Thinking of going to college or university after grade 12? 
Need financial support to make that happen?

In General, the KEY is to Get Involved at school and in your community!

• Most scholarships recognize a student who has excelled in a combination of academic, community and extra-curricular involvement or leadership.
• Few awards are based solely on marks.
• Emphasis is on recognizing well-rounded young people who balance school and life (team, club, community) involvement.
• The more years a student has been involved and/or a leader, the more impactful the application.
• Applications usually require at least one (and sometimes three or more) reference letter from an adult (teacher, coach, employer, club sponsor) who can attest to the student’s qualifications.  These references should be asked for well in advance of the application due date.
• Many scholarships require the applicants to write some sort of personal essay (ex.  “describe one challenge you have faced in your life and how you have dealt with it”) or written answers to detailed questions (ex.  “why is education important to you?” or “what is your strongest leadership skill?”)

Where to Start:

Every student should keep track of his/her activities (teams, clubs, community groups, jobs, contest participation, recognition awards, skills, achievements, etc)
Participate, participate, participate!

• Websites of post-secondary institution, specifically search: financial aid
• Parents’/guardians’ places of work and/or unions
• Student’s place of work and/or union
• Clubs/community groups/teams/credit unions to which student or parents (or other family members) belong

TIPS FOR APPLYING FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarship application processes can differ depending on who is awarding it.  Ensure your application meets the requirements!

1. DO YOUR RESEARCH – this takes a significant amount of time, but once you know where to look, sorting through the criteria becomes an easier next step.
2. READ THE CRITERIA – skim the criteria for the award. If you think you remotely qualify keep the application information. If you don’t qualify at all – move one to the next one. Don’t waste your time.
3. SORT THE AWARDS YOU QUALIFY FOR – Gather each of the scholarship applications that you think you qualify for. Read the small print. Some awards require you to meet 100% of the criteria. Sort your possible applications by how well you meet the criteria. Focus your time and effort on the applications that you feel you have the best chance at.
4. MAKE A CALENDAR OF DEADLINES – Not all scholarships have the same application deadlines. Ensure your application will be received at least four days before the deadline. Note that since forms, questionnaires and supporting documents are normally required in an application, it may take at least one month to prepare your application. You are highly encouraged to plan ahead and start your scholarship application well in advance.
5. GATHER REFERENCE LETTERS – Contact your references and supply them with details about the scholarships you are applying for. Ask that their reference letter addresses the scholarship criteria. Give your references advanced notice and plenty of time to customize their letters – 4-6 weeks.
6. CREATE YOUR SCHOLARSHIP PORTFOLIO – Each scholarship application will ask for a variety of different documents (eg. resume, a personal statement, examples of your work, lists of volunteer or community achievements, or an essay on a particular topic). Create a portfolio and easily pull from it the documents your need to fit the application. Make sure you include each of the required documents.
7. TRANSCRIPTS – Most applications will require a copy of your transcripts from either high school or the post-secondary institutions that you have or are attending. Ask whether you need original copies or not. Original transcripts take time to get – so plan ahead.
8. PROOFREAD & PRESENTATION – Proofread your application carefully and ask someone else to proofread it too. Make sure your application looks professional, pay attention to the layout and incorporate white space, page numbers and headings. Make the application easy to reference and fast to read.
9. TRACK YOUR APPLICATIONS – You may be sending a number of applications out and at different times. Keep a copy of all applications you send and track which applications went out on what days.  Be sure the applications arrive before the deadline. If you are using email or Canada Post request a receipt.

Source: www.educationplannerbc.ca

Looking for a list of scholarships?>>>

When requesting a reference letter from your teacher (s), please provide AMPLE NOTICE (minimum 2 weeks) and provide your teacher(s) with as much information as possible.

• Consider using our reference letter planner (see below) to outline your activities/accomplishments.
• THIS WILL BE VERY HELPFUL…in fact, some teachers will ask for the reference letter template.
• Be specific about when you need the letter

Be polite when asking for a reference letter

• Remember, teachers are not required to write you a reference letter.
• Those who do are taking time out of their busy schedule to do this as a FAVOUR TO YOU
• Be nice. Being demanding and pushy will do you no favours in getting a good reference from your teachers.

Be gracious even if a teacher turns you down.

• Most teachers will write reference letters, but there are sometimes mitigating factors for some Teachers to decline:
• Maybe they don’t know you well enough and do not have much to say about you. Teachers who know you and have lots to say about you are usually the best references!
• Maybe they do not have many nice things to say about you (harsh, but sometimes this is true).
  • Don’t just ask any teacher to be your reference? Ask a teacher with whom you have a good relationship and can provide details about your work ethic, academics, etc. Teachers are asked to be honest in their reference letters and when people call for a reference check. You want to know that the teacher you ask to be your reference will have your back and go to bat for you!
• Maybe you didn’t give your teacher enough notice.  Ask yourself: Do you really want a hastily written reference letter?

Plan ahead..and good luck!
“A lack of preparation on your part does not constitute an emergency on our part.”

Adapted: Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School School Counsellors

Reference Letter Planner

This form should be completed prior to requesting a reference letter. It can be done in point form. The information you provide in these 5 questions will be extremely helpful to the person who has agreed to compose a reference letter for you. It would be helpful to also provide them with a copy of your current transcript and a copy of the application form.

1. EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES. (List the extracurricular activities you have been involved in throughout high school. This includes your involvement in sports, music, clubs, leadership classes etc. Include the dates and years of involvement counselor)

2. COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER WORK/INVOLVEMENT. (List and describe any community volunteer work or involvement. Include the dates and year(s) of involvement counselor)

3. SPECIAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS. (List ALL certificates, awards, leadership roles etc. that you have earned both in the school and community.)

4. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY. (Outline your employment history. Provide dates of employment, names of companies and employers, tasks performed, etc.)

5. CHARACTER DESCRIPTORS. (Provide at least six words that best describe you. Explain why you think these words are the best descriptors of your character.)

YOUR school counsellor will host a virtual presentation to explain how the LOCAL scholarship application process works BEFORE the application link becomes LIVE!  The recording of the presentation has been posted below.

Video Tips, Hints and Demo of the Local Scholarship Application

Scholarship Application deadline: March 5th @3pm

There are literally tens of thousands of scholarships available for grade 12 students planning to attend a trade school, college, or university.  However, students must be willing to invest time and energy to research, find and apply for these scholarships. Think of your scholarship “hunt” like applying for a part-time job.  It makes sense to use your connections, talk to your family and friends, and search the Internet!  The opportunities $$ are out there, you just have to find them!

There are 4 basic types of scholarships: International, National, Provincial, and Local.  The 1st type of scholarships typically include those of the greatest dollar amount and are open to the greatest number of students, so competition for these dollars is tough! For each successive type of scholarship, the dollar amounts typically decrease, and so do the number of potential applicants.  Use your time and energy wisely to apply for scholarships that you meet the criteria described on the scholarship application or website.

YOUR school counsellors have created a list of more than List of 500+ scholarships.  While these are obviously NOT every scholarship “out there”, it’s a good place to start.

Some of the scholarship listed may have been discontinued or moved locations on the Internet.  If the LINK (web address) does not work, please copy and past the NAME of the scholarship into GOOGLE and SEARCH for the new link.   

Some of the scholarships listed may have been discontinued or moved locations on the Internet.  If the LINK (web address) does not work, please copy and past the NAME of the scholarship into GOOGLE and SEARCH for the new link. 

Major Scholarships for your consideration

As we do not control the content on the pages below, sometimes the URL (Internet address) changes, and the “Internet” may tell you the “site is not found”
If the LINK does not work, please copy and past the NAME of the scholarship into GOOGLE and SEARCH for the new link.

Please email dmackenzie@sd22.bc.ca to report a broken link.  If you report a broken link AND provide the new link, your school counsellors have some UNIVERSITY SWAG to offer as a thank you!  Stop by the school counselling area to pick up the swag!

The provincial Awards program, including BC Excellence Scholarships, Achievement, Awards, District/Authority Awards, and Pathway to Teacher Education	ScholarTree was founded on the notion that no student should have to limit their educational choices based on their financial situation.	Universities Canada manages government-funded international partnership programs and more than 120 scholarship programs on behalf of private sector companies.	Universities Canada manages government-funded international partnership programs and more than 120 scholarship programs on behalf of private sector companies.
Successful futures are created through hard work, creativity, and perseverance. Each one of us has a unique potential to achieve, and for First Nation, Inuit, and Métis students, Indspire is here to help make that happen. Indspire provides hundreds of scholarships, bursaries, and awards to thousands of Indigenous students every year!	The Aboriginal Bursaries Search Tool is a searchable list of 688 bursaries, scholarships, and incentives across Canada.	Aboriginal Learning Links is a project of the BC Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education and Training Partners. The Aboriginal Learning Links website is maintained by the First Nations Education Steering Committee	Student guide for “British Columbia SPECIFIC” scholarships

Cmolik Scholarship

The Foundation provides $40,000 (for tuition, books, and living expenses) leading to an undergraduate degree to deserving students currently attending school in BC.

Criteria: students who have faced financial challenges, overcome adversity, and yet have contributed positively to either their school or community.

Fulton will be able to nominate one student for the opportunity to apply for this year’s Cmolik Scholarship.

Eligibility

In order to be eligible for a TCF Scholarship, applicants must:

• Be a current resident of BC
• Have lived in Canada for at least 7 years,
• Be in Grade 12 or a recent secondary school graduate,
• Have demonstrated financial need,
• Have faced adversity,
• Plan to be a full-time student,
• Be ineligible for the BC Tuition Waiver Program (for former youth in care),
• Use funding for a post-secondary institution, trade or college, and
• Be endorsed by their school principal.

In addition to meeting the eligibility requirements, student applications will be adjudicated by a selection committee that will consider the student’s proven resilience in the face of adversity, their positive work ethic, their academic suitability, their contributions to their community, the clarity of their educational goals, their focused commitment, their fit with the organization, and the support of their references.

Nomination Process

Step 1:

a.) Fill out one of our  CMOLIK-School-Based Scholarship Nomination form. Submit nomination form to Mrs. Lau or Mr. MacKenzie via no later than January 15th. alternate version 

b.) The nominated student will be notified on January 19th Mrs. Seed will provide the Clarence Fulton nomination letter soon after.

Step 2:

c.) Formally request your referees to write a reference letter in support of our application (deadline to collect these reference February 1st.

Step 3:

a.) The nominated student from Fulton will receive a nomination letter from Mrs. Seed and they can then proceed to fill out the online application.  (Deadline Feb 7th)

What are Schulich Leader Scholarships?

Schulich Leader Scholarships are Canada’s most coveted undergraduate STEM scholarships.

Up to one hundred are awarded to entrepreneurial-minded high school graduates enrolling in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Math program at 20 partner universities across Canada. Half are valued at $100,000 for engineering scholarships and half are valued at $80,000* for science and math scholarships.

Every high school in Canada can nominate one graduating student each year to apply for the scholarship.

Deadlines:

Fulton Secondary Nominee Application deadline: January 15

Steps to follow to be considered the Fulton nominee

1. Completed the Fulton specific nomination application form
2. Submit your application form to your school counsellor or the principal
3. If you are selected to be the Fulton nominee, you will have until January 17 to submit your official application.

• Fulton Secondary Schulich-School Based Scholarship Nomination Application  MS WORD version
  
• Fulton Secondary Schulich-School Based Scholarship Nomination Application PDF alternate version

High School nominee application deadline: January 27, 2021

General Pool nominee application deadline: February 17, 2021

Student eligibility criteria:

• Graduate high school in the 2020/2021 academic year
• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• Plan to enroll in an eligible STEM program at one of our partner universities Meet the following criteria:
  • Academic excellence, AND
  • Leadership, charisma and creativity.
  • Strong consideration will be given to students with financial need.
  • MORE INFO>>>

Be entrepreneurial-minded and intend to pursue a career in one or more of the following focus areas:

• A.    Technology;
• B.    Engineering;
• C.    Entrepreneurship and business enterprise;
• D.    Applied scientific research.

The Schulich Foundation is NOT considering students who:

• Focus on activism (environmental/political/societal)
• Intend to become a practicing physician and/or medical researcher (e.g. Doctor, Dentist, Nurse, Psychologist, Pharmacist, Optometrist, etc.)
• Intend to become a Professor and conduct theoretical research

The program recognizes student achievement and encourages students to pursue post-secondary education.

BC Achievement Scholarships

BC Achievement Scholarships recognize the top 8,000 graduates in the province. The Ministry will determine recipients based on achievement in Grades 10, 11, and 12 courses that satisfy B.C. Graduation Program requirements, including elective courses. Grad Transitions will not be included.

A cumulative average percentage will be calculated and form the basis for determining winners, who receive a $1,250 scholarship voucher to use towards their post-secondary tuition.

Students do not apply for this scholarship.

Eligibility
In addition to placing in the ranking of the top 8,000 graduates, recipients must also:

Meet basic eligibility requirements

• Be eligible for a B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma)
• Meet the requirements of the B.C. Graduation Program (2018) by August 31, 2020
• Be graduating in the same year the scholarship is awarded
• Have at least a “B” (73% or above) in their Language Arts 12 course
• Have no more than one Transfer Standing (TS) or Standing Granted (SG) indicator among course marks used for the calculation of winners, excluding Language Arts 12, which must have a percentage score

More Info…

BC Excellence Scholarships

Getting Started
You must be nominated by your secondary school in order to apply for this scholarship. Only one student from each school may be nominated. Please inquire at your school if you would like to be considered for nomination. You must confirm your nomination by having your school principal sign and date the BC Excellence Nomination Form (PDF).

In the online application, you will be asked to provide specific information and additional attachments.

• You can prepare by reviewing the list on the first page of the Application in advance
• You will upload any required attachments directly to the online application when prompted
• Attachments should be Word documents or PDF files under 15 MB in size

Conditional winners and their schools will be notified by email in May. Winners are confirmed in September and notified by mail. They will also receive vouchers at this time. Vouchers must be redeemed within 5 years of graduation. Exact expiry dates are printed on vouchers.

Applying to be the Fulton nominee

1. Review the scholarship criteria found on the Ministry of Education website
2. Download and complete section 2 (resume) and section 4 (written statement) of the online application.
3. Submit these MS Word documents to your school counsellor or principal on or before January 22 @3:15.
4. The principal will review all applications and inform the successful candidate.  Students who do not receive the Fulton nomination will be verbally informed by a member of the Fulton staff.
   FULTON student deadline: January 22, 2021 @ 3:15pm

More info…

Pathway to Teacher Education Scholarship

The Pathway to Teacher Education Scholarship is awarded to 20 outstanding high school graduates who have demonstrated a commitment and aptitude for a career path in K-12 teaching. Winners receive a $5,000 scholarship voucher to redeem when they are registered and attending an approved K-12 teacher education program at one of BC’s nine Faculties of Education.

• Approved teacher education programs

Conditional winners and their schools will be notified by email in May. Winners will be notified directly in September when eligibility is confirmed.

In the online application, you will be asked to provide specific information and additional attachments.

• You can prepare by reviewing the list on the first page of the Application in advance
• You will upload any required attachments directly to the online application when prompted
• Attachments should be Word documents or PDF files under 15 MB in size

More Info….

January 7, 2021

 Okanagan College High School Entrance awards are now open.

These awards are for students graduating in 2021 from a secondary school within the Okanagan College region, and entering Okanagan College in Fall 2021:

·         Okanagan College President’s Entrance Scholarships

·         Okanagan College Community Spirit Awards

·         Okanagan College Board of Governors Entrance Award

·         Rick and Yasmin Thorpe & Friends Entrance Scholarship

·         McGillivray Entrance Award for Business

·         Tony Sellar Leadership Entrance Scholarship

·         Campus specific Entrance Awards

Eligibility criteria and links to the online applications are available on the Financial Aid & Awards website: www.okanagan.bc.ca/financialaid  Click on “High School Entrance Awards” Button.

Deadline for submission of applications and supporting documentation is 4:00 p.m. Friday, March 05, 2021.

StudentAid BC helps eligible students with the cost of their post-secondary education through loans, grants and special programs.

Basic eligibility requirements

To receive student financial assistance, you must meet all of these basic eligibility criteria:

• be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident or have protected person status
• have a valid Canadian social insurance number
• be a resident of British Columbia
• be pursuing full-time studies as your primary occupation
• be enrolled in an eligible program of study at an eligible post-secondary institution
• be able to demonstrate financial need
• make academic progress and achieve satisfactory scholastic standing in each period of post-secondary study

Application deadlines

• The earliest you can apply for full-time student loans is when applications for the upcoming program year are made available to the public, usually in early June.
• You do not have to be accepted into your study program before applying for student assistance, but you will not receive any money until your school confirms you are enrolled in full-time studies and your study period has begun.

What happens after I submit an application?

• After you submit your application for funding, it is assessed. StudentAid BC assesses your financial need considering allowable costs and resources and determines whether or not you will receive funding.
• You will receive a notification of assessment that tells you how much funding you will get. If you applied for assistance for full-time studies you can also check the status of your application online.
• The receive your funding section describes the steps you need to take to use your funding to pay for school.
• If you do not receive funding, you can appeal your assessment.

2020/2021 weekly maximums

• If you have dependant children, you can receive up to $510 $650* per week in combined loan and grant funding.
• If you do not have dependant children, you can receive up to $320 $460* per week of full-time study.
  The total amount you receive is determined by the length of your study period.
  *Note: The above amounts have been temporarily increased for 2020/21 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic

https://studentaidbc.ca/

Each year the Huus Family, in partnership with Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island (formerly Queen Alexandra Foundation for Children) and generous donors, award bursaries to support the education of students with disabilities.

The purpose of the fund is to provide bursaries, in the range of $500 – $5,000 annually per recipient, to assist persons with disabilities to undertake or continue their post-secondary education at an accredited post-secondary institution in British Columbia. Bursaries may be used for items such as tuition fees, textbooks, equipment, transportation, residence and support worker costs.

The bursary was established in 1988 by the family of Lisa Pauline Huus, a sociology student at the University of Victoria. “Lisa fought for her rights to go to university and be treated just like any other student,” says her mother Annie Huus. “We established this fund so that students with physical challenges like Lisa can access much-needed financial support to pursue their educational dreams.”

If you know an individual with a disability, who is looking to begin or continue their post-secondary education and could benefit from financial support, we encourage you to share this information with them. Please visit https://islandkidsfirst.com/lisa-huus-bursary/ for more information on the story behind the Lisa Huus Bursary, eligibility requirements and the application process. Applications will open March 31, 2021. Additionally, you can email bursaries@islandkidsfirst.com or call 250-940-4950 to speak to one of our staff about this opportunity.

The deadline for applications is May 31, 2021.