Culinary School Admission | Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts

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Domestic Applicants

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

High School Diploma or equivalent (GED) you are 18 or younger, or mature student (19+)
Copy of Provincial Medical Insurance
Government Issued Photo ID (i.e. passport, driver's license)

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International Applicants

ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS

Valid Canadian Study Permit
Private Medical Insurance Coverage
Hepatitis A immunity
High School Diploma or equivalent (GED) if you are 18 younger, or mature student (19+)
Government Issued Photo ID (i.e. passport)

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS

English Language Proficiency: IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 65
High School or Post-Secondary Diploma if English is the language of instruction

How To Apply

We’ve made the admissions process as fast and easy as possible. To begin, follow the steps below:

1. Complete the Student Information Sheet

Fill out the Student Information Sheet here or in-person on campus including your 250 word personal statement describing:

Why you want to train at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts?
What you hope to accomplish through your training?
Why did you select the program you are applying for?

2. Submit Your Student Information Sheet and Registration Fee

Submit your Student Information Sheet via email to admissions@picachef.com or to your Admissions Advisor directly. If you have any questions, please contact your Admissions Advisor.

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With your application, you are required to submit a registration fee. You can pay via PayPal, e-transfer, cheque, MasterCard, or Visa. For more details, please see our payment information sheet here.

Domestic Students - $150 CDN
International Students - $550 CDN

3. Interview & Tour

After we have received your Student Data Sheet, you will be invited to schedule a day and time for a tour of our campus and for an interview with your Admissions Advisor. This is an opportunity for you to have all your questions answered and for the Institute to learn more about you.
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Tours and interviews can also be done in-person or virtually via Skype or Zoom if you cannot travel to Vancouver.

During the interview, you will be asked a series of questions to assess your readiness to pursue your training at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts. The goal of the interview is for us to better understand who you are and to determine if you are a good fit for our school’s values and expectations.

4. Application Review

Following your tour and interview, your Admissions Advisor will write a report and submit it along with your Student Data Sheet to our Admissions Review Committee.

Your Admissions Advisor will be in touch within 24-48 hours to let you know if you have been accepted into the program.
If you are accepted, you will receive an invitation to accept and reserve your seat for your chosen intake date.
If you are not accepted, we will do our best to help you find another option that may suit you better. You may re-apply for admission 6 months after your initial application.

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Once you have been accepted into the program, you will be provided with the following documents. Please be sure to review these documents thoroughly:

Letter of Acceptance
Student Handbook
Program Outline

5. Seat Deposit & Tuition

You will then reserve your seat by paying the seat deposit. The Seat Deposit (15% of the total tuition) must be paid within two weeks of your acceptance. This is especially important if you are an international applicant as a Canadian Study Permit can take several months (3 – 6 months) to process depending on which country you are applying from.

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Once we have received your seat deposit, we will send you a Student Enrolment Agreement to sign, and your Admissions Advisor will follow up with any remaining prerequisites.

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Please note that until a seat deposit and signed agreement is received, your seat is not secured and may be claimed by another applicant

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Seat deposits and tuition payments can be made via e-transfer, check, MasterCard, or Visa. For more details, please see our payment information sheet here.

6. Finalizing Your Registration

When all your required documents, including your Seat Deposit, have been received by the Admissions department, your registration is complete. You can expect to receive a Student Welcome Package shortly afterwards. For international students the welcome package will also include:

Letter of Acceptance (LOA) - a necessary document for international students to apply for their Canadian Study Permit
Confirmation of Enrolment Letter - for co-op students
Documents to assist your arrival in Vancouver

Financial Aid & Scholarships

You’re making a substantial investment in your future, and we want to help you reach your goal. Student loans and bursaries are available for students who demonstrate financial need. It’s important to start financial planning early; if you’re seeking financial assistance, we recommend applying for it well in advance of program registration.

FINANCIAL AID

Student Aid BC
StudentAid BC assist eligible students with the cost of their post-secondary education through loans, grants, bursaries, scholarships and other programs. They also provide programs for borrowers who need help repaying their loans. For further details, visit Student Aid BC's website here.

Canadian Government Student Loans
Financial assistance can be obtained through the Canada student loan and provincial student loan programs. This assistance is available to Canadian citizens or landed immigrants to help finance their education. The amount that can be borrowed will depend on the student’s financial need. To obtain student loan application package, visit the Human Resources and Skill Development website here.

Student Line of Credit
Many major financial institutions offer lines of credit for students enrolled in full-time programs. These lines of credit are based on eligibility and the credit limit will vary with each student. A parent or family member may be required to co-sign the line of credit.

BMO Student Line of Credit
Royal Bank’s Royal Line of Credit
CIBC Education Line of Credit
TD Canada Trust Student Line of Credit
ScotiaLine Personal Line of Credit for Students

Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP)
Full-time students maybe eligible for the Lifelong Learning Plan (LLP). This plan allows students to withdraw amounts from RRSPs to finance training or education. Eligible withdrawals under the LLP from an RRSP are tax-free and must be repaid within 10 years. For more information on the Lifelong Learning Plan, visit Canada Revenue Agency visit here.

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Registered Education Savings Plan & Canada Education Savings Grant
Canadian students maybe eligible to withdraw from a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). A RESP also allows students to apply for the Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG). These are grants from the Government of Canada that are paid to the beneficiary of an RESP. For more information, visit here.

Re-training
Government institutions such as WorkSafeBC or ICBC provide funding to eligible candidates. Contact the appropriate institution to inquire about eligibility.

BC HOSPITALITY FOUNDATION SCHOLARSHIPS

The Greg King Scholarship
The King family is offering a yearly $1,500 scholarship to students who are BC resident.
Applications close on March 31st . For more information, visit here.
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Michael Willingham Legacy Scholarship
‍This $1,000 Industry Scholarshipis available annually for children with a GPA 2.5 or higher on the latest transcript of hospitality workers whose parents have worked in the industry for more than 5 years, and who are themselves planning a course of study leading to any hospitality diploma or degree. Applications are open year-round. For more information, visit here.

The Chef Nik Lim Scholarship
This $2,000 scholarship was created to honour the memory of Chef Nik Lim.One of the brightest lights on Vancouver’s culinary scene, Nik passed away in 2019. Nessa Van Bergen and Chef Dino Renaerts of Bon Vivant Catering & Events initiated the scholarship as a tribute to their colleague.Applications open January close on March 31st. For more information, visit here.

Gia Pastion Legacy Scholarship
This $1000 scholarship was created to honor the memory of Gia Pastion. The Legacy Scholarship was created by Gia’s family to honour her aspiration for the Culinary Arts and her love for food. Gia’s family is extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue her legacy by honouring students in the Culinary Arts. Application open from January close on March 31st. For more information, visit here.
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Chef Valerie Soon Legacy Scholarship
This $1000 scholarship was created to honor Chef Valerie Soon by creating a culinary scholarship for young, under-privileged women who are passionate about cooking. Applications open January 15 through March. For more information, visit here.
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2SLGBTQ+ Hospitality Scholarship
The BC Hospitality Foundation's 2SLGBTQ+ Hospitality Scholarship aims to provide $1000 scholarship to a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community looking to enhance their knowledge of the industry. Applications open all year. For more information, visit here.

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CHEF TABLE SOCIETY SCHOLARSHIPS

The Chefs' TableSociety supports the advancement of students and cooks in the culinary fields via scholarships and bursaries, which are either awarded singly by the Society or in partnership with organizations that they support. For more information, click here.

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LES DAMES D'ESCOFFIER SCHOLARSHIPS

The Scholarship Committee of the BC Chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier is a volunteer group composed of respected food and wine professionals. Each year the committee awards scholarships to women who plan to establish or further a career in the fields of food, wine, hospitality, nutrition, food technology and other related fields. Awards are based on merit, ability, commitment and passion, and may range in value between $300 and $3000.

Applications are accepted October 1st through January 31st each year and are awarded in March. Applicants must be B.C. residents. For more information, visit here.

BC PASSPORT TO EDUCATION

The BC Ministry of Education provides financial awards to secondary school students in both academic and non-academic areas. For further information, visit here.

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Career Preparation

cooking courses at Vancouver Culinary School show food photography

From the moment you are enrolled to long after you graduate, our Student Services Department is here to offer you support and guidance. With workshops on resume writing and portfolio building, interview preparation, as well as industry referrals and lifetime career assistance, we are here to open countless doors for you to confidently step through as you build your career in food.

At Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts, we strive to provide our students with more than just hands-on expertise. We are committed to equipping them with the essential career preparation skills to succeed in a competitive industry. Our events, volunteering opportunities with top chefs, and lectures from alumni and industry professionals foster valuable connections and offer a comprehensive understanding of the culinary world. We also provide practical skills, such as crafting compelling cover letters and resumes, and preparing for job interviews, to help students secure their dream jobs. Ultimately, our goal is to empower students to succeed in their culinary careers with confidence and passion.