INDIVIDUAL/FAMILY BURSARY Terms of Reference

Winter Deadline: Monday, February 20th, 4:30 pm, 2017

This bursary grant makes funds available to graduate students who demonstrate financial needas a result of extenuating circumstances.

PLEASE NOTE: The Bursary is not meant to provide relief from reasonable foreseeable or regular expenses. The circumstance for the application must be exceptional and the onus is on the applicant to prove that their financial difficulties arose from unforeseeable and/or unavoidable circumstances.

Grants are acceptedtwice per year during Fall and Winter semesters.

Individuals may apply for bursaries in the amount of $1000 or family bursaries in the amount of $2000.

As the number of applicants far surpasses the amount of bursaries available we will be unable to support all graduate students who require financial assistance. Therefore, priority is given to new applicants. Moreover, this bursary is awarded ONLY to graduate students who are facing unforeseeable financial need. Applicants are discouraged to apply if their financial need is foreseeable.

Who is Eligible?

  1. Full- and part-time students enrolled in a graduate program at the UofC are eligible to apply for Individual/Family Bursaries.
  2. The applicant must show a monthly financial deficit.
  3. The applicant must show that an extenuating circumstance led to their financial deficit.
  4. (Family Bursary Only) The student must be married, in a common-law relationship, or have dependents.

*Note: Family status does not preclude regular bursary eligibility.

Criteria for Ranking Applications

In addition to the above eligibility conditions, the bursary committee will assess applications using the following criteria:

  1. The student has made an effort to resolve the financial problem in addition to applying for this bursary.
  2. The student shows financial responsibility.
  3. Severity of need as a result of extenuating circumstances
  4. Effectiveness of bursary

Requirements for Completing and Submitting the Application

  • Make one combined pdf file, first page must be an application form following rAppendix 1 if it is needed. Name your application: Bursary_LastName_FirstName. Application must be submitted to the GSA Awards Chair by 4:30 pm on Monday, February, 20th, 2017 through (Hard copy will not be accepted). Subject of the Email must be: Bursary Application

(Late applications will NOT be accepted)

  • Applications must be submitted from your University of Calgary e-mail address (applications from other e-mail accounts will not be accepted).
  • Maximum by a week after the deadline, applicant will receive an application number. Contact if you do not receive it by March 3rd, 2017.
  • Questions about the application process must be directed to GSA Awards Chair, Mina Zarabian at , (GSA main office is unable to answer questions in this regard and it will be directed to the awards chair). Due to parallel process of different awards, subject of Emails must be Bursary.
  • If you are selected to receive a bursary or family bursary, you must complete a declaration and signature form and submit it to the GSA office in order to receive your funding.

Other Regulations:

  1. The Bursary/Family Bursary is administered by the GSA Awards committee chairs under the supervision of the Vice President Academic. The committee must additionally consist of at least three active members of the GSA. More committee members are preferred for large numbers of applications; each application must be read by at least 3 reviewers. GSA members who volunteer to serve on the committee should intend in good faith to remain for the full academic year; nevertheless, replacements may be appointed if the need arises.
  2. The activities of the Bursary-administering committee are monitored by an Awards Committee chair as well as the VPA. Any GRC member has the right to point out breaches of Bursary guidelines to the Awards Committee chair or VPA
  3. The GSA will not be responsible for any tax liability incurred by the awarding of funds.
  4. The GSA will ensure funds will be awarded to the successful applicants before the last day of classes of the respective term.
  5. Successful applications will be kept for 2 years after the date of notification of the award. Unsuccessful applications will be kept for 8 weeks after the same date. Both will be shredded after these respective time periods. Appeals will delay shredding of unsuccessful applications.
  1. Unsuccessful applicants may appeal the decision about their application to the full executive of the GSA. This must occur within a period of 8 weeks after the applicant is informed of the decision.

GSA Individual/Family Bursary TOR(updatedSeptember 2016)Page 1 of 2