Fees and financial assistance

Fees and expenses

Tuition and student fees

The UBC Board of Governors approves fees, including tuition, program, course, special, and student society fees, each year in consultation with students. Fees are subject to change. Please refer to the UBC Academic Calendar for undergraduate and graduate tuition fees for the current academic year.

You should expect to pay student fees of around $1,000 per year for undergraduate and $1,200 per year for graduate programs. The UBC Academic Calendar provides details on student and student society fees, their due dates, as well as important policies, including late payments and refunds.

Books and materials including computer purchases

Books and related supply costs can vary significantly depending on book purchases, material/shop purchases, and printing purchases. The minimum you might expect per year is $1,000. A one-time computer purchase at the beginning of the program will be approximately $3,500.

Living expenses

Vancouver is an expensive city to live in, but there is a wide range of living choices available. Take a look at what it's like to live in Vancouver and spend some time to explore possibilities. This cost of living calculator will assist.

Pursuing post-secondary education is a major investment in your future. Although Vancouver’s housing prices tend to be higher than average, food and other expenses are comparable to the rest of Canada, and are dependent on the expected standard of living. And the higher costs are off-set by extremely reasonable tuition fees.

Financial assistance

Scholarships and awards

Scholarships and awards recognize outstanding entering, continuing, and graduating students. They include entrance scholarships, Graduate Support Initiative awards, graduate and departmental awards and scholarships, and external awards. We automatically allocate entrance awards.

You can find additional award and scholarship opportunities and resources on the Student Services and Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies websites.

Student loans and bursaries

The Canadian and US governments offer student loans to help you pay for your post-secondary education. To determine if you are eligible to apply, visit Student Services.

Bursaries are non-repayable funds that are available to eligible students based on unmet financial need. The UBC Bursary Program is open to domestic students with student loans and demonstrated unmet financial need.

Employment

We are committed to providing employment opportunities for our students. Internally, we hire teaching and research assistants, communications and technology support, reading room and materials library assistants, and, occasionally, event assistants. We post these opportunities on our website and include notices in our weekly newsletter. Externally, we place co-op students in offices internationally.

The UBC Work Learn program also aims to support and subsidize meaningful work experiences on campus. All current UBC students are eligible for this program, which provides many opportunities for you to develop professional skills and actively learn in a work environment.

Financial planning

Financial awareness and planning can go a long way when it comes to managing debt and the many expenses associated with your post-secondary studies. Student Services maintains a great financial toolkit and list of resources to help steer you in the right direction. They also offer one-on-one financial advising and can help you come up with a plan to get your finances under control.

Financial emergencies

Enrolment Services offers advising and financial support for students experiencing a financial emergency. They may be able to help with a financial hardship brought on by unforeseen circumstances, such as a medical emergency, unexpected change in living situation, or a death in the family. Contact Enrolment Services to set up an appointment or for more information.