International students at TRU are eligible to be considered for all merit based funding (scholarships, awards, fellowships, & prizes) whether it is based on an application, faculty nomination, or automatically by GPA. These funds are made on the basis of individual achievements such as academic, athletic, artistic or other accomplishments, and financial need is not a factor. To apply for merit based undergraduate awards, submit an Online Awards Application through myTRU by September 30. Please note that some awards are restricted by program, year of study, citizenship, and other factors. Within myTRU, there is a separate application for international students called "Undergraduate Awards Application (Int'l)" that bypasses all of the unapplicable financial need questions and allows you to apply for scholarships and awards. All graduate merit awards either have a separate application or are faculty nominated.
Bursaries (based on financial need) are limited to Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents only, as these are either taxpayer supported or locally funded. TRU assumes that international students will arrange their own funding to meet immigration requirements for the issuance and/or renewal of student authorizations and visas, as per IRCC stipulations and understanding that you have adequate financial resources to support yourself and any accompanying family members. If you are an international student, you should explore financial aid programs from your home country to see if you qualify.
Emergency Funding (including the TRUSU Emergency Bursary) is available to international students who are admitted to any TRU program and currently enrolled full-time. This application is only to address unforeseen needs in the current semester. To open an application, international students must first contact their International Student Advisor to discuss their financial situation and options. Applications are opened on a case-by-case basis. Once your application has been submitted, our office will follow up with an email, a phone call or sometimes a virtual Teams meeting to review your application. Please see the Emergency Funding page for further details.
You should only be completing an Emergency Funding application if you meet all of the following conditions:
1. You have recently encountered an unforeseen financial crisis, and
2. You can demonstrate financial need using a standardized assessment (which requires a modest student standard of living) and
3. Your financial details can be verified by Student Awards & Financial Aid, and
4. The crisis will have a material impact on your ability to successfully complete the semester.
Funding programs for International Students
Visit the International Students page for information about additional services and resources available to you at Thompson Rivers University.