Regulations for recipients of undergraduate scholarships and awards

The information below applies to all awards granted by the Committee on Enrolment and Student Affairs, which includes those issued by Scholarships and Student Aid and most faculties. However, recipients of faculty awards should verify this information with their faculties.

It is the responsibility of every undergraduate student to apprise themselves of the regulations, conditions, and criteria governing their scholarships and awards, as specified on this page.


Scholarships

Entrance scholarships

Newly admitted entrance scholarship recipients at McGill should note that their offers are conditional upon being accepted for admission. For questions about entrance scholarship offers, please scholarships [at] mcgill.ca (contact Scholarships and Student Aid). For questions about your application for admission, please contact the admissions office to which you applied.

One-year entrance scholarships

One-year entrance scholarships are tenable only for the first two semesters of your undergraduate program, excluding the summer semester. Recipients of one-year entrance scholarships must complete 27 McGill graded credits (not including courses taken under the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option) towards your undergraduate degree program during the regular academic year (Fall and Winter terms). Summer courses are not considered. If you are registered for only one term you must complete 14 McGill graded credits.

Renewable entrance scholarships

Renewable entrance scholarships are tenable until completion of a first undergraduate degree, to a maximum of three or four years, provided the criteria for renewal are met.

Criteria for retaining a renewable entrance scholarship include both number of credits and GPA standing. Renewal will not be considered if these requirements are not met.

NUMBER OF CREDITS

Recipients of either one-year or renewable entrance scholarships must complete 27 McGill graded credits (not including courses taken under the satisfactory/unsatisfactory option) during the regular academic year (Fall and Winter terms). Summer courses are not considered.

If you are registered for only one term during the academic year, you must complete 14 McGill graded credits.

Please note that credits transferred to McGill due to advanced standing (AP, IB, French Bacc, A Levels, etc.) are excluded from the McGill graded credits required to hold and retain a McGill Entrance Scholarship.

Exceptions to the graded credits requirement are granted for students with a documented disability requiring academic accommodation as confirmed by the Student Accessibility and Achievement . Students provide authorization as part of their accommodation plan for Student Accessibility and Achievement to disclose their registration status for the purposes of scholarships and awards consideration and renewals thereof.

GPA STANDING

For students in their First Year:

For the first year of study, a probationary sessional GPA of 3.50 on a minimum of 27 McGill graded credits will be required. This only applies to students completing their first year of studies, as either a U0 or U1, but not for students in Law.

Please note that you will need to achieve a minimum sessional GPA of 3.70 on at least 27 graded credits in your second year of studies and all subsequent years thereafter to qualify for entrance scholarship renewal.

For Students Beyond their First Year:

The academic standing required for renewal is a 3.70 combined, sessional GPA for all courses taken during the Fall and Winter terms, except for Pre-Med, Pre-Dent and Law students (see below).

Pre-Med, Pre-Dent and Law students:

  • Pre-Med and Pre-Dent students: in their Pre-Med and Pre-Dent year CEGEP students are first in the Faculty of Science, therefore they have to meet the same requirements as other first year undergraduates: a probationary sessional GPA of 3.5 on a minimum of 27 McGill graded credits. In subsequent years, scholarships will be renewed provided the recipient achieves Dean's Honour List standing (top 10%) at the end of each promotion period in the Faculty of Medicine or Dental Medicine and Oral Health Sciences.
  • Law students: Scholarships awarded to CEGEP students entering the BCL/JD program are renewable provided the recipient's combined, sessional GPA for the Fall and Winter terms places them in the top 10% of the faculty cohort (or Dean’s Honour List) at the end of every academic year.

Non-renewal and extenuating circumstances

Notification of renewal/non-renewal of entrance scholarships is sent out by Scholarships and Student Aid at the end of the regular academic year, once all the final marks have been entered. If a student does not meet all renewal criteria due to extenuating circumstances, there is an appeal process in place. The Scholarships Review Subcommittee (SRS) of the Committee on Enrolment and Student Affairs will review the files of students who have documented extenuating circumstances for not meeting the standard for renewal. Students must provide a written explanation, all supporting documentation and a signed consent form. For more information please scholarships [at] mcgill.ca (contact the Scholarships and Student Aid Office).


In-course scholarships/awards

In-course scholarships (awarded to students currently enrolled at McGill) are automatically determined by individual faculties and communicated to successful recipients in the summer months. No separate applications are required. These awards are tenable for one year only and are not renewable. Neither are they transferable should students decide to change faculties. All questions about in-course awards should be directed to the appropriate faculty.

To receive an in-course award in its entirety, students must be registered on a full-time basis during the regular academic session in a minimum of 27 McGill graded credits, unless otherwise specified by their Faculty.

Recipients of in-course awards contemplating an internship or exchange should consult their individual faculty office for regulations governing these activities.


Deferrals

First-time entrance scholarships are tenable only for the session for which they are awarded and cannot be deferred, unless the newly admitted student has been granted deferred admission. 

Requests to defer admission should be addressed to the Deferral Coordinator in the Admissions Office at deferral [at] mcgill.ca.

If deferred admission is granted, it is likely that the scholarship will also be deferred. The entrance scholarship offer of the highest value that you received will be deferred to the following year. Deferrals are tenable for up to one year.

Scholarship recipients whose admission has been deferred should scholarships [at] mcgill.ca (contact Scholarships and Student Aid) if they require more information.


Transfers

Although centrally-administered McGill entrance scholarships are transferable, many of them specify restrictions by faculty. If recipients of entrance scholarships are registered in one faculty and decide to change faculties, they must scholarships [at] mcgill.ca (advise Scholarships and Student Aid), which will ensure that students receive a scholarship tenable in the appropriate faculty.

Certain faculties at McGill award their own entrance scholarshipsthese faculty-specific entrance scholarships are not transferable.

In-course faculty scholarships are not transferable.


Inter-university transfer (IUT)

Courses taken at other Quebec universities through the Inter-University Transfer (IUT) Agreement may be counted towards the requirements for scholarship renewal or for consideration for other academic awards, to a maximum of 3 credits per semester or 6 credits per annum. Eligibility will be based on all courses taken during the regular academic year and the combined GPA for the Fall and Winter terms at McGill as well as the global GPA, which will include the IUT credits.

For further details please consult the University Regulations and Resources publication and enter “IUT” into the site’s search engine.


Term or year-away: academic reasons

Recipients of one-year or renewable entrance and in-course scholarships may retain their awards if they are registered as full-time students at another university, for up to one year, following a program of study approved by the faculty as forming part of the student's requirements for a McGill degree. This policy applies to time away at any other university, including those which are part of McGill exchange programs.

Renewable entrance scholarships

Recipients of renewable entrance scholarships will be eligible for renewal if they meet McGill standards for renewal. To qualify for renewal, if applicable, students on exchange or study-away must submit their transcripts from the host university to the Scholarships and Student Aid Office to determine the McGill equivalency of their grades and credit load.

Students in co-op and internship programs will have their renewable entrance scholarships deferred, if applicable. Students enrolled in the Mining & Materials Engineering co-op program must scholarships [at] mcgill.ca (contact Scholarships and Student Aid) to clarify program-specific regulations.

In-course scholarships and awards

Students will not be eligible for consideration of McGill in-course scholarships and awards based on marks obtained at another institution.

  • Students in one-year internship programs will not be eligible for McGill in-course awards.
  • Students on internships for one-semester will not be eligible for in-course awards based only on that semester but may be eligible for their academic semester at McGill if they complete 14 McGill graded credits.

Term or year-away: non-academic reasons

Renewable entrance scholarship recipients who decide not to register at McGill for one term or year must inform the Scholarships and Student Aid Office of their decision. They are considered to have relinquished their award but may request a reinstatement upon their return to McGill by scholarships [at] mcgill.ca (contacting Scholarships and Student Aid ) and providing a copy of their letter of readmission.

In-course scholarship recipients who decide not to register at McGill for one term or year are considered to have relinquished their award. They must contact their respective faculty office for clarification of rules governing time-off.


Payment of awards

Decision times

  • Named entrance scholarship decisions are communicated to recipients in late July and August. Payment is effected accordingly in the upcoming academic year.
  • In-course scholarship & award decisions are determined during the summer. Payment is effected accordingly in the upcoming academic year.

Graduating students can receive their awards via direct deposit, their student fee account or, exceptionally, by cheque at the end of the Winter term.

Procedures

Scholarships and monetary awards are credited to your fee account, one-half for each of the Fall and Winter terms. You should not be concerned if your initial e-bill does not reflect your scholarship. When you receive notification that your e-bill is ready (via your McGill e-mail address), you may disregard the notice if one-half of your award is sufficient to cover the bill. Otherwise, you should deduct the appropriate amount and pay the balance. For more information on e-billing, please consult the Student Accounts website.

If the total value of your award is greater than your fees, you should arrange with the Student Accounts Office after September 30 and again after January 30 to receive a refundtypically by direct depositfor the amount not required for your fees. Please consult the Students Accounts website for information on how to request a refund.

McGill entrance scholarships are tenable only in the academic year for which they are awarded and/or renewed. If students cannot avail themselves of the full amount of the scholarship because of restrictions and stipulations of other scholarships which they have received, the balance of the McGill scholarship may not be carried over into future years.

McGill in-course awards are tenable for the academic year in which there are issued and are not renewable or transferable. Students must consult their faculty in cases where extenuating circumstances may apply.

To receive full payment of a scholarship or award, you must be registered as a full-time student (a minimum of 12 McGill graded credits per term and a total of 27 McGill graded credits per academic year) in an undergraduate degree program at McGill for the regular academic year (Fall and Winter terms); otherwise the award, or part of it, will be cancelled. If you are registered for only one term you must complete at least 14 McGill graded credits to receive 50% of the value of the scholarship.

Payment for term or year-away

  • Students participating in exchange programs will receive their renewable entrance scholarship and/or in-course award payment as indicated in the section Term or Year Away: Academic Reasons (above).
  • Students not participating in exchange programs but are on study away must ensure they are registered as non-resident students in order to receive payment.
  • Students on internship will have their entrance scholarship deferred, if applicable.
  • Students on internship with in-course awards should consult their respective faculty for rules governing their payments.
  • Students taking time away who have a credit balance in their accounts should contact the Student Accounts Office for a refund.

External award recipients

It is the student’s responsibility to be informed of all restrictions surrounding the acceptance of external awards, such as prescribed award limits that prohibit students from concurrently holding all or part of a McGill scholarship. Please scholarships [at] mcgill.ca (contact Scholarships and Student Aid) to discuss your options.


Tax implications

If you have received a scholarship or other form of financial assistance during your studies, contact the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and/or Revenue Quebec for information about filing taxes as a student. For specific information on your tax slips and receipts please visit the Student Accounts website.

The Scholarships and Student Aid Office Frugal Scholar Money Management Program offers Income Tax workshops intermittently throughout the academic year.


Confidentiality of student information

McGill University is governed by the An Act Respecting Access to Documents Held by Public Bodies and the Protection of Personal Information ("Access Act") which generally declares confidential the records, documents, and information concerning staff and students. Users agree to respect and enforce such confidentiality and not to use information without authorization or to subvert any information to which they have access during the performance of their assigned duties at McGill.


Mistakes can happen

We understand that mistakes can happen. Sometimes, you can unknowingly make a mistake when filling out your aid application or reporting circumstances during an appointment with a Financial Aid Counselor. If you realize you have made a mistake, you need to let us know immediately so we can correct the situation.


Committing fraud

If you knowingly withhold information or misrepresent the facts to make a false claim, you are committing fraud. This falls under Section 11 of the Code of Student Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures, and you may face financial consequences and/or disciplinary action. If you have knowingly held back information or made a false or misleading statement and you let us know about it before we begin an investigation, the aforementioned results may be reduced. To get in touch, please Contact Us.

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