BC Achievement Scholarship

On this page

• How recipients are determined
• Eligibility
• Key Dates
• How to use a BC Achievement scholarship

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The BC Achievement scholarship recognizes the 8,000 graduates with the top academic achievement in the province.

For the purpose of this scholarship, top academic achievement is determined based on the grades 10–12 courses that are used to meet graduation requirements (including electives). While most students graduate with more credits than required, only the courses used to meet graduation requirements are considered for this scholarship. Furthermore, the flexibility for student choice within the BC curriculum means that the courses used to meet graduation requirements vary among graduates.

Recipients receive a $1,250 scholarship voucher that they can use to be reimbursed by the Ministry of Education and Child Care for tuition paid after they are attending a designated post-secondary institution or B.C. authorized trades training provider.

Students have five years to redeem their BC Achievement scholarship vouchers; an expiry date is printed on each voucher and extensions are not possible.

How recipients are determined

Students do not apply for the BC Achievement scholarship. 

Schools report to the Ministry their students’ eligibility (e.g., citizenship/permanent residency) and final grades. For each eligible student reported, an average is automatically calculated based on the final percentages from courses used to meet graduation requirements. This calculation determines the 8,000 graduates with top marks who will receive the scholarship. Furthermore, in the case of a tie for the last available scholarship, the calculation will break it with the final percentage from the course used to meet the Language Arts 12 graduation requirement.

The above calculation is done after graduation, at a single point in time each fall. There is no subsequent reassessment.

Here are facts to keep in mind.

• The average calculated for the BC Achievement scholarship is different from a student’s GPA or overall average, which is typically based on all courses completed.
• The grades of students are different each year so there is no set percentage that guarantees receipt of a BC Achievement scholarship.
• Because this is a highly competitive scholarship, it is possible for students to do very well academically and not secure one. 

Eligibility

For a student to have their grades considered alongside the grades of all other eligible graduates, their school must report them as satisfying the following requirements by August 31 of their graduating year:

• meet core eligibility requirements;
• be eligible for a B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma);
• fulfill the requirements of the B.C. Graduation Program;
• have no more than one Transfer Standing (TS) or Standing Granted (SG) reported among course marks used to satisfy graduation requirements, regardless of the credit value of the courses; and,
• have for the course used to fulfill the Language Arts 12 graduation requirement a percentage score reported and at least a “B” (73% or above).

Key Dates

August 31: Schools must update student records with the Ministry by this date to ensure eligible students are appropriately considered. This includes ensuring citizens and permanent residents are reported with a “C” indicator through the school’s student information system. Schools can find reporting resources on the GRAD Information web page.

November: Notifications are posted to the StudentTranscripts Service; students should sign up for and log into their account to find out if they are a recipient of the BC Achievement scholarship. Typically, at this time paper scholarship vouchers are also mailed to recipients, to the last home addresses reported by schools.

How to use a BC Achievement scholarship

BC Achievement scholarships are valid for five years. Follow the instructions on the How to use a Scholarship Voucher page to redeem a BC Achievement scholarship.