Scholarships
Scholarships are financial awards given to students to help pay for education-related expenses, typically based on academic achievement, athletic skill, artistic talent, or other criteria.
What should you know about Scholarships?
Prerequisites & Eligibility
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Scholarships can provide people with a typical range of financial aid from $400 - $5000
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Students as young as Grade 9 could be eligible to apply for some scholarships!
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There are plenty of different types of scholarships such as:
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Academic
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Arts & Writing
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Career-based scholarships
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Community Service
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Disability
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Leadership
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Minorities
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Sports
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Application Process
Scholarship applications can get tricky to navigate, but here are some things you can expect to see when applying
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A transcript of your grades (high school or postsecondary/university)
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Recommendation letters or references
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A series of prompts - either short answer questions or an essay
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A series of multiple choice questions - usually to confirm your eligibility
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If you are applying for an arts based scholarship, they may ask for some of your works or a portfolio (fine arts, writing, etc)
Where can you start looking?
What are some common ones?
Alexander Rutherford Scholarship
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A great one that every student in Alberta has access to
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Full amount is $2500, but smaller scholarships are offered for students with averages below 80% as well
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Super quick application, only academics matter
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Citizenship Awards ​
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Offered by Alberta Student Aid
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Awarded for outstanding leadership, citizenship, and community service
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Amount varies (some scholarships are $2005, some are $7000)
Big Scholarships to Know
Schulich Leaders Scholarship:
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100 scholarships are given out each year, with 1500 nominees
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50 for engineering ($120,000), 50 for science/math ($100,000)
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Application is mainly focused on your academic performance, financial need, and outstanding leadership
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Each high school nominates ONE graduating student for the scholarship
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Only students who are enrolled in a STEM program in a Canadian partner university are eligible (there are 20 partner universities across Canada)
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Loran Award:
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For Gr. 12 students who show exceptional commitment to community service and leadership → focuses on how well-rounded you are​
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$100,000 scholarship
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Loran Scholars receive mentorship throughout their undergraduate studies
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TD Community Leaders
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For Gr. 12 students who demonstrate exceptional community leadership​
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$70,000 to cover tuition & living expenses
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Recipients also gain access to paid summer employment opportunities, mentorship, and networking opportunities
Benefits
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Scholarships can make a significant impact to ease financial burdens, especially on tuition costs
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Most scholarships are worth being put on your resume/CV, and show potential employers and schools your hard work
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Many received scholarships make you eligible for more scholarships
Drawbacks
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Can be very competitive
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Some scholarships require a lot of work for very little reward and the time spent on the application could be better spent on other (smaller) scholarships, or focusing your efforts elsewhere