Scholarships
THE SCHOLARLY POST # 1
Welcome to the first in what will be a series of six posts designed to help you understand, be prepared for, and ultimately apply for successful scholarships. In this edition, I strive to explain what scholarships are all about and bust the Scholarship Myths!
WHAT ARE SCHOLARSHIPS?
First, let's consider some key terms so everyone is on the same page when it comes to understanding funding sources for post-secondary studies.
What are scholarships, bursaries, and awards and how are they different from each other?
SCHOLARSHIP: Is non-repayable amounts of money from a funding organization or donor. So is a bursary. The key difference is that scholarships are often merit based, meaning that you must earn the scholarship in some way - through your academics, community involvement, athletics, or diversity, etc.
BURSARY: Is non-repayable amounts of money also given by a funding organization or donor but is solely or mainly based on demonstrated financial need. While a scholarship may have a financial need component to it, it is not usually the main requirement.
The other main difference between scholarships and bursaries is that bursaries are usually in the hundreds to low thousands of dollars, and they are meant to augment other forms of funding. Scholarships, on the other hand, range from the low hundreds up to $100,000.
AWARDS: Do not necessarily come with any monetary value but rather are given as a recognition for your achievements. In the strictest sense of the word, very few awards come with money attached. Occasionally I will use the word “award” in a general sense to mean earning money.
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Now let’s look at the two main groups of scholarships, also known as EXTERNAL SCHOLARSHIPS:
- University awarded and
- Those offered by all other organizations like banks, community groups, employers, etc.
Generally speaking, university scholarships are focused mainly on your grades and leadership activities. Many Canadian universities have “tiers” of entrance scholarships. These may include one or more of the following:
Automatic: these scholarships are assessed using only your grades. You do not need to complete a separation application form. The assessment is done “automatically” when you apply and supply your transcript. This assessment is typically done when you apply at the time of “Early Admission.” It’s important to note that all universities are different, and they calculate averages in different ways, so it's impossible to know how every university arrives at their scholarship decision.
General application: some universities have an application that you can complete if you wish to be considered for other financial funding. This is usually a short application possibly requiring a small (300 to 500) word essay. This money will come from a variety of donors within the university.
Separate application: some universities will have separate applications for specific funding, such as faculty or program specific money, or a president’s or chancellor’s scholarship. Sometimes a nomination (from a teacher or administrative staff) is required for these elite scholarships.
The second category of EXTERNAL SCHOLARSHIPS are those offered by organizations other than universities like banks, credit unions, foundations, employers, community & church groups, service organizations and individual donors and even our school. These scholarships vary greatly in value and requirements. Generally speaking, external scholarships are usually focused on community involvement rather than grades. If grades are a requirement, the average is typically around 75%.
Depending on the funder, external scholarships may be national (meaning that students across Canada can apply), provincial, or at the community or school level. Your chances of winning increases as the pool of applicants becomes smaller. So, community or school level scholarships will be easier to garner money from than a Canada-wide scholarship.
There is also a third kind of scholarship - those you can win by random selection or by taking action for a cause, such as sharing a post on social media or being involved in some type of community activism project. If these opportunities arise over the course of the year, I will inform you.
IMPORTANT TO NOTE: you should never be required to pay to apply for a scholarship. Any organization that asks for payment is A SCAM! This was evident in past years when an organization tried to scam a few of our students. BE AWARE and if in doubt, please see me!
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BUSTING SCHOLARSHIP MYTHS
Myth #1 - My GPA/ grades are too low to apply for a scholarship.
Not all scholarships are merit-based (based on grades or test scores). In fact, many programs reward students for their talents, athletics, creativity, or other non-academic skills. Even if your GPA is hovering around a C+ or B, plenty of scholarship programs are still open to you.
Myth #2 - My family makes too much money, so it's not worth applying for a scholarship.
Guess again! Unless you are applying for a need-based scholarship, most providers will not ask about your family’s income. And what you may think is “too much” income may actually qualify for some need-based aid at certain private universities/ colleges. Never assume you’re not eligible, until you’ve read ALL the scholarship program details. Only about ⅓ of scholarships are needs based.
Myth #3 - I’m super athletic, so I’m likely to get a big, fat scholarship.
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the odds are not in your favor. Only two percent of high school athletes actually receive an athletic scholarship. And of those who do, very few receive enough aid to cover all their expenses. Only full-ride scholarships to major US universities will provide you with enough money to cover all your expenses. Typically, Canadian athletic-based scholarships range between a few hundred to a couple thousand dollars. It is still worth considering, since SOME money is better than NO money.
Myth #4 - If I win one scholarship, I won't be eligible to apply for other scholarships.
You can apply for as many scholarships as you like. There are no restrictions on the number of scholarships you can apply for.
Myth #5 - There is too much competition and not enough scholarship money available.
The sad reality is that many scholarships go unclaimed every year. In fact, about 59% of organizations want more applicants. Organizations are truly focused on giving out money because if they don’t, they’ve got to justify why, which sometimes leads them to review their scholarship terms, so they can make them more accessible.
THE SCHOLARLY POST # 2
Over the course of the next few weeks (and well in advance of application season) I will send out regular communications on scholarships to help you understand the “nitty gritty” of applying for them. But first let’s look at the ‘Tools and Means’ of staying organized before you apply for some of those exciting scholarships!
Here are some important Tools and Means of staying on top of the scholarship process:
- Create a scholarship specific email … something like candylee.scholar@gmail.com Use this email for all correspondence with all external scholarship funders. You want a professional looking email and one that helps you keep your correspondence separate from all your other emails, and thus much easier to find. Remember to check it regularly, including looking through your Trash folder on a regular basis.
- Create a Google document shared folder. Use this folder to keep all your scholarship info in one place, so you and your family can access the info easily. If the folder is shared your family might have some time to help you in the process.
- Use a Scholarship Tracker. Create a spreadsheet where you can record info about the scholarships you apply for. Include the name, type of scholarship (i.e., music for females), deadline date, references used for the application and any other column of information that will help you stay on track.
- Use an online calendar. It is important to note all deadline dates and have some way tracking them beyond the spreadsheet.
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Searching for Scholarships
THIS IS A MUST FOR EVERY STUDENT WANTING TO EARN A SCHOLARSHIP
There are three main Canadian websites a high school student can browse through and find scholarships.
They are:
PUBLIC SCHOLARSHIP SITES
http://www.scholarshipscanada.com/
ScholarshipsCanada gives you access to about 100,000 scholarships that range from provincial to national. (They don't list the smaller community awards). Do make sure that you are applying for scholarships for students entering post-secondary from high school. Scholarships listed in this website are for students at all levels, from high school to undergraduate and graduate.
http://studentscholarships.org
https://yconic.com/?redirect_from=studentawards
As a start, you should set up profiles and accounts in these three above listed websites. Set filters so that you will automatically receive information about the relevant scholarships you are interested in applying to.
As well, you can use Google to search for scholarships. This is a time-consuming activity so be prepared to put some effort into doing this job. Here you will likely find the small community type awards.
Here is a general formula you can use for scholarship searches using Google:
For example, since you live in the Lower Mainland and you might be interested in music scholarships, you can search for these in a few different ways:
A very broad search: British Columbia + scholarship
Or if you wish to go broader with your location: Music + Canada + scholarship
Narrowing the search: Music + British Columiba + scholarship
Narrowing the search further: Music + Vancouver/ Richmond + scholarship
Narrowing or broadening your search will depend on how many hits you get. But do be aware of what you find and make sure you are not paying to be on any scholarship subscription list.
Starting in a few weeks, I will send out weekly emails with upcoming External Scholarships that you can apply to. The list will grow as the year goes on, with peak scholarship application time between late November to May.
University Awarded Scholarships
University scholarship deadlines tend to be earlier than general admission deadlines. For example, UBC’s general admission deadline is January 15, but the highly prized scholarship deadlines coincide with the early admission deadline of December 1. So, start reviewing the scholarship information for the post-secondary institutions you are considering, do this in the September - October timeframe.
Each college/ university offers their own scholarships which have their own deadline schedule. Many universities offer different kinds of scholarships. That means if you are applying to one or more post-secondary institutions, you will want to keep track of each one’s specific deadline for admission, scholarships, and if required - deadlines for personal statements, supplementary information and so on.
In some cases, university awards and external scholarships require a school nomination. One or more students can be selected by the SLSS Scholarship Committee, and the name(s) put forth to the post-secondary institution. So, I suggest looking at my webpage’s calendar which will list all upcoming scholarships. I suggest you bookmark this page https://slss.sd38.bc.ca/students/slss-career-centre-information and review this page regularly.
Scholarships awarded by post-secondary institutions can change year to year depending on the donations a funder may give, or by factors a specific faculty are required to meet (i.e., inclusion and diversity has become an important topic for many post-secondary departments now and quotas need to be met). So read the information on the post-secondary websites carefully to see if you meet the specific requirements.
Where to find University Awarded Scholarships
1. University Website: The university’s website will provide the most accurate, up-to-date and reliable source of information. You will have to do some digging for scholarship information. Start with searches for “Scholarships,” “Student Awards,” “Entrance Awards,” “Financial Aid.” You can usually start your Google search with the “university name + scholarships” (i.e., Queen’s University scholarships), this will take you directly to the page. Once there, you will see a variety of awards. Make sure you look at Entrance Scholarships specifically for students entering from high school. You will need time to visit the many different pages, and drop-down boxes, etc. Allow yourself plenty of time for this task … it could prove to be rewarding.
2. University Communications: Each applicant must set up an account within the university’s student system, using a portal system. Once you have set up a profile on the university’s student portal, you will be in their email system, and you will receive emails that will prompt you to continue your application process by visiting scholarship sites. Make sure to read all emails sent to you from the post-secondary institutions there may be easily accessible scholarship opportunities for you.
3. Attend Postsecondary Events: Many colleges and universities will offer information sessions during the recruitment season (October to December). Not only will there be a number of online events this fall, but SLSS will host an in-person event with some 12 post-secondary institutions visiting our school on September 25, 2025. This is a great opportunity to ask a recruiter about the different types of scholarships they offer, what kind of grades/ activities will be assessed, and what will help you present a strong application.
4. Ask an Admission Officer or Financial Aid Officer: If you need help the best and most direct route is to email or call the post-secondary Admissions Office or the Financial Aid/ Awards Office.
5. Follow the Post-Secondary Institution on social media: Often there is useful information about admissions and scholarships posted on the college/ university’s prospective student social media channels. Some institutions will come up on scholarship search engines like ScholarshipsCanada.com. When you set up your profile you can indicate the university/ college you are interested in.
Hopefully this Post has given you some great ideas on how to stay organized when applying for scholarships, as well as where you can start looking for external scholarships. Remember to start early, especially for the Entrance Scholarships and create your profiles on the above listed public scholarship sites; before you know it, the information will start flowing to your inbox.
Note that given the amount of work involved in scholarship applications, it’s best to view this activity as kind of a mini part-time job. One in which you set time aside on a weekly basis to complete whatever tasks you can related to the scholarship application process.