Bursaries and Scholarships
The Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada is dedicated to helping Aboriginals reach the highest standard of excellence in finance and management. AFOA’s initiatives in the development of Awards and Scholarships are examples of that commitment.
See link below for scholarships and bursaries.
http://www.metisnation.org/programs/education–training/education/bursaries–scholarships
Let’s get real. Post-secondary education is expensive and very few people have thousands of dollars casually lying around the house. Most of us are in search of cash — the type that you don’t have to pay back. In other words, we’re all searching for those illustrious scholarships. If you’re new at this whole “applying-for-scholarships-because-I-need-money-to-pay-for-school-which-suddenly-isn’t-free-anymore” thing, then you’ve come to the right place.
Here are seven helpful tips that could help you score some extra cash!
1. You do not get scholarships for simply existing. Almost every scholarship application that you come across is going to inquire about your extracurricular activities and community involvement. You need to do something, be a part of something, or participate in something. You don’t necessarily need to be the three-time reigning champion of every competition you compete in, or the newly-elected President for every fancy club that you’re a part of. You simply need to get out there and participate.
2. One of the hardest parts of getting free money is finding free money. Luckily, there are people who dedicate themselves to doing it for you! Make sure to check out websites like Scholarship Canada. They have information on hundreds of scholarships— both large and small. Also, take a glance at your school’s website. The majority of Guidance Councillors will actually post a list of scholarships that they’ve come across. But don’t stop there. Go the extra mile and go digging through the websites of other schools. You’re guaranteed to come across a fresh new list filled with new opportunities.
3. Keep your eye out for obscure scholarships offered by smaller organizations. This may require an advanced Google search and some serious digging but this very well might be the key to your first scholarship. Most students set their targets on big scholarships offered by well-known companies. There’s no harm in applying for those, but your chances quickly diminish when you’re facing so much competition. However, with the lesser-known scholarships that might be sitting on page 17 of a Google search, your chances of standing out in the significantly smaller crowd are far higher.
4. Your best bet to scoring a scholarship is to apply to as many as possible. This may sound frighteningly obvious but you would be surprised by how many people lay all of their eggs in one basket. Yes, it’s time-consuming and painstakingly tedious but you need to apply, apply, and apply some more!
5. If a scholarship application sounds too long, too boring, or too overwhelming, there’s a pretty good chance that other students are going to think the same thing and avoid it all together. This, of course, means that you should go ahead and do it! The more tedious the application is, the less competition you’re going to have. So suck it up and get writing!
6. Never lie. Don’t lie about your qualifications, achievements, activities, awards, or anything of the sort. Just don’t! If you get caught, you’ll suffer from third-degree embarrassment and, even worse, you may sever some really important connections.
7. Most organizations will release profiles of the previous year’s winner. Take a look at those to find out what kind of people they’re looking for. This might give you some ideas on what to include in your own application.
When deciding whether or not to attend university, for many people financial questions are at the top of the list to get answered. Luckily, there are many scholarships and bursaries available for those who have achieved academic excellence or demonstrated outstanding achievement in other areas. There are also scholarships that are awarded based on financial aid, so don’t despair – there is likely something to fit your situation.
Major scholarships are awards distributed based on academic excellence and community involvement. In Ontario, the chancellor’s scholarship requires an application and is valued at $10,000/year (renewable) and is awarded to students whose average surpasses 90%, have considerable community involvement and who demonstrate leadership. The president’s scholarship also requires an application and is valued at $7,500/year (renewable) and is awarded to students whose average surpasses 90%, have considerable community involvement and who demonstrate leadership. The dean’s scholarship is valued at $5,000/year (renewable) and is awarded to students whose average surpasses 90%, have considerable community involvement and who demonstrate leadership. It’s important to note that, for those students who do receive a major scholarship, they are no longer eligible to receive an academic excellence award, community service bursary or leadership award. This is in line with a university’s policy to restrict the amount of funds given to any one student. The scholarships are also subject to change based on the amount of funds available in any given year.
There are also many other scholarships that are valued at lesser amounts, but still worth trying to get. The academic pathways scholarship does not require an application, is valued at $1000 and is for those with over an 80% average and at least 30 transfer credits from college or university. The student-athlete award does not require an application, is valued at 3,500/year (renewable) and is for those with over an 80% average and are a member of a varsity level sports team. The northern and central Ontario awards do not require an application and are valued at $1000 with the criteria being that the student has maintained over an 80% average and high school was attended in the select region (northern or central). The Aboriginal and Francophone excellence awards do require an application and are valued at $1,500 and $1,250/ year, respectively. They require over an 80% average and having completed a native studies course or have taken at least 4 courses in French. Community service bursaries require an application and and are valued at $1000/year (renewable). The criteria is, again, over an 80% average with demonstrated leadership and community service experience as well as financial need.
There are a lot of other scholarships for you to peruse to determine your eligibility on your university’s website or right here on JobsPeopleDo.com. Remember, if you apply for something you think you might be eligible for, you are ahead of the people that don’t even bother to apply. Take a chance and good luck!
It’s only October, so you’re probably not even thinking about scholarships for your first year of college or university next fall. But did you know that many scholarships are awarded early in 2014? That means you need to start working on your application now! Get a head start on your competition and get those applications in now – you’ll be glad you did! Check out some of the scholarships and bursaries we found that are open right now.
1. Dean’s Scholarship – open to students attending any school across Canada and taking any program. Amount: $1500. Deadline: October 10, 2013.
2. TD Scholarships for Community Leadership – open to students across Canada who are in their final year of high school and have demonstrated leadership and community involvement. Amount: $70,000 over four years. Deadline: December 6, 2013.
3. Indspire Aboriginal Health Careers Program – open to Aboriginal students entering a health studies program next year. Amount: $1000. Deadline: November 1, 2013.
4. RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship for Undergraduates – open to students across Canada in their final year of high school and entering any post-secondary program next year. Amount: TBD. Deadline: Applications start November 1, 2013.
5. Loran Award – open to all students across Canada in their final year of high school. Amount: $80,000 over four years. Deadline: October 23, 2013.
6. Canada Student Grant for Students from Low-Income Families – grants for students from low-income families who have applied (and been approved) for a Canada Student Loan. Amount: $250 per month of study. Deadline: Open
7. Canada Student Grant for Students from Middle-Income Families – grants for students from middle-income families who have applied (and been approved) for a Canada Student Loan. Amount: $100 per month of study. Deadline: Open
When pondering career options in a world where career insecurity and market fluctuations dominate, it is important to look at salaries for the professions that you are interested in pursuing to ensure you are building yourself a career that will allow you to enjoy a good quality of life. Just like selecting a university major, selecting a career path can leave you feeling satisfied or it can leave you feeling disappointed, based on your success in your major and your career of choice. Salary comes into play when you are planning your career because it will determine what kind of life you lead. If you neglect to look at salary with romantic ideals that money is meaningless and just pieces of paper, you may be left in the dust, struggling to pay for your overlooked comforts and even necessities.
Looking at salaries can be more complicated than it sounds. With a lot of websites out there claiming to give the most accurate information, it is important to remember that not every site on the internet offers sounds advice. When looking at salary information, be sure to select a website that slims down your search results to at least time period and place. When you know how recent the information is, you are able to examine the claims much more critically. Similarly, when you know where the results are showing from, you can determine whether the results are applicable to you or not. For example, looking at results for teachers salaries from the year 2000 in California is not going to be of much value to you. Try to select a website that will allow you to narrow your results to time and place, and if possible, select a website with actual job postings as opposed to estimated salary ranges for the particular jobs. When you can look at what actual job placements are offered in your selected career you will be able to get an idea of what will be available five years from now when you are navigating the job market and looking for a suitable job.
Determining what kind of salary range will be appropriate for you can be discovered by taking a look at your existing budget and where your priorities lie. Also, having a look at the housing market in areas where you are considering living in the future is a good idea. This information is readily available on your favorite news websites. Often comparing what kind of lifestyle a certain salary can afford you compared to another salary can help you to choose the right career for you. Good luck!
These days, student debt is big news. Television programs and newspaper reports often feature the stories of university graduates, tens of thousands of dollars in debt, being forced to take low-paying jobs because there is no work in their fields. If you are close to graduating from high school, you might be worried about how you can ever manage the pressures of such a difficult situation. Have you ever considered trade school as an option? Going to a trade school rather than university or college can be a good decision for both personal and financial reasons.
Making the decision to attend trade school depends very much on your interests and career goals. If you want to become an engineer, lawyer, or doctor, university is your only option. If you want to work in many other fields, such as technical writing, a community college is a good place to become qualified. However, earning official qualifications at a trade school might be best if you want to become an electrician, pipefitter, or hairstylist. Certification through a trade program will give you the practical skills you need to become qualified for the job you want.
Going to trade school is a good way of getting into a stable, high-paying career quickly. Graduates of colleges or trade schools are more likely than university graduates to find work in their chosen field soon after graduation. Trade programs are generally only a few months long, and then the graduates can usually find work almost immediately. People who graduate from a trade school are likely to become successful in their chosen careers quite quickly.
One of the main benefits of trade school is its practical focus. In a university engineering program, for example, students might learn about the theory behind why pulleys make it easier to lift heavy objects. In trade school, students would learn how to build and use pulleys. The background information on why things work is important for people in the planning and theoretical branches of the job. For day-to-day work, however, practical knowledge is often more useful. Graduates from universities and colleges often have little practical experience when they graduate, but trade school graduates come out ready to work.
Going to trade school also has an advantage over going straight from school into a job. In trade school, people learn the job in a logical, step-by-step manner while also having the chance to apply what they have learned on the job. In many countries in Europe and elsewhere, graduates of trade schools receive higher wages than people who have no particular qualifications. The financial benefits can be worth the initial expense.
Are you interested in getting into a high-paying, stable job after you finish high school? Consider trade school as an option for your future.
Bursaries and Scholarships
The Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada is dedicated to helping Aboriginals reach the highest standard of excellence in finance and management. AFOA’s initiatives in the development of Awards and Scholarships are examples of that commitment.
See link below for scholarships and bursaries.
http://www.metisnation.org/programs/education–training/education/bursaries–scholarships
Preparing to enter college or university next year? Applying for scholarships now ensures you are ahead of the curve! Many scholarships and bursaries take applications well in advance, so students will be able to budget their scholarship prize money into their school finances. There is a scholarship for everyone, so don’t hesitate to apply. After all, every little bit helps when it comes to paying for your college education!
1. Tronia Systems Scholarship – for students entering their first year of university who demonstrate an involvement in their community. Amount: $1000. Deadline: October 4, 2013.
2. Larry Campbell Milton Memorial Scholarship – for current 4-H members planning to attend a Canadian University in a Food Science, Meat Science or Animal Science discipline. Amount: $2500. Deadline: October 23, 2013.
3. AgriVenture 4-H Adventure Opportunity 2014 Scholarship – for 4-H members from every province that will be traveling with AgriVenture within one year of award. Amount: $3000. Deadline: November 1, 2013.
4. Study and Go Abroad Fair Scholarships – open to students from across Canada in any field of study. Amount: $1000. Deadline: September 28, 2013.
5. Canada’s Luckiest Student 2 – open to Canadian high school students and post-secondary students who are 16+. Amount: $30,000. Deadline: January 23, 2014.
6. The National and Arbor Scholarship Program – by nomination from your secondary school, based on overall grades. Amount: $35,000 – $50,000, based on tuition needs. Deadline: November 8, 2013.
7. Communications Nova Scotia Diversity Bursary – for Nova Scotian students from designated groups (Aboriginal Peoples, persons with disabilities, African Nova Scotians, racially visible people) enrolled in a post-secondary education program. Amount: $1000. Deadline: October 31, 2013.
8. UBC Entrance Award – for students entering their first year of studies at UBC in 2014. Amount: up to $40,000. Deadline: January 31, 2014.
9. Peter Corley Memorial Scholarship – candidates must be a member of SAC, have made at least one solo glider flight in the 12 month period preceding the application, and be attending a university or community college full-time or be accepted and scheduled to attend within six months of the date of the application. Amount: $2300. Deadline: October 1, 2013.
10. Jump Canada Bursary – for students who are active members of the Equine Canada community. Amount: $2000. Deadline: September 30, 2013.
1. Start planning your finances early. Figure out how much money you’ll need as soon as possible (tuition, ancillary fees, books and supplies, living expenses) so you’ll know how much financial support you’ll need. Include a realistic monthly budget for transportation, laundry, groceries, toiletries, entertainment, rent, etc.
2. Use free money first if you have access to it (money from parents, money saved for your education including RESPs, scholarships and bursaries, etc.). If you need to borrow money, use low interest or no-interest options first, with OSAP being the best example. If you need to borrow money on top of that, try and get a cheap student loan. Stay away from credit cards if you can.
3. Check out the OSAP Access Window at http://osap.gov.on.ca. The OSAP Access Window was developed by the Ontario government to help students make informed decisions when planning for their post-secondary education. It provides approximate costs by post-secondary institution, OSAP funding estimators, repayment tools and lots of other useful information.
4. Explore early the scholarships, awards and bursaries offered by the university. There may be some program-specific or special interest awards that you may be eligible for. Many scholarships, awards and bursaries have deadlines and require applications.
5. Don’t miss an application deadline. Include deadlines for financial support applications in your calendar and make sure you apply in time to be considered.
6. Investigate getting a job as a source of income. If you need to work, work as much as possible in the summer period, rather than during the school year. If you need to work during the school year, try to avoid working a great deal in your first semester or in any semester that you expect to be particularly challenging. If you expect to be pressed for cash, consider postponing your studies for a year and saving some money, or consider reducing your course load from five or six courses to three or four courses per semester.
7. Look into various means of saving money:
• Brown bag it. Packing your own lunch is cheaper and healthier.
• Buy new to you. Whether it’s used books, secondhand clothing or garage sale furniture, you can find what you need at a fraction of the cost.
• Shop online to browse, create budgets, compare prices and take advantage of online savings.
• Take advantage of student discounts. Be sure to flash your student ID at entertainment venues, on public transportation and anywhere else that will take it. Check out special deals through your student union.
• Pick up the free weeklies to see what entertainment is going on in the city for free. Also check out free events hosted by the university.
•Maximize public and active transportation (walking, cycling) to keep commuting costs down.
• Avoid the latte effect and buy a coffeemaker or a kettle to make your own.
8. Resist the temptation to sign up for a student credit card. If you end up falling into the “this-is-my-only-credit-card” crowd, make sure you get one with a low interest rate and ask them to fix the credit level at $500. Then be sure to use it only for emergencies. When credit cards are the only accepted methods of payment, as in online transactions, save the money you will need before you make the purchase. Then pay off your credit card immediately after charging it.
9. A line of credit typically has a much lower interest rate than credit cards. A line of credit can be a cost-effective, convenient way to borrow money for a short period of time. Most financial institutions have a student line of credit that offers a lower interest rate, no annual fee and fairly lenient terms and conditions.
10. Monitor your expenses. Keep all your receipts and track your expenses. This will force you to write down how much you’re spending, prompting you to think about whether you really need to spend that money or not. This will also definitely let you know if you need to change your spending habits and/or increase your income before it’s too late.
11. If you find you’re running into financial difficulties, immediately speak to a student financial assistance advisor on campus or at your bank. They will look at your budget and give you some good advice before you get in over your head.
Working for no money is a very common thing. It might seem strange that people would work without being paid. However, people do it every day when they cook meals for their families, clean their houses, or help their friends with construction projects or other jobs. When people talk about working for free, however, they usually mean something a bit different from the small, ordinary jobs like these. Usually, working for no money falls into one of two categories: volunteering or unpaid internships. They can both be good if treated with care.
The most common form of unpaid work is volunteering. In 2010, over thirteen million people in Canada volunteered at least a small amount of time in many different places, such as hospitals, libraries, schools, and special events like festivals. Some people volunteered for only an hour or two, while other people spent hundreds or even thousands of hours helping others. They fed the hungry, planted trees, counted migrating birds, helped build houses for the poor, and did many other things in their own communities, in another part of Canada, or even in different countries.
People volunteer for many different reasons. Sometimes they volunteer to meet people with similar interests and to work with organizations where they are already receiving some benefit, such as when mothers volunteer as helpers in their own children’s classrooms. Others volunteer as a way of learning skills like teamwork and communication or to meet people who work in their chosen careers.
In some fields, unpaid internships are another form of working for no money. While volunteers usually work no more than a few hours per week, interns work full-time at a job with the expectation that they are learning something about a career. The idea of internships started in medicine, where people who had graduated from their basic studies would spend time working in hospitals and learning to apply what they had learned. These days, almost anyone can work as an intern.
Internships like these can be good, but they can frequently lead to problems. One of the keys of an internship is that the interns are supposed to learn from the experience. If employers make the interns do the work of a paid employee or fail to teach them any new skills, they have broken the rules. Some of the internships currently being done in Canada are illegal because of these kinds of problems.
So should you work for no money if the benefits are so uncertain? It really depends on the situation. Volunteering is usually a good idea since it shows that you are trying to be a responsible citizen who cares about the community. Unpaid internships are more problematic, but they can still be good. With the proper guidelines and supervision, they can help launch you into your chosen career. When everything comes together, the benefits of working for no money can last a lifetime.