Category: Scholarships

Alberta Blue Cross’s Indigenous Scholarship Program

Scholarship Value: $1,500

Awards Available: 6

Award Deadline: January 15, 2020

Address: https://ab.bluecross.ca/aboutus/indigenous-scholarships.php

 

DECA Student Scholarships

Scholarship Value: $3,000

Awards Available: 80

Award Deadline: January 17, 2020

Address: https://www.deca.org/high-school-programs/scholarships/

 

ABPA Scholarship

Scholarship Value: $1,500

Awards Available: 1

Award Deadline: January 31, 2020

Address: https://abpa.site-ym.com/page/Scholarship

 

Shred Nations Scholarship Program

Scholarship Value: $7,500

Awards Available: 1

Award Deadline: January 31, 2020

Address: https://www.shrednations.com/scholarship/

 

Alumni Entrance Scholarships

Scholarship Value: $5,000

Awards Available: 10

Award Deadline: February 3, 2020

Address: https://www.uwinnipeg.ca/alumni/scholarships-awards/alumni-scholarships.html

 

Mayor Andrée Boucher Memorial Scholarship

Amount: $4,500

Provided by: Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Deadline: January 10, 2020

Donor: Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM)

Renewable: No

Number Available: 2

Type of Award: Scholarship

Automatic Consideration: No

Address: https://fcm.ca/en/about-fcm/awards/mayor-andree-p-boucher-memorial-scholarship

 

Win $250 By Joining CMA NXT!

Amount: $250

Provided by: CMA

Deadline: January 31, 2020

Donor: CMA NXT

Renewable: No

Number Available: 1

Type of Award: Contest

Automatic Consideration: No

Address: https://cmanxt.ca/pages/create-your-account?utm_source=SchoolFinder&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=Outreach_2019&utm_content=Promo

 

Canadian Women in Municipal Government Scholarship

Amount: $1,000

Provided by: Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Deadline: January 10, 2020

Donor: Federation of Canadian Municipalities

Renewable: No

Number Available: 5

Type of Award: Scholarship

Automatic Consideration: No

Address: https://fcm.ca/en/about-fcm/awards/canadian-women-in-municipal-government-scholarship

 

ExploraVision Awards

Scholarship Value: $10,000

Awards Available: 40

Award Deadline: February 10, 2020

Address: https://www.exploravision.org/rules-requirements

 

Harry Arthurs Alumni Families Entrance Scholarship

Scholarship Value: $24,000

Awards Available: 1

Award Deadline: February 15, 2020

Address: https://sfs.yorku.ca/scholarships/award-search?awardID=0750

Post-secondary education is important, whether you pursue trade school, college, or university.  However, depending on where you want to go and what you want to study, this can also be expensive.  Luckily, there are many options for students to pay for higher education, including grants, bursaries, and scholarships.

You’re likely to see these words everywhere when you’re planning for and choosing your post-secondary program and school, between teachers advising you to apply and offers of financial assistance from schools.  Bursaries, scholarships, and grants are all types of educational financial assistance which don’t need to be paid back after graduation, but what are the differences between them?

Bursaries

In general, bursaries are based only on financial need, without requiring additional educational or employment achievements in order to be awarded to a student.  However, they do require that students demonstrate financial need by providing information about their financial situation.

Bursaries are intended as a supplement to a student’s other financial resources to pay for school, such as OSAP and loans, family contributions, and savings or work income.  A student’s level of financial need is based on what financial resources are available to them, not on a willingness or unwillingness to pay.  This means that bursaries go to the students who have the fewest other financial resources.

Bursaries are often awarded directly from the educational institution you will be attending, and the amount awarded will vary depending on the level of financial need.  Typically the bursary will be applied directly to tuition owing, rather than supplying funds to the student who must then make the payment.

It’s important to note that in most cases students need to apply for a bursary in order to be considered.

Scholarships

Scholarships are typically awarded based on personal achievements and academic merit, rather than financial need, though need can still be a consideration when scholarship committees are making their decisions.  Scholarships are often directed toward specific programs of study or cultural backgrounds, such as scholarships for Indigenous students, students studying engineering, or athletics scholarships.

Academic and personal merit considerations can include your grades at graduation from high school and during your undergraduate studies, volunteer and community service involvement, projects or research involvement, and other meaningful activities.

Scholarships can come from many sources, including the post-secondary institution you’re attending; national, provincial and local businesses; provincial and national government programs; non-profits, and private individuals. The best way to find out what scholarships are available is to search sites such as ScholarshipsCanada.com, as well as inquiring directly with the above scholarship sources to see what they may have to offer.

Scholarships are rarely awarded automatically; most of the time, students are required to find and apply to scholarships themselves.  These applications will need you to provide information such as your grades, any academic awards, personal achievements, or volunteer work.  Scholarships will offer clear instructions on how to fill out the application and what information they need, and these directions should be followed closely to be sure your application is considered.

Grants

Grants are different from scholarships or bursaries in that they are intended for very specific uses.  This can include supporting a student’s living expenses, study abroad, or a particular research project.  Grants are typically awarded by the educational institution, or through government programs in support of post-secondary education, though occasionally they can be offered by corporations, non-profits, or individuals.

Grants also require students to apply in order to be considered, and the application process involves providing information about what the student wants the grant for, why it will benefit their education, or why the research project will be valuable, for example.  While grants are funds that do not need to be repaid, they differ from bursaries and scholarships in that there may be rules requiring compliance, such as reporting on how the grant funds are used.

Sources:

https://carleton.ca/awards/bursaries/

https://carleton.ca/awards/bursaries/bursaries-faq/

https://www.scholarshipscanada.com/News/16/2974/Scholarships,-Bursaries,-Loans-and-Awards-What-s-the-Difference?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_(money)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bursary

Burger King Scholars Program

Scholarship Value: $50,000

Awards Available: 10

Award Deadline: December 15, 2019

Address: https://bkmclamorefoundation.org/who-we-are/programs/burger-king-scholars-program/

 

FormSwift Scholarship

Scholarship Value: $1,000

Awards Available: 1

Award Deadline: December 15, 2019

Address: https://formswift.com/startup-scholarship

 

George and Marsha Ivany President’s First and Best Scholarships

Scholarship Value: $40,000

Awards Available: 5

Award Deadline: December 15, 2019

Address: https://admissions.usask.ca/money/search-awards.php?award=300098ES02

 

Rubincam Youth Award

Scholarship Value: $500

Awards Available: 2

Award Deadline: December 15, 2019

Address: https://www.ngsgenealogy.org/competitions/rubincam-youth-award/

 

Odenza Marketing Group Volunteer Award

Scholarship Value: $500

Awards Available: 1

Award Deadline: December 30, 2019

Address: https://odenzamarketinggroupvolunteeraward.com/

 

Thiel Fellowship

Scholarship Value: $100,000

Awards Available: 30

Award Deadline: December 31, 2019

Address: http://thielfellowship.org/faq/

 

Youth Scholarship Program

Scholarship Value: $850

Awards Available: 3

Award Deadline: December 31, 2019

Address: http://www.wildernessproject.org/volunteer_apprentice_ecologist#scholarship

 

Outstanding Scholars Award

Amount: $1,700

Provided by: University of Windsor

Renewable:  Yes, 4 year(s)

Type of Award: Scholarship

Automatic Consideration: No

Address: http://www.uwindsor.ca/outstandingscholars/298/how-to-apply

 

Ipsos $500 Prize Draw

Amount: $500

Provided by: Ipsos – North America

Deadline: December 31, 2019

Donor: Ipsos

Renewable: No

Type of Award: Contest

Automatic Consideration: No

Address: https://rec.i-say.com/survey/ca/en/standard/5095/ff383cdfbbd2a9ec36556ecca8e57a46/?subid=prizedraw19&extrasubid=

 

$5,500 Pinecone Research Sweepstakes

Amount: $5,500

Provided by:  Nielsen

Deadline: December 31, 2019

Renewable: No

Number: Available 1

Type of Award: Contest

Automatic Consideration:  No

Address: https://www.pineconeresearch.ca/signupCA/Signup_Form.aspx

One of the major factors in deciding whether or not to go to post-secondary school is the money. College and university are expensive and while student debt may be inevitable for some, anything that could help lessen that load is much appreciated. That’s why many students turn to applying for scholarships, bursaries and grants. While you’re not guaranteed to be awarded any of the scholarships that you apply to, applying doesn’t hurt. Not to mention, scholarships give you money that you don’t have to pay back.

Where To Find Scholarships?

The main place where you’ll be able to find out about scholarships is online. There’s tons of websites dedicated to information about various scholarships around Canada and different countries depending on where you plan on going to study. ScholarshipsCanada.com, for example is a great resource. It allows you to create a profile, highlighting some of your key characteristics, and then matches you up to some scholarships that you may be eligible for. There are plenty more websites like that: Studentawards.com, OntarioScholarships.ca, just to name a few (oh, and JPD!)

If you look at college and university websites, they’ll likely have a financial aid page where you can browse through all of the scholarships and bursaries that their institution offers. Chances are, a good a portion of those scholarships don’t need an application and you’ll be automatically considered for them if you apply to their school and get accepted. Not to mention by going to open houses or campus tours for these schools, you’ll probably learn a lot more about what sort of financial aid they have to offer and you’ll probably get a more in depth look at how exactly everything works.

How To Get Scholarships?

It’s common to think that in order to win a scholarship, you have to be the top of the class and involved in everything at your school. It’s normal to think there’s no point in applying for scholarships if you’re an average student or if you only volunteer enough to meet the volunteer hour requirements for graduation. However, there are plenty of stories of how students with B averages manage to win thousands of dollars in scholarships. The key is applying. If you don’t apply, then there’s for sure no chance of getting that scholarship. According to Chris Wilkins, founder of ScholarshipsCanada.com, it’s a myth that you need to be an honours student, a low-income student or the embodiment of community involvement to get a scholarship and be successful.

While it’s true that maybe your chances of landing a scholarship will be increased by high grades and lots of community involvement, that’s not the only way to win a scholarship. There are scholarships for all different kinds of students, provided by a wide range of sources. Some scholarships are for purely international students, or Indigenous students, or first generation immigrant students. Not all scholarships are awarded based on grades or community service.

Some scholarships want you to write an essay, or get a reference from a teacher, while other scholarships are similar to raffles or challenges. For example, StudentLifeNetwork provides a scholarship called Canada’s Luckiest Student which is a $50,000 scholarship that’s awarded to a lucky student who is randomly picked from a draw. StudentLifeNetwork also has 99Scholarships, which is a big collection of 99 scholarships, with applications that vary from writing a small personal statement about being a vegetarian to writing about the tireless search for scholarships. In fact, its slogan is “Money for your passions, not your grades.”

Just Apply!

All in all, with how technology is currently, it’s not too difficult to find out about what scholarships are out there. The answer is a simple Google search away. The key to getting these scholarships is to apply. Often, the scholarships that are worth comparatively small amounts of money, like a couple hundred dollars, are the scholarships that not a lot of people apply to. So the chances of winning those types of scholarships are higher. No matter how great or average your grades are, no matter how involved you are, no matter who you are, if you don’t apply, you are guaranteed to not land a scholarship.

References:

https://www.scholarshipscanada.com/

https://studentawards.com/

https://www.ontarioscholarships.ca/

https://www.thestar.com/business/personal_finance/spending_saving/2011/09/22/how_a_b_student_landed_a_20000_scholarship.html

https://cls8.studentlifenetwork.com/ref/homepage

Maryknoll Scholarships

Scholarship Value: $1,000

Awards Available: 6

Award Deadline: November 15, 2019

Address: https://maryknollsociety.org/publications/essay-contest/

 

TD Scholarships for Community Leadership

Amount: $70,000

Provided by: TD

Deadline: November 15, 2019

Donor: TD Bank Group

Renewable: Yes, 4 year(s)

Number Available: 20

Automatic Consideration: No

Address: https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-banking/solutions/student-advice/how-to-apply-for-td-scholarships/

 

Automatic Entrance Scholarships

Amount: $4,000

Provided by: Carleton University

Renewable: Yes, 4 year(s)

Number Available: 1

Type of Award: Scholarship

Automatic Consideration: Yes

Address: https://carleton.ca/awards/

 

Outstanding Scholars Award

Amount: $1,700

Provided by: University of Windsor

Renewable: Yes, 4 year(s)

Type of Award: Scholarship

Automatic Consideration: No

Address: http://www.uwindsor.ca/outstandingscholars/298/how-to-apply

 

$1,000 | CRi Engineering Survey

Amount: $1,000

Provided by: CRI Canada

Donor: CRi

Renewable: No

Number Available: 1

Type of Award: Scholarship

Automatic Consideration: No

Address: https://surveys.questionpro.ca/a/TakeSurvey?tt=ZPzp5FF0kAAi7B5TNkPYGQ%3D%3D

 

University of Calgary International Entrance Scholarship

Amount: $15,000

Provided by: University of Calgary

Renewable: No

Number Available: 2

Type of Award: Scholarship

Automatic Consideration: Yes

Address: https://www.ucalgary.ca/registrar/finances/awards

 

The Helga and Frank Peroutka Scholarship

Eligibility: Recipients must be/have:

Canadian citizens, permanent residents or protected persons

Entering any first year program at the University of Toronto

Demonstrate a financial need and academic merit

Award Type: Admission

Action: Complete the Awards Profile

Availability: Domestic Students

Level of Study: Undergraduate

How to Apply: Complete the Admission Awards Profile, by logging into JOIN U of T.

Address: https://join.utoronto.ca/

 

Beland Honderich Awards

Eligibility: Recipient must:

• be residents of Regent Park/Moss Park & Cabbagetown
• demonstrate strong academic potential

have demonstrated the ability and desire to succeed in post secondary studies however have faced long term obstacles that have presented challenges in obtaining post secondary education attainment (including family circumstances, financial barriers and or environmental obstacles)

Four nominees each year will be selected as winners of the Beland Honderich Award.  Selected recipients will include:

– 2 graduating grade 8 students entering the Pathways to Education Regent Park Program and

-2 graduating grade 12 student enrolled in the Pathways to Education Regent Park Program.

Award Type: Admission

Action: Application Required

Availability: Domestic Students

Level of Study: Undergraduate

Value/Amount: $5000 per year for four years of university study, conditional upon satisfactory academic progress.

 

Traditional Fulbright Student Awards:

US$15,000 for one nine-month academic year. These all-discipline awards can be taken up at any college, university, think tank, or government agency in the United States.

Address: https://www.fulbright.ca/programs/canadian-students/traditional-awards.html

Fulbright Foreign Language Teaching Assistant Program (FLTA):

US$400-$600 stipend per month (commensurate with average cost of living in host city) OR an in-kind contribution of free housing or meal plan. Additionally, visa services, health insurance, and a bursary to complete two courses per semester on an audit or credit basis are included. The Fulbright Canada FLTA program is specifically designed to attract early career Canadian Francophone students and teachers who want to teach and study in the United States. In this instance, early career is defined as no more than seven years of teaching experience.

Address: https://www.fulbright.ca/programs/canadian-students/flta.html

By Erin Rebello

If you’ve considered attending a post-secondary institution after high school, you’ve probably taken a look at how much it might cost. A lot of the time, the fees and expenses associated with getting a degree are far higher than students expect- especially when factoring the costs of textbooks, meal plans, and residence. Though government assistance through loan and grant programs like OSAP can help cover some of the costs, students usually are left to foot a sizable portion of the bill. One effective way to generate money that goes directly towards your education is by winning a scholarship offered by an organization or university. Unfortunately, most students hesitate to apply for scholarships, fearing that their grades aren’t high enough to make the cut. Though this might hold true for certain scholarships which require academic merit, there are a variety of scholarships targeted at students with different strengths and skills.

Athletic Scholarships

Are you someone who is athletically inclined? If so, this is the scholarship for you! Universities and colleges are always on the lookout for keen athletes to ensure that their sports teams have the very best players. For this reason, if you’re applying to a school with an athletic background, you’re far more likely to be offered scholarships than someone without an athletic background. This scholarship would help you pay for your classes at the institution in exchange for your contributions to the school’s sports teams. This sort of scholarship works best for students who have a specialized background in a specific sport. Athletic scholarships usually also have a tryout event your particular sport as part of the application process.

Art Achievement Scholarships

Another type of scholarship that isn’t based on academic merit would be a scholarship for involvement in the arts. This sort of scholarship is ideal for someone who excels in art, be it visual art, digital art, dramatic art, musical art, and even writing art. Similar to athletic scholarships, art scholarship recipients are chosen based on their achievements in their artistic specialty. For visual artists and writers, this might look like a portfolio of their best work, while dramatic or musical artists are usually required to perform a piece or participate in an audition process. Post-secondary institutions and third-party organizations also host annual competitions with cash prizes; these competitions are usually for visual or writing arts in the form of a drawing or poetry/short story contest.

Community Involvement Scholarship

The third and final non-academic scholarship would be a scholarship for community involvement. These scholarships usually have a minimum grade average to be eligible, but aren’t particularly focused on “book smarts”. Instead, community involvement scholarships look at how the candidate has made a positive impact on their community. The winners of community service awards vary greatly, but have all been chosen for their leadership skills and concern for others. Another great thing about these awards is the fact that they consider a student’s personal achievement, taking into account every candidate’s unique story. These scholarship awards typically require an individual to take part in several interviews to determine a student’s fit with the award. They also usually ask that a teacher or mentor of the student fills out a recommendation form or write a letter of recommendation commenting upon the student’s achievement.

STEM is all about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. This interdisciplinary education is becoming increasingly important as technology rapidly evolves. Instead of the traditional approach of tackling these as four different subjects, STEM combines them in a way that offers many career paths. The STEM path is filled with growing job opportunities in fantastic careers that will profoundly impact our future. Below are some scholarships across Canada that can help you take those first steps into that exciting journey.

There are 50 Schulich Leader Scholarships awarded to undergraduates, with half of them valued at $100,000 for engineering and the other half at $80,000 for math and science. These are open to all high schools in Canada. The affiliated universities span the country, including schools in Quebec, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia. For the current cycle, student nominations must be received by January 29, 2020. If your school is not currently involved in the program, let your instructors and principal know about it as soon as possible.

MPOWER Financing is looking to ensure women have meaningful representation in science and technology. It has launched the Women in STEM Scholarship Program. The program offers three scholarships valued at $5,000, $3,000, and $2,000 USD, and is open to students from both Canada and the United States. Affiliated Canadian schools can be found in Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta, and British Columbia.

Here in Canada, Hydro One is working to support aspiring professionals studying in the STEM field through multiple scholarships. The William Peyton Hubbard Memorial Award includes two scholarships for black undergraduate students in Ontario. The Leonard S. Mandamin Award is granted to First Nations students in energy industry related disciplines. The Hydro One Women in Engineering Award for women studying in the field of engineering. All three of these awards include not only financial support, but also a paid work term or summer position with Hydro One. This work experience is invaluable for students just getting started in their industry.

In Ontario, FIRST Robotics Canada offers scholarship opportunities for affiliated colleges and universities. There are 11 scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $15,000 in value for St. Clair College, McMaster University, and beyond. Furthermore, the organization also grants a Canadian Women in STEM Award for $10,000 for schools across Canada. These various scholarships have deadlines throughout the year, so take a look at upcoming ones you could apply to.

Further west, there are numerous award and scholarship opportunities noted by the Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology. These include the Irving K Barber Scholarship for female and Indigenous students in British Columbia. In addition, the CEMF Awards for Women in Engineering grants scholarships at the undergraduate and doctoral levels for women in engineering.

There are a multitude of scholarships and programs for students throughout Canada looking to pursue the interdisciplinary field of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. This financial assistance can help you get started on a journey through a high-paying, high-impact career path. You will be working in fields and on matters that will fundamentally change how people live their lives. If this is of interest to you, start looking into the programs above and ones for the province in which you live in or plan to attend school. You will be changing your future. You will change the world.

Sources

FIRST Robotics Canada. “Scholarships.” https://www.firstroboticscanada.org/scholarships/

Hydro One. “One Awards.” https://www.hydroone.com/careers/one-awards

MPOWER Financing. “Women in STEM Scholarship Program.” https://www.mpowerfinancing.com/scholarships/women-in-stem/

ONWiE. “Scholarships and Opportunities.” http://www.onwie.ca/resource-tools/scholarships-and-opportunities/

Schulich Leaders. “Schulich Leader Scholarships.” https://www.schulichleaders.com/

Westcoast Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology. “Award and Scholarship Opportunities.” https://www.sfu.ca/wwest/resources/award-and-scholarship-opportunities.html

It’s no secret that university can be very expensive. These days, it’s common for student debt to be a major concern for most people considering pursuing a degree. Even years after graduating from post-secondary school, many adults continue to struggle to pay off their student loans. Is university really worth it? Or is the system designed so that only the wealthy can have a higher education? How exactly does one navigate the stresses of going to university while coming from a low-income family?

Some Challenges

Coming from a low-income family poses its own set of challenges, outside of those related to university. However, those challenges combined with the difficulties of being a student in university, especially a full-time student, require a certain mindset and plan in order to be successful.

For some, having a job during the school year is necessary. The cost of textbooks, tuition, transportation can sometimes be too much. That is why it is crucial to have good time management skills. There is a limited amount of hours in a day. Therefore, what you do with those hours is extremely important. Especially if some of those hours must go towards a job. Some students pour all their hours into studying and while that may result in good grades, it may also result in poor diet or mental health issues or an unhealthy amount of sleep. It’s important but difficult to find a balance.

Financial Aid

Financial Aid services like OSAP and other scholarships and bursaries exist to enable low-income students to attend post-secondary school when it would otherwise be impossible or at least extremely difficult. Be sure to reach out to these resources because they are there primarily to help students.

Individual universities may even have their own programs for students who need some extra money. Maybe try to reach out and find some more information about what kinds of help your school may provide. Applying for these grants and scholarships will make the burden of paying for a higher education a little bit lighter.

Make A Budget

Going into my first year of university, coming from a low-income family, I’ve learned that making a budget is extremely helpful. I haven’t made a budget before starting university, and at first it seems a bit daunting and very adult, but it’s actually quite simple. All you need to do is make some tables and then compare the data.

For my budget, I made one table of my typical expenses and their monthly costs: transportation, food, clothes, and miscellaneous purchases. Next I made a table of my sources of money – that includes savings, OSAP, income from jobs, allowances etc. After that, I compared the two and thought about whether or not the amount I typically spend per month is affordable. I then adjusted the monthly costs of certain expenses to the maximum amount of money that I would allow myself to spend per month.

Not only does this help you know and keep track of how much you spend, but it also gives you a better idea of how you might be able to save some more money. Once you have your two tables, you can now see how much you typically spend per month and whether or not you can actually afford to spend that much. If not, then see if you can spend less money on items that aren’t truly necessary.

Some Thrifty Tips for University Students

Textbooks are a necessary expense if you want to succeed in your classes. It is also a well-known fact that university textbooks tend to be quite expensive. A solution to this is to buy textbooks secondhand from students. Sites like Facebook or Kijiji are full of upper year students selling their textbooks that they don’t need anymore at a reduced cost. I personally have bought all my required textbooks secondhand from students and I’ve saved well over $100. Another tip is to save money where you can. Maybe your morning coffee can be made at home instead of bought from McDonalds or you can block yourself from going on sites like Amazon.

All in all, as hard as university is for low-income students, it’s doable. As long as you have a plan and you stick to it, anything is possible.

References:

https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/budgeting/budgeting-tips

https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumer-agency/services/make-budget.html

https://www.ontario.ca/page/learn-about-osap