Arts & Social Sciences
  • Computer Science
  • Engineering
  • Health
  • Management
  • Science

Stay enrolled full-time each term

  • Degree programs: at least 9 credit hours per term
  • Technology programs: at least 6 credit hours per term
  • Some awards may require registration in specific programs/faculties, or require more than the minimum credit load—check your award letter for details.  
  • Even if your scholarship is renewable, you still need to stay registered full-time each term to receive your funding.

Note: Students at King’s College are not eligible for Dalhousie scholarships.

Understand how renewal works

If your award is renewable:

  • Review your offer letter carefully—it outlines your renewal criteria
  • Keep a copy for your records

Your specific renewal requirements are outlined in:


Most renewable scholarships require:

  • Completion of a minimum number of credit hours across two terms from the past academic year
  • Achievement of a minimum Scholarship GPA (SGPA)

 

SGPA (Scholarship GPA) is the average of the two term GPAs used for scholarship assessment.

Note: SGPA is different from your CGPA (Cumulative GPA).

You will receive an email notification about your renewal status in July/August.

If extenuating circumstances affected your academic performance, you may be eligible to submit an appeal. Please follow the instructions in your renewal results email.

One co-op work term in a year

You must:

  • Complete the required credit hours across two academic terms (fall, winter, or summer)
  • Achieve the required SGPA across those two terms


Two co-op work terms in a year

You must:

  • Complete half of your required credit hours in one academic term
  • Achieve the required SGPA in that single term

Example: If your requirement is 30 credit hours and a 3.7 SGPA:

  • You must complete 15 credit hours in one term
  • Earn at least a 3.7 GPA in that term


Receiving your funding

  • Awards are applied to your student account in fall and winter terms
  • If you are on co-op during those terms, funding will still be applied
  • Funds can:
    • Remain on your account for future fees, or
    • Be refunded upon request through Student Accounts


Length of study

  • Most renewable scholarships are awarded for four years
  • If co-op extends your program into a fifth year: 
    • You will not receive renewal funding in year five
    • You may instead be assessed for an in-course scholarship

Maintain your course load

You must remain a full-time student to keep your scholarship.

  • For in-course scholarships, you must complete 30 credit hours over two terms in the past academic year (September–August) 
  • Audited courses don’t count toward your course load because they are not for credit

 

Dropping courses or withdrawing

If you reduce your course load below full-time or withdraw:

  • You may need to repay your award (in full or in part)
  • The amount you keep depends on when changes are made

Before making any changes, contact the Awards and Financial Aid Office to understand your options.

Changing your program of faculty

If you switch programs or faculties after receiving your award:

  • Your scholarship amount or eligibility may change. In some cases, scholarships may be forfeited if they are tied to a specific program or faculty.
  • Contact the Awards and Financial Aid Office to review your situation

Studying outside Dalhousie

Letters of permission

Taking more than one course per term at another institution (on a letter of permission) may make you:

  • Ineligible for in-course scholarships
  • Ineligible for renewal of your current award


Exceptions apply for:

  • Bachelor of Science (Nursing) students in Yarmouth
  • Costume Studies students at NSCAD
  • Students on approved Dalhousie exchange programs

Exchange and study abroad

You can keep and renew your scholarship while on an approved Dalhousie exchange or study abroad program, as long as you meet your renewal requirements. 

Approved programs include:

  • Oxford Study Abroad Program
  • Bader International Study Centre
  • Official Dalhousie exchange partnerships

Independent or self-arranged programs are not eligible for scholarship funding or renewal.

If you’re unsure, contact the Awards and Financial Aid Office before committing to a program.

Nursing students

If you enter Nursing directly from high school:

  • Your program is three years long, but many renewable awards are structured over four years
  • Contact the Awards and Financial Aid Office to have your funding adjusted across your program timeline

Receiving your funds

General Entrance Awards and in-course scholarships

General Entrance Awards (including both entrance scholarships and bursaries) and in-course scholarships are applied to your Dalhousie student account.

In-course bursaries and emergency loans

In-course bursaries and emergency loans are paid by an Interac e-transfer sent to your Dalhousie email and deposited to a Canadian bank account

How to accept an e-Transfer:

  1. Open the Interac email
  2. Select your bank and sign in
  3. Answer the security question
  4. Choose the account where you want the funds deposited
  5. Review the details and confirm the deposit

If you can’t find the e-transfer email, check your Dalhousie email on a computer and look in your spam, junk, and clutter folders.

Contact Awards and Financial Aid

Email

Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm 

General enquiries: awards@dal.ca 
U.S. student loans: us.studentloans@dal.ca

Mailing address

Room 130, Henry Hicks Building 
6283 Alumni Crescent 
PO Box 15000 
Halifax, NS B3H 4R2