WUSA and GSA: A guide to perks and services for undergraduate and graduate students at UW

Being a student can be challenging at times. From back-to-back assignment deadlines to insane course schedules, it can be hard to get your head out of the intense midst that is a school term and thus overlook the many perks and services available to UW students. This guide highlights what’s available for you as a UW student, either undergraduate or graduate.

Undergraduate perks and services 

The Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA) is the governing body that provides services for all undergraduate students at UW. They are in charge of representing the wants and needs of all undergraduate students to the university. All clubs, services, and societies on campus operate under WUSA. They also run the Student Life Centre (SLC) building, where their main office is located. They are a non-profit group and are student-led, working to empower undergraduate students on campus to make the most of their university experience. As an undergraduate student, you automatically become a member of WUSA and gain access to the services, events, and support that they provide. For example, WUSA has partnered with the GRT to incorporate a GRT U-Pass through your student fees, which gives you unlimited rides on the GRT buses and the ION light rail system, all through your WatCard.

As an undergraduate student, you also have a health and dental plan that is included in your student fees. This plan, which is provided by insurance company Studentcare, has been designed for students to cover many services that might not be covered by OHIP or basic health care programs. Students can submit claims through the WUSA or Studentcare websites. The WUSA Health and Dental plan is charged to all full-time and part-time undergraduate students, including international students, co-op students on work terms, and exchange students. If you choose to opt out of the plan, you must do so on the Studentcare website and provide alternative health coverage if required, and opt outs are valid for the whole policy year, from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, regardless of when you do so. You can opt out at the beginning of your first term of your degree or the fall term of every year. For the most up-to-date information on opting out, students are encouraged to visit the Studentcare or WUSA websites.

With the WUSA and Studentcare partnership, you also have access to free legal support, whereby you can receive legal advice on any topic of contention, such as academic rights, co-op/employment, and housing/tenancy. Just as with the health and dental plan, you can opt out of the legal support program during your first term of your degree or during the fall term of subsequent years.

Some other perks and deals included with your WUSA membership include a free one-year New York Times subscription, FlightHub and VIA Rail discounts, an SPC membership, and a CIBC student life bundle which offers numerous other advantages such as discounts on Disney+ and a free Skip+ membership.

WUSA has also partnered with a local farmer to provide fruit and veggie markets each week in the SLC to support healthy eating among students. For students facing food insecurity, WUSA provides a non-profit service offering confidential food hampers and hygiene products. You can submit a hamper request on the WUSA website.

At the Turnkey Desk in the SLC, you can also receive discounted movie vouchers for Princess Cinemas, a 40-year-old independently run cinema in Uptown Waterloo. They regularly have showings for newer blockbuster films, as well as hidden gem cult classics.

Furthermore, starting in September 2026, WUSA is launching a WalkSafe pilot program, where students can walk from one point to another anywhere on main campus with a volunteer. The pilot program is free to undergraduate students, and you can sign up on the WUSA website.

There’s always a roster of new perks and services available to undergraduate students beyond what has been mentioned in this article, so it’s always worth your while to check the WUSA website to see what’s up and coming.

WUSA holds annual elections for its board of directors, and students can participate by casting their vote or even running for a position. You can also get involved by participating in any of the clubs or societies on campus, as the leadership teams for these groups are under WUSA. WUSA also hires volunteers and co-op students.

“Get involved with clubs, get involved with societies, and get involved with WUSA. It’s a great way to uplift your student experience.” says Samir Sharma, WUSA’s current president.

Graduate perks and services

The governing body for graduate students is the Graduate Student Association (GSA). Similar to WUSA, the GSA is a student organization run by graduate students to provide services and events that make graduate life more enjoyable, as well as advocate for them. The GSA sits on a variety of committees at UW to ensure that graduate student input is considered when major changes are being made at the university level.

Similar to the undergraduate plan, GSA has a partnership with Studentcare and the GRT, whereby graduate students are able to receive health, dental, and legal coverage as well as a U-Pass for transit. The terms of coverage and opt-out procedures are similar to the undergraduate ones. For more information, visit the Studentcare and GSA websites.

In February 2026, a collective agreement between UW and a union representing all graduate teaching assistants (TAs) and research assistants (RAs) was approved. With the unionization, there have been many changes, and throughout the process, the GSA has been bridging the gap between CUPE and the university to ensure that any relevant information is distributed out to graduate students. The GSA essentially acts as a liaison between students and CUPE or the university accordingly. One of the biggest changes for graduate students is that starting in fall 2026, graduate students are required to apply for TA positions, as opposed to automatically being assigned positions, and a failure to apply could result in a lost TAship. “Because everything is changing, GSA wants to make sure that students are aware of what their role is in all of this and proper communication is provided to them,” says Julian Surdi, the GSA general manager.

GSA also provides two main food support services for students facing food insecurity. The first is called Nourish ‘N Go, where students can grab a free meal from the SLC grad lounge, with vegetarian and vegan options available. The second is a partnership the GSA has made with Odd Bunch to provide 50 boxes a month for students to purchase, each filled with fruits and veggies. The boxes go for $10 each, and are delivered straight to students’ doors. Students can sign up for these boxes via a GSA submission form that opens on the first Monday of each month.

Every March and April, the GSA also provides tax aid services to help graduate students learn how to complete their income tax forms. In these sessions, graduate students can meet with an accountant for a one-on-one 20-minute consultation to get advice on how to file their taxes. Registration opens in January, and spots fill up fast.

The GSA also runs the Grad House, located next to SCH and across from DWE, with a very realistic-looking cow statue at the entrance. It is the only spot on campus that serves alcohol. The Grad House serves as a central space for graduate students and other people, including undergraduate students, on campus. The GSA hosts many of their community building events at the Grad House, with weekly trivia and bingo events being one of the more popular events. Furthermore, graduate students who have paid their Grad House fee receive discounted pricing on all items except for alcohol. “I’ve tried everything on the menu; the food is so amazing,” says Surdi when asked for recommendations. “The Frankenbleu Wrap, which is a buffalo cauliflower wrap with a blue cheese, is perfect. I never get tired of it.”

When asked about how graduate students can get involved with GSA, Surdi shares, “We are always looking to add new students to our volunteer roster; it’s a great way of supporting your fellow graduate students and helping out with events. We also hire for various roles within the GSA on a termly basis. We are also actively looking for students who are interested in running for councilor positions. This is an opportunity to represent your department and provide your input on various university matters.” To get involved, you can navigate to the “Jobs and Opportunities” page on the GSA website.

You can follow the WUSA’s and the GSA’s Instagram accounts on instagram to stay on top of all the upcoming perks, services, and updates.

WUSA: @yourwusa

GSA: @gsa.uwaterloo