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
If you are graduating from high school this month, chances are you are preparing to enter your first year of college or university this fall. That means you need to figure out your finances – how exactly will you pay for your post-secondary education? Student loans are very helpful, but you need to pay them back. There’s a bevy of scholarships and bursaries just waiting for you to go out and grab them – and you don’t have to repay them! So what are you waiting for? Check out some of these excellent scholarships and apply for that FREE money!
1. Equals6 30 Day Scholarship – Open to all students in all programs. Amount: $250. Deadline: June 12, 2013.
2. Bill 7 Award – Open to students who identify as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, transsexual, two-spirited, and/or queer and are attending a school in Ontario. Amount: $2000. Deadline: August 2, 2013.
3. NACBS Undergraduate Essay Contest – Open to students in any school who write an essay on a British topic. Amount: $100. Deadline: June 15, 2013.
4. Workers Health & Safety Centre Scholarship – Open to students attending school in Ontario. Amount: $1000. Deadline: June 7, 2013.
5. AIA and the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) Scholarship Program – Open to students enrolled in an accredited automotive technical program in Canada. Amount: $1000. Deadline: June 15, 2013.
6. Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers Memorial Scholarship – Open to students who are studying agriculture in any school. Amount: $1000. Deadline: June 30, 2013.
7. Nexen Oil Sands Scholarship Program – Open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents that reside within the area eligible for bus transportation to Fort McMurray by the Northland School Division. Amount: $2500. Deadline: June 30, 2013.
8. Canadian Medical Hall of Fame/Great-West Life, London Life, and Canada Life Scholarship Fund – Open to currently enrolled high school students planning to pursue post-secondary studies in medicine or health sciences at a Canadian university. Amount: $1000. Deadline: June 10, 2013.
9. Nelson Civic Leadership Scholarship – Open to all Canadian students outside of Quebec who are making a difference in their community. Amount: $5000. Deadline: June 28, 2013.
10. Canada Post Aboriginal Education Incentive Awards – Open to Aboriginal Canadians who have been out of school for one year. Amount: $1000. Deadline: August 31, 2013.
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
It’s difficult to believe, but May is already upon us. Chances are you’ve already applied to – or are about to apply to – your post-secondary schools of choice. But what about your finances? Don’t put off thinking about them! Student loans certainly are not your only options when it comes to paying for your education. Scholarships and bursaries can be found in droves – you just need to go out there and apply for them! Check out some of the great scholarships we were able to find for this month!
1. 2013 ECO Canada Scholarship – For students entering any field of study at any school across Canada. Amount: $2000. Deadline: May 21, 2013.
2. The Kitchener Sports Association Scholarships (KSA) – For students living in Ontario entering any field of study in any school across Canada. Amount: $2000. Deadline: May 21, 2013.
3. Education Awards for Brain Tumour Survivors – For students across Canada entering any field of study in any school, who are survivors of a pediatric brain tumour (diagnosed with a brain tumour before the age of 18). Amount: $5000. Deadline: May 17, 2013.
4. MyUnited Student Award – For students living in Ontario entering any field of study in any school across Canada. Amount: $3000. Deadline: May 17, 2013.
5. ACLS Foundation Geomatics Scholarship – For students across Canada entering a Geosciences/Geological and Earth Sciences program at any school. Amount: $1500. Deadline: May 15, 2013.
6. Brock University Council of International Schools CIS Scholarship – For international/Visa students entering their first year of study in any program at Brock University. Amount: $3000. Deadline: May 15, 2013.
7. Credit Valley Horticultural Society Scholarship – For students in any field of study at the University of Guelph. Amount: $1000. Deadline: May 15, 2013.
8. The Dr. John M. and Regina Riffel Entrance Bursary – For students in any field attending Campion College in Regina. Amount: $750. Deadline: May 15, 2013.
9. The Epilepsy Association of N.S. Memorial Scholarship/Bursary – For students from Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick who have been diagnosed with epilepsy. Amount: $500. Deadline: May 15, 2013.
10. Lupus Canada Scholarship – For students across Canada entering any field of study at any school who have been diagnosed with Lupus. Amount: $1000. Deadline: May 15, 2013.
Like getting a ton of free money? Of course you do!
Those lines might sound like the beginning of an un-reputable online advertisement, but the truth is there are plenty of scholarships aiming to do just that – hand you free money to support your education.
So how do you score some of this free cash? Start by applying to any and all scholarships that you can. The more you apply to, the higher your odds of receiving an award.
If you’re not sure of your eligibility for a scholarship, apply anyway. Many scholarships are not given out due to lack of applicants. Even if your eligibility is hazy you may be the lucky winner by default. This was the case when Sandro Rocco, Niagara College Photonics alumni, applied to the Walker Technology Grant.
“I wasn’t entirely sure if I qualified but I thought – why not give it a shot? A lot of people don’t bother,” he commented.
“It turned out I was the only person to apply for the scholarship so I won. The award was really helpful and got applied directly to my tuition,” Sandro continued.
Some students shy away from scholarship applications because they feel their grades aren’t high enough. However, plenty of scholarships are handed out as a result of achievement in other areas, including extracurricular involvement, athletics or charity work. Financial aid and area of interest are also taken into consideration when handing out scholarships.
Take time out of your schedule to make great applications. Prioritize and spend time on scholarships that are most applicable to your skills and experiences.
Remember that scholarship application is not limited to your first year of studies. Many students stop applying after their first year thinking that the majority of scholarship funding is reserved for new students. This is not the case, as many awards are reserved for students in their second, third and fourth year of studies.
Students are sometimes intimidated by the amount of work involved in applying to scholarships, but by using an incremental approach and developing decent time management (yes, it is possible) you will be able to handle the stress and hopefully reap the benefits of scholarship application.
Many online scholarships allow you to save your work in their own word processors, making it easy to finish one or two parts of the application at a time.
Having a stock application template done in advance is another easy way to save time and minimize stress while scholarship hunting.
Have a thorough list of your skills, past experiences, awards and academic achievements on hand as part of your application template. This go-to list will make a world of difference in the quickness of your application process.
Also, prepare a general and flexible essay that highlights your personal qualifications and that can be tweaked to fit specific scholarship criteria.
Keep your audience in mind when filling out applications.
If you are applying to an academic scholarship, be sure to use academic language and keep the tone of your writing as professional as possible.
In contrast, some scholarship review panels are looking to see a more personal response. For these, don’t be afraid to use a less formal language and be sure to highlight your own opinion, giving judges a better understanding of your personality.
Just like that summer job, it is never too early to start the search for scholarships! So good luck and happy applying!
During your first year of post-secondary education, you might feel like you have a chorus of administrators telling you to SHOW ME THE MONEY! This is probably the least awesome part of your university/college experience, but don’t lose hope! You can pay for your education and still have some dough left over if you manage your money.
There are some great resources for student loans and scholarships that you can check out, but for now I’m going to share the best money-managing tip that’s saved me some moolah over four years of university.
Some students may want to work during their first year, while some might prefer having more time to focus on their studies and soak up the university/college atmosphere. Either way, you’re going to want to have some extra cash handy to buy food, clothes, video games, hovercrafts, etc. The best way to make sure you’re not broke by October 1st is to…
MAKE A BUDGET
…and follow it! You could aim for a monthly budget, a weekly budget, or something in between. The disadvantage of the monthly budget is that you might get to the end of the second week and realize you don’t have enough coffee coins to last until the 31st. However, the monthly budget is advantageous if you KNOW you are responsible with your money and your self-discipline is strong enough to withstand the barrage of media which daily tells us that we need more stuff.
Since I am personally quite fond of stuff, I went the way of the weekly budget and it worked fairly well. The disadvantage of the weekly budget is that it could be Monday and you’ve spotted a pair of jeans that you simply MUST have, or the new Halo game just came out and you’re not sure you can live without it. In cases like these, you might be tempted to dip into next week’s budget or blow a month of your carefully pinched pennies. Borrowing from one week’s budget to pay the expenses of another week is acceptable as long as it doesn’t happen too often and you’ve got legitimate reasons. Sometimes you might have to talk yourself out of that cute new top (everyone else is going to buy it anyways) or the pair of nunchucks you thought you just HAD to have (what are you ACTUALLY going to use them for?)
If the personal pep talk doesn’t work and you decide you absolutely have to have something, just remember: you must eat (canned spaghetti for dinner every night does not count) and you must pay bills (interest rates are killer and cell phone companies are not as forgiving as their cute little mascots make them appear.)
Here are some things to consider when making your budget:
Don’t be too generous with your budget or you’ll run out of money, but don’t be too strict either because you have to live on more than bread and water rations! Keeping the above six things in mind will help you to structure a budget that should work for you AND your bank account.
Happy saving! (more…)
As a young person, your parents are probably paying for most, if not all, of your expenses. Perhaps you have a job, in which case you may be making some of your own money. However, because of the time that school takes up, you probably are only able to work part-time. This means that your income is limited to what your parents give you and what small amount of money you can make at your job. Learning how to budget your money is an invaluable skill that will help you to learn the value of money and make important decisions about what you need and what you can live without.
Budgeting starts by thinking about your expenses and what you can and cannot afford to buy. It also involves setting goals for what purchases you would like to make in the coming years, which can be very exciting and rewarding. Your parents may already be paying for your “big” expenses like rent, food and transportation costs (bus pass, car, etc.). They might also pay your phone and internet bill. In turn, you would then be responsible for paying for your clothing, hygiene products (like shampoo and conditioner) and your entertainment costs. All of these amenities add up and you will eventually have to pay for all of these things yourself.
Setting goals about when you will be able to afford a certain purchase is a really good way to initially ease yourself into a budget. If, for example, you currently work part-time hours (20-30 per week) and you want to buy a car within the next 4 years, you can calculate how much money you will have to put away in your savings account. Knowing this will help to set you up for success and encourage you to spend your money responsibly. It will help you to make tough decisions about what you really need and what you don’t (do you NEED that new Xbox game?).
Depending on your financial situation, you might also be responsible for paying your university or college tuition. These costs can reach into the tens of thousands of dollars and definitely require budget planning. You will need to factor in all of the above mentioned cost in addition to the cost of school. This is where applying for student loans and scholarships becomes vitally important. Remember – student loans you are required to pay back. Scholarships are essentially free money. Ensure you have applied for as many scholarships as possible!
All of this responsibility can tend to weigh down on you and make you feel trapped. But don’t worry! Everyone has a budget. Some are more restricted than others, but with a little creativity and organizational skills, you will be able to manage perfectly well and become a better person for it. Money comes and goes, but as long as you are doing your part to earn an income and to actively plan and manage your money, you will be fine.
SHOW ME THE MONEY!
During your first year of post-secondary education, you might feel like you have a chorus of administrators telling you to SHOW ME THE MONEY! This is probably the least awesome part of your university/college experience but don’t lose hope! You can pay for your education and still have some dough left over if you manage your money.
There are some great resources for student loans and scholarships that you can check out later but for now, I’m going to share the best money-managing tip that’s saved me some mulahs over four years of university.
Some students may want to work during their first year, while some might prefer having more time to focus on their studies and soak up the university/college atmosphere. Either way, you’re going to want to have some extra cash handy to buy food, clothes, videogames, hovercrafts, etc. The best way to make sure you’re not broke by October 1st is to…
(more…)