Students know first-hand that there are scholarships for nearly everything. In fact, there are more than $82 million worth of scholarships awarded each year. But did you know that every year there are thousands of unclaimed scholarships in Canada, with the total amount estimated at more than $15 million?
You don’t have to be top of the class to apply – and achieve – a scholarship. There are a large number of scholarships out there with many different qualifying criteria, and they are not all academic.
Some scholarships are focused on how much a student gives back to the community, some are for those who are studying fine arts, and some are awarded for an essay on a specific topic. The most difficult thing for both students and those providing the scholarship is advertising- actually getting the word out that these scholarships exist.
It’s certainly not a big news story that a company or philanthropist has a scholarship program, so it usually doesn’t appear in your newsfeed. Without a great deal of promotion, students might not know where to look. Luckily, we know where you can go to find all scholarship opportunities in Canada:
Scholarships Canada is a resource that all students need to familiarize themselves with and take hold of some of the free money out there. You should absolutely bookmark this site and never look back. The website has scholarships for everything, including for those students who are intending to study abroad (those international student fees are something else!).
Ready, set, go! Don’t be afraid to apply for scholarships and awards, because you never know the opportunity you might miss if you don’t give it a shot. Ask friends who’ve won scholarships what they had to do, ask profs and mentors how you can put together a great application, and put yourself out there! Interesting fact: scholarship money is sent to your registrar and deducted from your tuition costs, so you don’t have to worry about it!
Don’t forget to accept your scholarship or award with grace 😉
Finally, awards don’t have to be in $$$ (although that cash sure is nice) – awards of recognition can still add hugely to your resume. See here for info on awards at Ryerson you can apply for! Also, be sure to follow @RUawards for notifications of University wide awards.
