Guide to the Application for Financial Aid

Bursaries are awarded to students registered in VST degree or diploma programmes on the basis of demonstrated financial need. Special students and/or occasional students are not eligible. These bursaries are not intended to meet the student’s total financial need. Bursaries are based according to credit hours taken, and are awarded as a percentage of tuition. Students should be aware that payment of the remainder of their tuition, book costs and all living expenses are their own responsibility. Note: BCSAP Moderate Standard of Living will be used as a guideline to qualify students for financial aid.

VST has a limited amount of bursary assistance available for students and student aid will be granted according to the following priorities:

1. Students from denominations that support VST financially, i.e. The Anglican Church of Canada, The Presbyterian Church in Canada and the United Church of Canada.
2. Canadian students.
3. All other students.

The criteria for awarding student aid is detailed below:

1. Full-time and part-time students will qualify for financial aid based on credit hours taken, up to the maximum number of required course credit hours to complete the programme in which they are registered i.e. Diploma (24 credit hours); MDiv (100 credit hours); Honours MDiv (115 credit hours); MATS (60 credit hours); MATS concentration in Spiritual Direction (81 credit hours); MARE (60 credit hours); ThM (28.5 credit hours).
2. Ordained students are eligible to apply but will be asked to apply first to other sources that support study for ordained persons. The same priorities as in numbers 1-3 above apply to ordained students.
3. There will be a sliding scale for entering, returning and graduating students, to be determined annually.
4. Students who have demonstrated that they have searched for other possible sources of financial support, including congregational and denominational assistance, will be considered to have priority over those who have not.
5. Regarding assets: The school expects that cash savings, investment income and cashable resources such as GICs and investments will be included as income on their application form and will be taken into account in calculating need based on the gap between income and expenses. The school does not expect students to cash RRSPs/IRAs and other registered retirement savings, or sell or mortgage their home before applying for student aid.
6. Students need to apply by: August 15th for the fall term, December 15th for the spring term, and April 15th for the summer term. A fully completed application form requesting student aid and an interview with the designated Financial Aid Officer must be completed annually. Normally, interviews occur at the beginning of the fall term followed by updating interviews if the student’s situation changes.
7. Student aid will be given only for VST programmes.
8. Bursaries are granted only for the specified terms and cannot be deferred.

To print Financial Aid Application Forms: Full year (12 months) bursary or Single term