| After High School – Scholarships & Bursaries Unlike a loan, a scholarship or bursary is an amount of money given as a gift to a student attending post-secondary school and is not re-payable. Who offers scholarships? Everyone, from schools, companies, charities and governments, to private individuals. There are absolutely thousands of scholarships and bursaries available to students in Canada. If you already have your school picked out, research what is available to you as a first year student. If you are still undecided about which school to attend, find out which ones might offer you a scholarship. That may help you decide which school is the best choice. Make sure you check with parents and grandparents. Many employers still offer education assistance to the children and grandchildren of employees. Find out if the career you are pursuing has a professional association. These groups often help students when they are just starting out. Service groups, such as the Rotary Club, Optimist or local Moose Lodge, as well as your Credit Union sometimes offer bursaries to students, too. Online, there are many legitimate websites that offer a listing of scholarships and bursaries. They may not have all the details, but it is a great place to start! Be a little skeptical if they won’t let you see any information until you pay their registration fee though. Remember too you can take advantage of more than one scholarship at a time. So if Dad’s work offers you a thousand dollars and so does your school, you’ll have a great start! Apply for any and all awards you may qualify for. Qualify is the key word here. Some awards simply require you to enrol in a particular field of study to qualify. Others require you to show financial need, want you to have community service in your experience, or participate in a particular sport; others need you to maintain a certain grade average. Know your strengths. Leadership qualities can come from coaching soccer or simply helping with a kids’ craft at camp. Anything that makes you different from the other students applying for scholarships is important. Sit down with your family and make a list. Run through your days. Something you consider ordinary may be just the quality a scholarship committee is looking for! And definitely talk to your Guidance Counselor. They have access to information about what is available, especially from your own city, town or school board. Follow every lead and do it soon. Some applications require you to write a paragraph or essay about your future plans. You don’t want to have to rush.
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