Looking for help?

To create a new account:

• Go to www.educationplannerbc.ca/apply.
• Click the blue 'Sign Up for your EducationPlannerBC account'. 
• Fill in the required information on the page. You can choose to create an account using your email address or by linking your BC Services Card. 
  • If you are using your BC Services Card please follow these steps:
    • Click 'Create with BC Services Card' and pair your BC Services Card app with the pairing code on your screen. 
      • Learn more about how to set up and use the BC Services Card app to access government services.
    • Then you will automatically return to the login page, where you will need to click the green 'Login to your EducationPlannerBC Account' button. You will need to click the login using the 'Log in with BC Services Card' button. Please note you will be prompted to pair your app again. 
    • Once you have successfully paired your BC Services Card app you will need to verify your information
• Once your account has been created a 'Confirm Account' email will be sent to the email address you listed on the account. You must click the 'Confirm Your Account' button to verify the account (ensuring valid email contact information is sent with your application). You must confirm the account before you are able to submit an application. 
• Create and save your applications using this profile. Submit your applications with payment when you are ready to apply. 

TOP TIP: Ensure you are using your personal email address to create your EducationPlannerBC account. Most email addresses assigned at school are deactivated once you've graduated. 

EducationPlannerBC cannot change information on an application that has already been submitted. 

Once you select submit, the information is sent directly to the institution to be added to their student records system. Contact the school directly to make any changes to an application that has already been submitted. Contact details for B.C. public post-secondary institutions are listed here.

TOP TIP: Ensure the institution has your correct email address as they will be contacting you with further information about enrolment, registration, or additional documents. 

Each institution sets their own application open and close dates. These dates also may vary based on the program you are applying to. 

You can use the search database to explore programs you are interested in applying to or visit the institution's website directly.

Please refer to the institution's website or contact the Admissions/Registrar's Office directly for application deadlines and details. 

Applicants must save each section of the application form as they proceed through the questions.

The EducationPlannerBC application form does have an auto-save function but this may be disrupted at times due to browser, website, or internet connection issues. Additionally, the online application form has an automatic inactivity sensor, which after 5 minutes of inactivity on your account you will be automatically logged out of your account. 

TOP TIP: changing your profile information or selecting a different term/program/campus may cause the application form questions and related answers to disappear/change. 

We recommend that you type any long answers or essays (i.e. personal profile questions) into a Notepad/Typepad file, or other text editor first (Word is not recommended), and save a local copy of your answers; then copy and paste your text into the EducationPlannerBC application form. 

This will ensure you do not lose any information as you proceed through your application. 

The EducationPlannerBC application form requires the following information:

• Personal Information
  • Legal name, date of birth, language, citizenship, etc. 
• Contact Information
• Academic History
  • High school
  • Post-secondary institution
• Personal Education Number (optional, but recommended)

Once you have created your profile, you will be able to start filling out application(s) to post-secondary institution(s). 

When you get to the application step you will need to know the following information:

• Which program(s) you are applying for
• Term or Start date
• What application fee payment type you will need. Most institutions only accept Visa or Mastercard credit cards. Very few accept Debit Visa cards. 

B.C. high school transcripts can be ordered from the StudentTranscript Service for B.C. high school students here.

Please note: You cannot make changes to a submitted application. If you need to make changes to an existing application, please contact the Admissions/Registrar's Office directly.

A Personal Education Number (PEN) is a nine-digit number assigned to each student enrolled or registered with any, B.C. Early Learning program (Strong Start), Public or Independent school, B.C. Certified Offshore School, Yukon School, or public Post-Secondary institution. 

If you attended an elementary, middle or high school in British Columbia since 1993, attended a B.C. Public Post-Secondary Institution since 1998, or wrote a provincial exam since 1986, you can find your PEN number from:

• School district office
• Recent documents, such as transcripts and report cards

You can also request your PEN from GetMyPEN. 

Having your PEN can make applying to university or college easier, however it is not essential. 

To learn more about your Personal Education Number (PEN), click here. 

Students who graduated from a B.C. high school should refer to the B.C. Student Transcripts Service in order to request high school transcripts. 

Each institution sets their own policy on receiving transcripts and additional required admission documents. As noted in the application confirmation email, once the institution reviews your initial application, they will contact you directly about next steps. 

If you have questions about your submitted application, please contact the school directly. 

Their Admissions/Registrar's Office can advise you about:

• The status of your submitted application, and next steps of the admission process
• Where, how, and when to submit transcripts and other supplementary documents
• How to make changes to your submitted application
• Your student number

When adding an item to your Academic History, if your high school or post-secondary institution is not listed in the EducationPlannerBC drop-down menu please select 'YES' for "Are you unable to find your school by name?".

You will then be able to enter your high school or post-secondary institution information manually. 

If you were homeschooled, when adding an item to your Academic History, click 'YES' for "Are you wanting to add a homeschool to your academic history?".

Then you will be prompted to fill out your attended start/end dates, and current or highest completed grade. Then click done to save this item. 

EducationPlannerBC is an online application service only and does not process applications. 

If you have questions about your submitted application(s), including a status update (next steps in admissions and enrolment) please direct them to the institution's Admissions/Registrar's Office. During busy times, admission processing can take several weeks. 

The Admissions/Registrar's Office can advise you about:

• The status of your submitted application 
• The next steps in the admission process
• Where to submit transcripts and other supplementary documents
• How to make changes to your submitted application
• Your student number

Note: Most institutions will contact you via email with updates or requests for further information. Please check your email (including spam/junk folders just in case!) for a message from the institution you applied to. 

If an institution is listed as offline on EducationPlannerBC, this means that the institution is not currently accepting online applications through EducationPlannerBC. 

This may be due to:

• open dates and deadlines as defined by the institution (not accepting applications for any program between certain dates), or
• temporary outages for system updates

The reason why application are closed is often stated in the "Information for applicants" section. 

We recommend that you:

• review dates and deadlines as listed on the institution's website, and/or
• contact the institution's Admissions/Registrar Office for more information on application open dates or deadlines for your program of choice. 

All institutions accept Visa and MasterCard credit cards. However, very few accept Debit Visa/Debit Mastercard, or American Express. 

Review the images on the payment page to determine available payment options for the institution you are applying to. 

What if I do not have an accepted form of payment?
If you do not have an accepted form of payment, you may be able to use a prepaid credit card; be sure that your prepaid card has an expiration date, and that the prepaid card will cover the application fee AND any activation fees on the prepaid card. 

Accounts must be confirmed before completing the payment step. Payment information must be entered and submitted within 5 minutes of loading the page. If your payment takes longer than 5 minutes to process, here are potential situations you may encounter:

My credit card/bank statement shows a fee was charged, but my application is not showing as submitted. What does this mean?

• This is known as a pre-authorization hold. This hold will automatically expire/remove, but we are not able to determine timelines.
• Some cards (specifically international cards) may show a pre-authorization hold for 30 or more days. In order to submit your application, you will need to complete the payment step again, in some instances this may be while your pre-authorization hold still remains.
  • Confirmation that your payment is successful, and your application submitted is when you receive all of the following: 
    • a message on your screen confirming your application was submitted,  
    • a receipt and confirmation by email, 
    • a copy of your application under your "Submitted Applications" list when you log in to your account. 
• Applications are not submitted until you receive confirmation as stated above. 
• All payments are made directly to the institution you are applying to, no fees are paid to EducationPlannerBC. If you want to discuss your pre-authorization hold, we recommend you contact your bank/credit card provider.

My card keeps saying it is declined, why is that?

• Your bank/card provider may be preventing the transaction from going through or you may have reached your daily limit. Please contact your bank/card provider to discuss this further.
• The billing address you entered does not match the address associated with the credit card you are using. Some institutions do not require billing information. However, if billing information is requested on the payment page, it is required. 
  • Ensure the billing address you type in matches what your credit card provider has on file for that account. 
  • Please remove any extra characters including hyphens (-). 
  • Add street address only, not city and province/state.
  • In rare cases, you may need to remove apartment numbers from the address field. 
  • Canadian postal codes may need to be all capitalized or the space between characters added/removed (this varies depending on the bank). 

What can I expect when I'm at the payment step?

• Once you click 'Submit' it may take a few moments to complete your fee payment transaction. DO NOT close your browser while the payment is processing as this may interrupt payment completion. 

When your fee payment is complete and your application is submitted, you will receive each of the following: 

• a message on the screen, AND
• a receipt and confirmation by email (to the email listed for the account) AND
• a listing, including the application number on your Submitted Applications list.

If you are unable to pay your application fee due to payment options available to you, please contact the institution you are applying to directly. 

Contact details for B.C. institutions can be found by finding the institution's name here. 

What is financial assistance? 

Financial assistance includes different types of financial support that you can access to help with the costs of pursuing post-secondary education. 

You can find a number of local scholarships, bursaries, and awards through your high school counsellor, community, post-secondary institution, and StudentAid BC. 

What is StudentAid BC?

StudentAid BC is a government program that helps British Columbia students with the cost of post-secondary education. The program connects students to both federal and provincial student financial assistance, and eligibility is based on financial need. 

You can apply for the following types of student financial assistance through StudentAidBC:

• Student Grants: awarded based on the student's financial need to help cover educational expenses like tuition fees, textbooks, and living costs. Grants provided by StudentAid BC do not need to be repaid. 
• Student Loans: repayable financial assistance. 
• Other student financial assistance: programs include specific supports for low-and middle-income students, former youth in care, students who have a permanent disability, or a persistent or prolonged disability, and borrowers who need help with repayment. 

Other types of student financial assistance to explore.

• Scholarships: awarded to students for outstanding scholastic achievement, community & leadership involvement and/or sports accomplishments. 
• Bursary: funds are used to support students who need financial assistance and have satisfactory academic achievement. 
• Awards: recognize significant contribution in various area(s) of expertise. Tend to acknowledge the contributions that are made by students and many have a monetary value. 

Your High School Counsellor or the Financial Aid and Awards Department at the Post-Secondary institution you wish to apply to are great resources to explore financial assistance options. 

To explore more about financial assistance, visit our financial resources page. 

If you are trying to submit your application and cannot see the payment page that may mean your account has not been confirmed. 

When you first created your account, you would have received an email from mailer@educationplannerbc.ca with the subject "Confirm Your EducationPlannerBC Account".

If you cannot locate that email in your inbox you will need to request the email again by hovering over your email in the top right corner and clicking 'Update Email'.

Once you have confirmed your account you will be able to review, pay, and submit your application.

The StrongerBC future skills grant will help more than 8,500 people access training for in-demand jobs over the next three years. 

The StrongerBC future skills grant is open to British Columbians aged 19 years or older – regardless of financial need – and covers up to $3,500 in eligible short-term skills training at public post-secondary institutions. 

For more information about the grant, visit the website resources below to learn more about:

• Eligibility criteria, visit here.
• Guidelines, visit here.
• Discover the list of over 400 eligible programs offered, visit here.

For more information about the grant or questions about the use of the grant, email: futureskillsgrant@gov.bc.ca.

There are a number of options available for upgrading or completing high school/secondary school courses in BC.

• Your local school district may offer courses in-class, summer, or online/distance learning (availability and delivery type depends on the district). Please contact them directly. 
• Universities and colleges throughout BC offer "Adult Upgrading" or "Adult Basic Education" whether you want to do one or two courses, or earn your high school graduation. Use the EducationPlannerBC Search tool to find which schools offer such programs. Use the filter on the left for Credentials >High School Equivalency to find details regarding admission, start dates, and more. Contact the institution directly for more information.
• Please visit Adult Upgrading - Province of British Columbia to learn more about upgrading options in BC. 

Don't forget to explore the StudentAidBC website to learn how to apply for the Adult Upgrading Grant.

You can submit as many applications to institutions through the EducationPlannerBC platform as you would like.

Some (but not all) institutions will allow you to apply for two programs using the same application. Other institutions require you to submit a second application if applying for multiple programs at the same campus. Please review 'Information for applicants' before completing your application. 

If you have specific questions about programs, including the application or admissions process, please refer to the website of the institution that you are applying to. To find this information, search the name of your institution in the Search database.

Fees are charged for each application and paid directly to the school. No fees are charged or paid to EducationPlannerBC. 

Note: EducationPlannerBC is a planning and application-for-admissions service only. After your application has been accepted, you will be instructed by the institution on how to register for specific courses. Each institution has different ways to enroll in individual courses outside of a degree program. 

Contact information to the 25 public post-secondary institution's listed on the EducationPlannerBC website can be found here.

To reset or recover your EducationPlannerBC account please follow these steps:

1. Go to the Apply website: www.educationplannerbc.ca/apply
2. Click on Login to your EducationPlannerBC Account.
3. Click on Forgot your password? Type your email address into the box and click Reset Password. An email will be sent to the email address provided with further instructions on how to recover your account.

• If you do not receive an email with your new password within 15 minutes:
  • Check your Spam or Junk folders for an email from mailer@educationplannerbc.ca.
  • Send an email to mailer@educationplannerbc.ca so your email system can recognize our email address as OK, then request the password reset email again.
  • Verify that your email address is correct within your account.
  • If you received an 'Invalid' message, try clearing the cache on your web browser or try an alternate browser or device, and try again to Reset Password.

4. Please follow the single-use link in the email to reset your password. The new password must be at least 8 characters in length, and include:

• At least one lower case letter
• At least one upper case letter
• At least one number
• At least one special character

5. After successfully logging into your account, you can review and update the following information anytime in the top right corner under your Username:

• Update Password
• Update Email Account

Application Form questions have changed: 

EducationPlannerBC implements changes and updates to the profile form as necessary to ensure applicants have a seamless journey through the application process. 

If you return to your "Profile" and are not able to proceed forward with your application, you may be requested to complete sections of your application that may now have missing information. This may occur if a question has been added or if the wording of a question has changed slightly since the last time you logged into your account. 

Each section of your "Profile" will turn green when you have successfully completed and saved your answers, and you will be able to move forward with an in progress application or submit a new application. 

Your account is not confirmed:

When you created your EducationPlannerBC account, you received an email from mailer@educationplannerbc.ca, with the subject line "EducationPlannerBC: Confirm Your Account".

You need to click on the 'Confirm Account' link in the email to verify your identity and email address. Applications cannot be submitted unless your account is confirmed. 

If you are experiencing and issue with the confirmation link, please check out the FAQ "Why am I receiving an error message on my account page". 

If you are not receiving expected emails from EducationPlannerBC here are some things to check:

1. Verify your email: Verify that your account email address is correct. Please log in to your EducationPlannerBC account if you can; select 'Update Email' from the menu at the top-right and follow directions on that page to change and save the corrected email address. Any previous messages are not re-sent at this time.

2. Check if your inbox is full: Verify that your email account has sufficient storage space to receive our replies. If your account does not have sufficient storage space, you will not be able to receive new emails and we may not be able to contact you. Please note: EducationPlannerBC communicates via email. 

3. Spam filtering: Email systems use multiple levels of spam filtering. Please try each of the following steps, in order:

• Search all folders (especially Spam/Junk folders) for an email from mailer@educationplannerbc.ca.
• If it is not found anywhere in your email history and folders: 
  • Send an email (blank or with the word "Hello" in the body of the email) to mailer@educationplannerbc.ca so your email system can recognize our email address as OK
  • Request the email again (password recovery, confirm account email, receipt/confirmation email).

The EducationPlannerBC Support team is available during business hours (Pacific time), Monday to Friday, except statutory holidays. We typically reply within 1-2 business days, in the order that messages are received. Please only send one inquiry per issue. 

If you have any further questions please email us from the email associated with your account to support@educationplannerbc.ca.

The following errors may occur depending on your web browser, data, or other factors:

We recommend you try the following:

• Clear your web browser's cache, using a different device or a different browser. 
• Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge are recommended browsers. Internet Explorer is not recommended and will cause errors.
• Please ensure you have an up-to-date version of any browser you use. 
• Javascript must be enabled. Please check your browser settings. 
• Ensure you are trying to load www.educationplannerbc.ca/apply. Some out-of-date links may be trying to load invalid pages.  

If you receive an invalid error when clicking on your 'confirm account' link or 'password recovery' link here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Have you already used the link from this email? These links are one-time use only. You may need to request a new Confirm Account or Password Reset email.
• Some email programs or browsers introduce an error with this link. Please "copy link" from the Confirm Account email and paste the link into a different web browser.  A success page should be presented when this link is correctly reached.

If you are unable to resolve the issue, please report the issue to us at support@educationplannerbc.ca, and include the following information:

• description of the issue you are experiencing and where in the form you are experiencing it
• screenshots of the issue you are experiencing
• the time it occurred (including time zone)
• device you are using (e.g. laptop, mobile phone, tablet, etc.)

Please note the following when uploading documents to an application form.

1. File uploads are presently limited to 10MB per file.  
2. Accepted file types are: PDF, TIFF, JPG and PNG.
3. Please also ensure that the filename includes only characters from a standard English keyboard/character set.
4. There should be no extra periods in the filename, only before the file extension (for example, my.resume.2020.pdf will not work, but myresume2020.pdf).

The system may take a few minutes to upload the file. If you receive an error "Pending or Rejected Documents as Part of Application", please review the message and wait a minute or so, then refresh the page in your web browser. 

The message will most likely say: "Your file had not been scanned yet, and applications can only be submitted once all files have been successfully scanned. Please refresh the page in a couple of minutes.".

Common troubleshooting tips if you're receiving loading errors on files which should be accepted:

• Delete the uploaded item
• Refresh the page, and/or clear your web browser's cache
• Upload the file again, and save that section of the application once complete

If the issue persists please email us at support@educationplannerbc.ca with a screenshot of the error you see on your screen, what browser you are using, and what device you are using.

The EducationPlannerBC application and user accounts will be unavailable due to regular monthly maintenance every third Thursday of each month from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. Pacific Standard Time.