AUSU Bursaries

A financial boost for AU undergrad students in financial need.

AU is known for providing high-quality post-secondary education without barriers.  Anyone over the age of 16 can go to AU.

But education is not cheap.  AU’s student union, AUSU, offers several bursaries to assist AU students with financial challenges.  Some of these bursaries are available year-round, while a couple others can only be applied for in spring and fall.

Let’s start with AUSU’s year-round bursaries:

Computer Bursary.  AUSU will purchase and ship a laptop computer directly to a maximum of 16 students each year who apply and qualify for this bursary.  Applicants for this bursary must have completed a minimum of 12 AU credits, have a GPA of at least 2.00 over the 12 most recent AU credits, and demonstrate financial need.  The value of the laptop will not exceed $750.

Emergency Bursary.  AUSU will provide emergency funding to help students pay for course extensions, supplemental exam fees, and late exam fees.  Applicants for this bursary must have completed a minimum of 12 AU credits, have a GPA of at least 2.00 over the 12 most recent AU credits, and demonstrate financial need.  Students can apply for this bursary more than once per fiscal year, but may not receive more than $500 for that period.  AUSU will award a maximum of $4000 in Emergency Bursaries each fiscal year.

Travel Bursary.  AUSU will provide up to $1000 to students who need financial assistance to attend labs, practicums, on-site courses, or related conferences.  Applicants for this bursary must have completed a minimum of 12 AU credits, have a GPA of at least 2.00 over the 12 most recent AU credits, and demonstrate financial need.  Applications must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the date of travel, and documentation proving the need for travel must be included.  AUSU will award a maximum of $4000 in Travel Bursaries each fiscal year.

Applications for the above three bursaries can be submitted any time, using the year-round online application form.  Note that AUSU’s fiscal year runs October 1 to September 30.

The two following bursaries are only available for application during AUSU’s spring and fall awards cycles.

AUSU Bursary.  AUSU will award $1000 each to up to ten students each fiscal year (usually five in each award cycle,) to aid students in financial need and/or with exceptional life circumstances.  Applicants for this bursary must have completed a minimum of 12 AU credits, have a GPA of at least 2.00 over the 12 most recent AU credits, and demonstrate financial need.

New Student Bursary.  AUSU introduced this bursary especially for new students who have not yet completed the 12 AU credits required for other bursaries.  Applicants for this bursary must have completed between 3 and 11 AU credits, have maintained a GPA of at least 2.00, and demonstrate financial need.  AUSU will award up to eight New Student Bursaries each fiscal year, four in each award cycle.  Each bursary is worth $500.

Applications for the AUSU Bursary and the New Student Bursary are only accepted during the spring and fall award cycles, using the online application form for those cycles.  Applications are now open for the fall cycle, and the deadline for applications is November 1.

Go to www.ausu.org/services/scholarships-awards for a complete description of each bursary and its application requirements.