Authority

These policies govern all undergraduate scholarships, bursaries, awards and prizes (collectively referred to as “awards”) regardless of the college, department or unit responsible for administration, except where an award’s terms of reference explicitly differ from specific elements of policy, and except for awards administered by Huskie Athletics, which are subject to U SPORTS regulations.

Principles

The University of Saskatchewan’s undergraduate awards program is designed both to reward the academic achievement and to mitigate the financial need of undergraduate students working toward completing University of Saskatchewan programs.

Given the limited student award resources available, the university chooses to direct awards to full-time students. As well, limits are placed on award support to any one student, thereby broadening distribution and mitigating the distorting effect of higher tuition and equipment costs in some colleges relative to others, to ensure access to all programs.

Last revision

January 2024

I. AUTHORITY OVER STUDENT AWARDS

  1. All student awards must have terms of reference. When an award is externally funded, terms of reference must be signed by the designated representative of the Board of Governors (Board), and for awards open to a single college, they are also signed by the respective Deans of those colleges. No award exists, may be adjudicated or its value disbursed, until it is signed on behalf of the Board.

  2. For externally funded awards, terms of reference form a binding trust and are the final authority on the donor’s intent, trumping notes, memos, recollections, and changing donor or family opinion. The University is legally responsible for administering the student award according to the terms of reference and these invested trusts may not be revised without formal approval from Donations and Trusts, including the signature of the Board’s representative. Revisions of terms of reference are only considered when circumstances make it impossible or impractical for the university to fulfil the donor’s original intent, as reflected in the agreements. In some instances, the University would need to avail itself to the Court of King’s Bench for rulings on trust amendments.

  3. The University of Saskatchewan Act 1995 outlines the powers of the Board and of University Council (Council), each of which possesses authority over a difference aspect of student awards. The practical translation and application of these powers overlap to some degree. Because of that overlapping, practices and rationales for those practices have developed which are functional and respectful of the relevant authorities of Board and Council.

  • Powers of the board ... 49(1) The board may: … (i) provide for the establishment of scholarships, fellowships, bursaries and exhibitions if authorized by the council;”

  • “Powers of council” … 61(1) The council may: … (d) grant scholarships, prizes fellowships, bursaries and exhibitions;”.

No record exists of Council’s having explicitly authorized the Board to establish scholarships, fellowships, bursaries, and exhibitions (as stated in 49(1)). Instead, the Board is represented by the Provost on the committee that Council has charged with granting awards. The Scholarships and Awards Committee is responsible for:

  • recommending to Council on matters relating to the awards, scholarships, and bursaries under the control of the university,

  • recommending to Council on the establishment of awards, scholarships and bursaries,

  • granting awards, scholarships, and bursaries which are open to students of more than one college or school, and

  • recommending to Council rules and procedures to deal with appeals by students with respect to awards, scholarships and bursaries.

Current practice is based on the understanding that Council has delegated authority to authorize the establishment of new awards to the Scholarships and Awards Committee and that the Scholarships and Awards Committee has in turn extended that authority to Student Finance and Awards as part of a three-member collaboration:

  • The Manager of Donations and Trusts Services, representing the Board of Governors;

  • A development officer or, if no donor is involved, a representative of the academic unit; and

  • The Awards Development Liaison from Student Finance and Awards, representing Scholarships and Awards committee and University Council.

Under this structure, the fundraiser represents the donor and academic unit and communicates back to both; the Finance and Trusts member represents the financial and trust responsibilities of the Board; and the Liaison works between the two to craft terms of reference (the contract or trust) for student awards that meet donor wishes, conform to the University’s policy, and that the University is willing and able to administer. When terms of reference are agreed upon by donor, academic unit and Board representatives, the document is signed by the donor, the Dean (and department head, if applicable), and on behalf of the Board.

Because the Board is responsible for financial affairs and Council for academic affairs, the three-party awards development structure meets both elements of The Act quoted above. In addition, the three-party structure conforms to the university’s policy on the Naming of University Assets, wherein the Board of Governors and Council jointly delegate to Student Finance and Awards in consultation with University Relations responsibility for the naming of awards, scholarships, and bursaries.

II. AWARD ELIGIBILITY


  1.  In order to be eligible for entrance awards, either centrally- or college-administered, students must have a complete secondary level standing or equivalent, either Canadian or international, necessary to obtain admission to the University of Saskatchewan, unless otherwise specified by an award’s terms of reference.

  2. Candidates must have been admitted to the University of Saskatchewan into a degree or diploma program.

  3. Students must have fewer than 18 credit units completed at or transferable to a U of S direct-entry program of study.

    Exceptions include:

    1. students competing for entrance awards with a performance component administered by the Department of Music for students in any B.Mus. program are eligible regardless of previous academic study.

    2. students who only have transferable credit units from secondary school coursework are eligible for entering awards regardless of the number of credit units transferable to a U of S direct-entry program of study. Such students are not eligible for the U of S Transfer Scholarship.

  1. All credit units used to meet requirements for undergraduate awards must be earned at the University of Saskatchewan.

    Exceptions Include:

    1. students studying on an approved study abroad program, exchange or letter of permission. Credits earned under such a program will be used to meet credit unit minimums for awards purposes; marks may be used in calculating academic averages for awards, depending upon practices specific to the college.

    2. students transferring credits earned at other institutions to University of Saskatchewan programs may be eligible to receive the U of S Transfer Scholarship and must meet eligibility requirements set out in the terms of reference for the specific award.

  2. In order to be eligible for undergraduate awards, students must register for and complete at least 18 credit units over the fall and winter terms in the academic year in which the award is paid.

  3. Exceptions include:
    1. students at regional colleges, who are not subject to a credit unit minimum.

    2. graduating students who require fewer than 18 cu to complete their degree requirements are eligible for scholarships, provided they complete a minimum of 9 cu in either the fall or the winter term.

    3. students receiving prizes/awards specific to particular courses or projects, as well as students receiving awards relevant to their convocation or graduation, who are not subject to a credit unit minimum.

    4. students with disabilities approved to study on a reduced course load, who must register for and complete 12 credit units over the fall and winter terms in the academic year in which the award is paid.

  1. For all continuing awards, in order to compare student achievement at a common baseline, students must be pursuing a degree or diploma and have completed 18 credit units over the previous fall and winter terms.

    Exceptions include:

    1. students approved for a reduced course load because of disability, who must have completed 12 cu over the previous fall and winter terms.

    2. students in professional internship and cooperative education programs, who are eligible for consideration for all central and college administered awards based upon completion of at least 18 academic (i.e., non-work experience) credit units. Academic terms appropriate for assessment are a maximum of one previous spring and summer session and two previous fall and winter terms. The combination of sessions that provides the minimum number of required credit units and applicable award averages will be assessed. Applicable academic sessions, up to and including the session the credit unit requirement is reached, will be included in the calculation of an award average

    3. University of Saskatchewan students participating in formal exchange programs will be eligible during their absence and upon their return for all centrally-administered undergraduate awards including both scholarships and bursaries. In all cases, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the appropriate awarding body of their wish to be considered for University of Saskatchewan awards.

  2. Students entering their first year of study in a non-direct entry degree program and students transferring from another institution may be considered for department- and college-administered awards at the department or college’s discretion, unless otherwise specified by an award’s terms of reference.

  3. College and department award committees may consider, on a case by case basis and at their discretion, a student's request to re-enter the award pool after an absence from the University of Saskatchewan of one or more years unless otherwise specified by an award’s terms of reference. It is the student’s responsibility to request consideration by the college prior to the selection of recipients by the college.

  1. For continuing awards, academic averages will be calculated based on all U of S courses attempted during the previous year’s fall and winter terms, as defined in paragraph I.B.1. above. Courses completed during the spring and summer terms are not used in the average calculation for awards.

  2. Eligibility for centrally-administered awards requires a minimum sessional average of 65%. Colleges may set academic achievement thresholds for awards granted at the college or department level.

  3. For the purposes of determining whether a student has met renewal criteria for a centrally-administered award, the average will be rounded to the nearest whole number unless otherwise prohibited by an award’s terms of reference.

III. BURSARIES

  1. Recipient selection for bursaries will be based on financial need alone, unless additional selection criteria are imposed in an award’s terms of reference.

  2. Where terms of reference specify the use of both financial need and academic achievement as selection criteria for awards under the administration of the Scholarships and Awards Committee, the weighting of financial need and academic achievement will be 50/50.

  3. All bursary candidates will be required to provide financial information in a standardized format to and as determined by Student Finance and Awards, for determination of need.

  4. A bursary may be awarded to a recipient even if the value of the bursary exceeds the actual value of the recipient’s calculated financial need.

  5. Students in the colleges of Medicine, Dentistry, and students not covered by Inter-Provincial Agreement in the Western College of Veterinary Medicine will be considered for centrally-administered bursaries based on living need (excluding tuition, fees, books, equipment), in order to eliminate the disadvantage to students of other, non-health sciences programs and provide a more level playing field for bursary distribution.

IV. AWARD ADJUDICATION

  1. The Scholarships and Awards Committee may establish adjudication committees for any awards under its administration at its discretion. Each adjudication committee is comprised of at least three members as determined by the Chair or designate with the Chair being a voting member ex officio and a member of Student Finance and Awards being a voting member, and is empowered to make award selection decisions and report these decisions back to the full Committee. The Chair may change or augment membership, or appoint members from beyond the Scholarships and Awards Committee.

V. LIMITS ON RECEIVING AWARDS

  1. Entering students may receive one competitive entrance award.

    Exceptions include:

    1. Guaranteed Entrance Scholarships and any other automatic awards.
    2. awards with highly specific criteria with a resulting small pool of eligible candidates may be awarded to students who have qualified for a competitive award.

  2. Continuing students may receive one centrally-administered scholarship annually.

    Exceptions include:

    1. second and subsequent years of renewable awards.

    2. awards with highly specific criteria resulting in a small pool of eligible candidates may be awarded to students who have qualified for a centrally-administered bursary.

  3. Continuing students may receive centrally-administered bursaries to a maximum of $5,000 over the fall and winter terms (if receiving multiple bursaries) or a single bursary of a value greater than $5,000.

  4. No undergraduate student may receive awards with a cumulative dollar value greater than the cost of tuition for the fall and winter terms plus the amount designated by Saskatchewan’s Student Financial Assistance Branch as the allowable living costs of a ‘single student living away from home’ for student loans purposes. The differential fee for international students, sometimes referred to as “differential tuition,” is not considered in this calculation. This policy does not prevent or limit the value of any single award.

    Exceptions include:

    1. second and subsequent years of renewable awards.

    2. travel awards.

VI. DEFERRAL OF AWARDS

  1. Competitive entrance awards may not be deferred.

  2. To accommodate opportunities for learning experiences outside the academic setting, students pursuing non-academic opportunities may apply to Student Finance and Awards to defer centrally-administered renewable scholarships and centrally-administered continuing scholarships for one year, provided they are not registered as regular students at another post-secondary institution for the duration of the deferral period.

  3. Centrally-administered bursaries (awards for which selection is made wholly or partially on the basis on financial need) may not be deferred.

  4. College and department award committees may allow undergraduate students to defer college-administered awards unless otherwise specified by an award’s terms of reference.

VII. TRANSFERRING OF AWARDS

  1. Under exceptional circumstances on the recommendation of the appropriate academic units, students registered as visiting students at other universities may request permission to transfer University of Saskatchewan awards. The recommendations must be based on academic considerations and approved by the Dean's Office. The supporting documents must verify that the selected courses are required or recommended as an asset to the academic program. Students must be proceeding to the completion of a degree at the University of Saskatchewan. This regulation will be administered at the college level; however, colleges must inform Student Finance and Awards of their decisions under this regulation.

VIII. TRAVEL AWARDS

  1. Travel award recipients must follow university policies around international travel risk management, administered by the International Student and Study Abroad Centre.

IX. PAYMENT OF AWARDS

  1. Payment of all undergraduate awards is authorized by Student Finance and Awards upon confirmation that candidates have met all eligibility requirements. Award administrators will submit presumptive recipient and award information in a consistent format as determined from time to time by Student Finance and Awards. In cases where presumptive recipients are found to be ineligible for an award, the award administrator is notified by Student Finance and Awards and an alternate recipient is identified wherever possible.

  2. All undergraduate awards are paid out through the student’s U of S tuition account upon confirmation of compliance with all requirements (including credit unit requirements) by Student Finance and Awards.

    Exceptions include:

    1. Book prizes: paid out through the University of Saskatchewan Bookstore as vouchers or credits.
    2. Some travel awards will be disbursed through recipients’ tuition accounts for accounting purposes but immediately refunded in their entirety to the recipients regardless of their account status.
    3. These awards are identified by Student Finance and Awards in consultation with the International Student and Study Abroad Centre.

  3. Awards are generally paid out in a single instalment per academic year; however, some awards’ terms of reference dictate otherwise, and in some cases Student Finance and Awards will recommend payment in instalments by term.

  4. Award payment will not be pro-rated.

  5. Notification of award recipients by the adjudicating college or department will include conditions for maintaining the award (minimum registration, achievement, etc.) and the consequences of not meeting those conditions (revoking of awards). Award administrators and academic advisors are strongly encouraged to counsel students of the consequences for dropping below the minimum registration.

X. REVOKING AWARDS

  1. Students whose course loads fall below the number of credit units required to maintain award eligibility, as outlined in II.B.2 of this policy, will have their merit-based awards revoked and the disbursement reversed, unless otherwise specified in an award’s terms of reference. Revoked awards will not appear on the transcript or co-curricular record. Need-based awards may be revoked but disbursement reversed only to the extent of any existing credit on the student account. Students whose awards have been revoked may appeal the decision on the basis of compassionate or medical grounds as outlined below.

  2. Students whose awards are revoked are notified in writing by Student Finance and Awards.

  3. A revoked award appears on the student’s tuition account as an amount owing to the university. Collection of the outstanding balance is subject to university policies on student accounts receivable.

  4. Right to appeal

    Students whose awards have been revoked may appeal the decision on the basis of compassionate or medical grounds. All appeals must be in writing and contain documentation (e.g., doctors’ notes) supporting the student’s case. Student Finance and Awards adjudicates all appeals and reports decisions to the Scholarships and Awards committee. Student Finance and Awards consults with the committee on appeals that in Student Finance and Awards’ judgment are of an equivocal or difficult nature. All adjudications, whether conducted by Student Finance and Awards or the committee, are considered final, with no further appeal option.

XI. EQUITY

  1. The University of Saskatchewan shall ensure that fund raising activities related to the establishment of student awards address education equity goals through the creation of scholarships, bursaries and other awards for Indigenous people, persons with disabilities, visible minorities, women, and non-binary persons. Furthermore, all awards including terms that are affirmative with respect to an identifiable group under The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code must include a clause that directs how the award should be made when it is no longer necessary to be affirmative towards the group.
  2. Targeted awards for Indigenous students shall require verification of applicants as eligible with respect to their Indigenous membership or citizenship in accordance with the current University policy framework.

  3. The University of Saskatchewan encourages all students to apply for awards, regardless of their gender identity. For awards purposes, the phrase “female student(s)” and the words “woman,” “women,” and “female” are inclusive of woman-identified, trans woman, two-spirited, gender-queer, gender-variant, gender fluid, transgender, gender nonconforming, or otherwise non-binary individuals. Similarly, the phrase “male student(s)” and the words “man,” “men,” and “male” are inclusive of man-identified, trans man, two-spirited, gender-queer, gender-variant, gender fluid, transgender, gender nonconforming, or otherwise non-binary individuals. Awards restricted to men or women must also explicitly include and welcome applications from trans men/ women and non-binary persons in any context in which those restrictions are outlined. Award applications for awards restricted to or directed towards men or women must also provide space for applicants to articulate their gender identity and/or preferred pronouns, as relevant in the context of the award.

  4. Some awards require students to register for and complete more than the minimum number of 18 credit units over the fall and winter terms in the academic year in which the award is paid, and/or to have completed more than 18 credit units over the previous fall and winter terms. These requirements are 6 credit units lower for students approved for a reduced course load because of disability.

XII. PRIVACY AND PUBLIC RECOGNITION OF AWARD RECIPIENTS

  1. Any public recognition of award recipients will be made only with recipients’ prior permission. The sole exception to this practice will be for those awards announced at Convocation.

GLOSSARY

  • Academic year: the period from May 1 through April 30, defined as the spring, summer, fall and winter terms.

  • Bursaries: awards granted fully or partially on the basis of financial need.

  • Centrally-administered awards: those open to students of more than one college or program, or to students university-wide, adjudicated by Student Finance and Awards by authority of the scholarships and awards committee.

  • College-administered awards: open to students of a single college or program, normally adjudicated by a committee of the college or program department as authorized by the Dean. Student Finance and Awards adjudicates some college awards on behalf of their designated award committees.
  • Competitive awards: students apply and compete among their peers.
    Continuing / Returning / In-course: student has earned 18 or more credit units at or transferable to the University
    of Saskatchewan in previous academic years, regardless of year in program.
  • Continuing awards: for students with 18 or more credit units at or transferred to the U of S, generally beyond their first year of program and in a degree or diploma program. Continuing awards are not awards where payment continues from one academic year to another: such awards are known as renewable awards.
  • Disability: student registered with the office of Access and equity services.

  • Dual registered: student registered and taking courses at the University of Saskatchewan and also completing credit units at another post-secondary institution(s) which are transferable to the University of Saskatchewan towards completion of a University of Saskatchewan degree. Students of other institutions taking University of Saskatchewan courses for credit at their home institutions are not eligible for University of Saskatchewan awards.
  • Entering / Incoming / First year: student either has not previously taken courses at the university level or has earned fewer than 18 credit units of university courses at or transferable to the University of Saskatchewan. Students beginning study in non-direct-entry colleges are not entering students for awards purposes.

  • Entrance awards: granted to students beginning their university studies in a direct-entry college in a degree or diploma program. Students who are beginning study in non-direct-entry colleges are not entering students for awards purposes.

  • Exchange: outbound University of Saskatchewan student who spends up to one year at a university in another country under an exchange agreement while obtaining credit towards their U of S degree. Students approved to participate in an exchange program are considered U of S students during the period of exchange, are assessed standard full-time U of S tuition, and are responsible for their own travel and accommodation costs. Students of other institutions taking University of Saskatchewan courses for credit at their home institutions are not eligible for University of Saskatchewan awards.

  • Female / Woman / Women students: inclusive of female-identified, trans woman, two-spirited, gender-queer, gender-variant, gender fluid, transgender, and non-binary individuals.

  • Full course load: 30 credit units or more over the fall and winter terms.

  • Full time: 18 credit units or more over the fall and winter terms.

  • Guaranteed awards: granted on the basis of achievement and require no application and no competition.Currently guaranteed awards are limited to the Guaranteed Entrance Scholarships.

  • Indigenous: a student who is a Métis, First Nations, or Inuit person of Canada. To receive a scholarship, bursary, or other award directed for Indigenous students, recipients will be required to participate in the deybwewin|taapwaywin|tapwewin verification process through their PAWS account.

  • International: student at the University of Saskatchewan on a visa or study permit and not a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person.

  • Male / Man / Men students: inclusive of male-identified, trans man, gender-queer, two-spirited, gender-variant, gender fluid, transgender, and non-binary individuals.

  • Non-Binary/ Gender non-conforming/ genderqueer: inclusive umbrella terms to describe individuals who identify with a gender outside of the gender binary pair of male/ female or man/ woman.

  • Prizes: awards granted in recognition of a specific accomplishment or project.

  • Renewable awards: a student may receive in one or more academic years subsequent to the original award, provided she or he meets renewal requirements, typically obtaining a particular academic average.

  • Scholarships: awards granted fully or partially on the basis of academic merit.

  • Transfer: student has earned 18 or more credit units of university courses transferable to the University of Saskatchewan, not one who has transferred from one U of S program to another.

  • Visiting: outbound University of Saskatchewan student with approval on a Letter of Permission from their college to take one or more courses at another accredited post-secondary institution and receive credit towards their U of S degree.