Common Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

General Admission

No. NVIT is a public post-secondary institution. This means anyone who is a Canadian citizen or a Permanent Resident of Canada can attend!

A Conditional Offer is acknowledgement that your program application was received. To complete your application and fully qualify, you must submit Official Transcripts and any program admission requirements. Once these are submitted, you will receive a Final Offer of Admission confirming your acceptance into the program. This letter will advise that NVIT will notify you when registration is open and you can register into your courses.

You will receive an Eligible to Register letter and your NVIT Self-Service account information once registration is available. You will be able to register yourself online using NVIT’s Self-Service web registration. Our team is happy to walk you through the registration process.

Immediate Entry Bursary

Yes, you must complete the Immediate Entry Bursary Application in addition to an Application for Admission to an NVIT program.

Absolutely! Contact our Academic and Financial Planning department to help you decide which program and campus is the best fit for you.

The deadline to complete the application, submit admission requirements, be accepted into your program and registered in courses is June 30th.

To maintain eligibility for the Immediate Entry Bursary (IEB), students must:

  • apply to an NVIT program
  • submit Official Transcripts
  • submit other admission requirements (if applicable)
  • complete an Immediate Entry Bursary Application
  • schedule an IEB Advising appointment; and
  • register in courses (minimum 60% courseload).

Topics discussed in the meeting with the IEB Advising appointment include:

  • Educational costs including those not covered by the IEB
  • Course planning & registration
  • Other funding sources
  • Disability/Tutoring services and supports (if applicable)

Unfortunately, the bursary can only be used for the academic year immediately following high school graduation. We encourage you to meet with our team to find a program that fits your career and education goals.

NVIT publishes the Important Dates & Deadlines document which includes add/drop, course withdrawal and program withdrawal deadlines. You should familiarize yourself with these dates before attending. If you decide you need to reduce your courseload or do not want to continue your studies at NVIT, you should meet with an Academic and Financial Planner to discuss your options.

A 60% course load per semester must be maintained to be eligible for the Immediate Entry Bursary (IEB). Learners who have an accommodation plan through the Success Centre may request a 40% course load. For eligibility questions, please contact the Registrar’s Office prior to the deadline.

No, the bursary can only be used for the academic year immediately following grade 12 graduation.

Fees and costs not covered by the Immediate Entry Bursary include:

  • Tuition costs exceeding the IEB bursary amount
  • Student Society Fees
  • Science & Computer Lab Fees
  • Health Lab and Shop Fees
  • Experiential Learning Fees
  • Graduation Fees
  • Health & Dental Fees (applicable opt outs are completed by the learner)
  • Fitness Fees
  • Program Textbooks and applicable supplies
  • Practicum Travel
  • UPASS Fees

Costs, Financial Aid, and Other Awards

NVIT offers several Entrance Awards in varying amounts and applicable depending on your program of study. Some Entrance Awards require an application. After registration, you may be notified, you qualify for and are invited to apply for an Entrance Award. NVIT’s Academic and Financial Planners can advise you of Entrance Awards you may qualify for, as well as other bursary and scholarship options that are available. They are also listed on NVIT’s website.

If you are registered in a full-time course load for a program which starts in September, your fees are due by September 30 for the fall semester and January 31 for the spring semester. If you are registered in a trades program, all fees and outstanding tuition are due by the first day of class.

In these circumstances, you will need to submit a fee deferral request. This is essentially a contract between you and NVIT based on an agreeable payment schedule or payment deadline. Fee Deferral Requests must be in place before the fee deadline and can be arranged through an Academic and Financial Planner. Be prepared to complete a budget to support your request.

The Health and Dental fee ($275) is billed automatically at the start of your courses. If you have existing coverage and do not need extra coverage, you have 30 days after your program start date to opt-out of the Student Benefits plan. Once 30 days have passed, you are no longer eligible to opt-out. To find out about coverage or how to opt-out, visit mystudentplan.ca. NVIT cannot opt-out of health and dental on a student’s behalf.

Yes, but you will need to contact your Band to determine if you qualify and submit your application according to your Education Department’s funding deadlines. Apart from additional tuition costs, fees, books and supplies, you may also qualify for living allowance funding.

Yes! Student Aid BC may assist with the costs of post-secondary education through loans, grants and scholarships for qualified students. New student loan applications open in June of every year and you are encouraged to apply well before your September start date as it may be a lengthy process. Please visit the Student Aid BC Website to determine your eligibility and review the important steps to register on the Dashboard and verify your identification. You are encouraged to discuss this process with an Academic and Financial Planner during the initial Admission and Registration stages.

Student Experience & Support Services

NVIT is a learner-centred institution that provides an array of student support services throughout the year. However, these services may differ from the ones you received in high school. The main difference is a sense of responsibility and self-direction; it is your choice to attend Post-Secondary and find a balance between academic and personal commitments. There is new terminology presented in college, along with important dates and deadlines to note. Student support services can walk you through these terms and dates, but it is your responsibility to be mindful of your schedule.

Another difference is the cost of attending Post-Secondary. As outlined above, there are additional costs involved. Creating a budget can help you manage these costs and determine where money can be saved.

When you begin classes, you will be provided with a ‘syllabus’, essentially a guideline and contract between the student and instructor outlining all expectations and deadlines. This syllabus will also provide you with a textbook list as these are often not provided to you but need to be purchased at your own cost through the campus Bookstore.

NVIT offers a holistic approach to supporting learners! Below are services available to you:

  • Success Centre
    • Accommodation and Accessibility Services
    • Counselling Referrals
    • Career Prep
    • Tutoring Services
  • Elders’ Council: Sweats, Smudges, Food/Clothing Bank, Personal Counselling
  • Various Campus Events
  • Access to NVIT’s Fitness Facility (key fobs purchased through the Bookstore)
  • Breakfast foods/Coffee/Tea in the Success Centre
  • Learning Commons (Library and Success Centre) Events and Workshops

Graduation

Convocation is held annually in June. If you are in a program scheduled to finish before August 31st, you are eligible to apply for graduation and participate in the ceremony. To attend, you must Apply for Graduation by March 31st. The cost to attend the graduation ceremony is $82.80. If you will finish your program before August 31st, but do not want to attend graduation, you must still apply to collect your credential at the end of your program. There is no fee for this.

Learn More about Graduation

Your payment must be received by March 31, 2025, to participate on graduation day. Payment can be made in person by debit or credit card or over the phone by VISA or MasterCard or online (https://www.paymytuition.com/paynow/nvit). If payment has not been made by the deadline, you will be removed from the RSVP list.

Please arrive at the ceremony site at 9:00 AM to pick up graduation gowns. Arriving late might not give you a chance to have your FREE graduation portrait taken.

Due to venue spacing limitations and fire codes, only THREE (3) GUESTS per graduate is allowed in.

We will have pre-ordered graduation gowns and caps available on campus, but graduates may also choose to wear their traditional ceremony attire. If this is your plan, please notify our Events Planner at events@nvit.ca before April 30, 2025.

Cedar headbands will be available to all graduates.

There will be a short window of time to put on gowns, headbands, and caps. Please come prepared.

There will be a professional photographer to take your graduation portrait from 9:00 – 10:00 AM. Be sure to pick up your gowns at 9:00 AM to avoid long lines. During the ceremony, the professional photographer will take stage photos of each graduate. All photos will be accessible in the QR code provided during the photoshoot. You may download the high-resolution copies for FREE.

Yes, food will be provided after the ceremony and class photoshoot. Graduates will receive meal tickets for themselves plus their guests upon check-in.

For the Vancouver Ceremony, please proceed to Lot B for the FREE parking. All other parking lots at the BCIT campus will be paid parking. For accessibility requests, please contact our Events Planner.

For the Merritt Ceremony, parking is FREE. We advise carpooling as parking space is limited.

Please connect with our Events Planner Emma Matusiak at events@nvit.ca for further information.

If you are unable to make Grad or are feeling unwell before the ceremony after you have registered, please email registrarsoffice@nvit.ca in order to remove you from the schedule and reimburse your graduation fees.

Post-Graduation

We recommend you meet with an Academic and Financial Planner before you complete your first year. They can help you prepare a budget for your return year and advise you on external funding options (Band funding, student loans, etc). You may also qualify for Year-End Internal Awards. These are issued annually in June and are often based on your academic standing, leadership, community involvement and/or financial need. Our planning team is familiar with all awards and can help you determine which to apply for.

Transfer Credit varies from institution to institution and by program to program. The BC Transfer Guide outlines transfer credit by course, as well as block transfer and transfer agreements between NVIT and other institutions. During a meeting with an Academic and Financial Planner, you can review transferability of your courses and plan for your transfer to another school. There are also transfer scholarships available you may qualify for.

Online Learning

An online course is completed via the internet. At NVIT we offer courses that are entirely online, and partially online. Our courses are semester-based, and generally* follow the same semester schedule as our campus-based courses.

* courses that start and end outside of usual semester dates will be noted as such on schedules.

Entirely Online
You can complete the course from any location. You are not required to come to the NVIT campus or other locations to complete the course requirements. Course materials are available online, and you communicate with your instructor and classmates through discussion forums and email. You are required to login to the course frequently and actively participate in course activities and discussions.

Partially Online
Some of the course activities and resources are available online. This is combined with face-to-face meetings on campus or other locations.

Visit the NVIT website at www.nvit.ca and select NVITConnect, then select Student Menu, then select Search for Classes. Enter the term and then under location, choose Online Courses. All online courses for that term will be displayed. You can use ‘guest’ access to view upcoming courses.

Online courses generally have scheduled start and end dates meaning you must complete them according to a specific schedule. Note that self-paced courses may be implemented in the future.

You will need frequent and reliable access to the Internet. High speed access is recommended. However, 56kps dial-up will be suitable for many courses.  You will also need access to a computer with the following minimum requirements:

  • Operating System: Windows 95 or Macintosh 9.1, or Linux
  • CPU: Pentium or PowerPC (G3 300 MHz recommended) with 64 MB of RAM

Some courses may have special software requirements which will be stated in the course descriptions.

Contact the bookstore 250-378-3301 or call our Toll Free number  1-877-682-3300

There are technical and communication skills that you will need to be successful in your online courses. You may access the “Introduction to Moodle” course anytime at moodle.nvit.ca . You will also find useful resources at the NVIT Helpdesk. Also, take some time to explore the resources and services offered through the BCcampus website at http://bccampus.ca.

To access BC college and university library services you will need a library card from a BC post secondary institution. Contact the NVIT library if you need a library card at (250) 378-3302 or 1-877-682-3300 toll free or on the web at http://nvit.ca/library/ . Online library resources are also available through the BCcampus portal. Click on the “Library” tab when you log in to the portal.

For all online programs and courses you will need to apply to become an NVIT student and register through NVIT.  Advisors are available to help you.

Applications are open for Bachelor of Education - NITEP until June 15, 2026

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