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Tag: scholarship applications

  • How to Navigate the Canada Council for the Arts

    How to Navigate the Canada Council for the Arts

    It is difficult not to find a single artist or professor at any given university who has not at least applied for a Canada Council for the Arts grant. Known to be extremely supportive of the Canadian artists, the government is its main affiliate. Created to promote the study of art and support the steady production of works in the arts, the council funds Canadian artists and organizations. After university, it is common for students to be worried about debt and funding their projects. Taking on a substantial project like a novel, or an exhibition, or a film can require not only a lot of money for equipment and research, but a great deal of time. Holding an unrelated job can severely get in the way of the growth and quality of a project. And that is where the Canada Council for the Arts can come in.

    Your first step is to create an account and register your profile for validation; this could be a personal profile or a company profile—whether it is visual arts or writing, you will be assessed based on your experience, the strength of your application and project, and your credentials. Once you have gone through the registration steps your profile will be reviewed by Canada Council staff and validated. After this process, you can apply to different grant components.

    Every year the council receives around 16,000 grant requests; these are reviewed by panels of artists. In the past, the council has awarded nearly 5,000 grants to organizations and artists that totalled in more than $150 million. While this is a great deal of money, the sheer volume of applications means that your application needs to stand out.

    Know the assessment criteria

    Visit the website and make sure you follow the guidelines directly. Know what the assessors are looking for in your particular field and how much attention to focus on each point like budget estimates, time estimates and travel needs.

    Research and be prepared

    Be sure to include thorough facts to demonstrate the intended impact of your proposed project. It is extremely important to edit multiple times for grammatical and spelling errors. Having a second pair of eyes to check over it always helps. Provide detailed background information on your field of practice and past work. Be straight to the point and express that your project is well planned and that it can be carried our smoothly. You are representing Canadian artists when you win a grant, and so the council chooses these winners with a lot of serious consideration.

    Finances

    Be careful not to claim bad health, financial need or other personal issues as reasons for requesting Canada Council financial support. The idea is to focus on the positive impact that your project will provide to the public. You are not pitching yourself, but rather the talents careful creative efforts that can spawn a project that will touch people.

    Works Cited:

    www.canadacouncil.ca

  • When Should I Start Applying for Scholarships?

    When Should I Start Applying for Scholarships?

    Scholarships are a fantastic way to gain financial support during post-secondary. With all of the different kinds of scholarships available, how are you supposed to know when is the right time to start applying? Well, when it comes to scholarships the short answer is; as soon as possible. Quite often, scholarships have strict deadlines for applications, and if you miss the deadline you may miss out on that scholarship opportunity entirely. When applying for any scholarship, be sure to pay careful attention to the application opening date and deadline.

    “I’m not in post-secondary yet, so I don’t need to look into scholarships just yet, right?”

    A common misconception is that you only need to begin applying for post-secondary scholarships once you have actually started post-secondary. However, this is not always the case. There are some scholarships that recognize your high school accomplishments, such as the Alexander Rutherford Scholarship for Alberta students. With these types of scholarships, you can actually begin to submit your scholarship application once you have been accepted to your post-secondary institution. If you are unsure if you are able to apply for your scholarship before you begin post-secondary, ask your academic advisor at school, search in the scholarship section of your province’s learning information website, or search under the scholarship section of your post-secondary institution’s website.

    There are often also scholarships that are offered for recognizing your academic achievements once you have initially entered your first year of post-secondary. These are often called “Entrance Awards,” which are typically offered to outstanding students entering their specific faculty. These awards typically have a very early cut-off date once the school year begins. Be sure to check to see if a student application is required. (Please note that some entrance awards do not require a student’s formal application, as the post-secondary institution will apply on your behalf). If a student application is required, be sure to apply as soon as possible, as entrance awards are typically only awarded for a short period of time once the school year has begun. Be sure to always carefully check the application deadline for any scholarship application, and make sure you are giving yourself enough time to properly apply.

    For other scholarships that you may gain throughout the course of your post-secondary journey, the timeframe for when to apply may vary. Be sure to check your post-secondary institution’s website on a regular basis for scholarships that you may be eligible for. When applying for a scholarship, it is important to remember that the application process may take longer for some applications than others, depending on its requirements. It is best to begin the application process for any scholarship as soon as you are permitted to do so (each individual scholarship will note both the application opening and the application deadline). By applying as soon as the scholarship application becomes available, you prevent potentially missing the deadline, and allow yourself as much time as possible to complete all necessary application tasks. It is important to allow yourself as much time as possible, especially if the application requires something that may be time consuming, such as essay. This will ensure you are submitting your best work, giving you the best possible opportunity to receive the scholarship. So always remember, when applying for any scholarship, don’t delay! Check when the application date becomes open, and when the deadline is. Once acceptance for applications becomes available, begin the application process immediately!

  • Tips for a Great Scholarship Application

    Tips for a Great Scholarship Application

    Scholarships are a fantastic resource when it comes to funding your post-secondary education. To land a great scholarship, though, you have to write a great application, which is easier said than done. If you want to come across as a stellar candidate in front of the board reviewing your application, it’s going to take some work.

    Keep the following tips in mind when you’re trying to make your scholarship application stand out.

    It may seem like a no-brainer, but get to know the criteria for the application you are submitting. Are there key words or themes in the description? These are probably the things you should be focusing on when you highlight your qualifications or your ambitions for the future. For example, a scholarship given by a particular charity is likely linked to the values that the charity itself represents.

    Based on this, identify (and highlight) your strengths. This doesn’t mean list everything on your resume—instead, focus on the most relevant experience, qualifications, and aspirations or goals that you have, and link these back to the purpose of the scholarship itself. You should aim to demonstrate that you are the best candidate for this particular prize, and give strong and specific reasons to support this.

    When composing your application, it helps to focus on the bigger picture instead of only on the money you are trying to earn. How will the scholarship improve your post-secondary experience? How will you be able to make a difference at the institution you are applying to? Use your qualifications as a stepping stone for your future achievements, demonstrating that you have a lot to offer the institution if you are granted the award.

    Be creative. Of course, you should work within the restrictions of the application, but as long as you meet the basic requirements, feel free to jazz it up a little bit. Use an anecdote from your personal life, change up the format from the typical “5-paragraph essay”, or come up with another idea that will make your application unique. This is an opportunity for you to showcase your personality, and scholarship judges love seeing an application that goes beyond the cookie-cutter template.

    And finally—be yourself. Don’t falsify any information or over-exaggerate any of your experiences. (This is especially awkward if you make it to the scholarship interview stage and the board is extremely interested to know how you, according to your application, saved a whole village of orphans in Finland.) It’s important to be honest and genuine about what you have to offer. If you feel like lying is the only way you’re going to come across as qualified, maybe this particular scholarship isn’t right for you.