iCount Youth Account

Searching for Education Funding

The PACE Bursary Awards are designed to financially assist members of the Credit Union, their children and grandchildren in pursuing post-secondary education.  Awards up to $2000 are available to successful applicants who are enrolled or are enrolling in a post secondary education program. Application deadline is June 25, 2010! Applications available at http://www.pacecu.ca/bursary.php

It is worth time and effort to find all sources of education funding you qualify for, as it can substantially reduce your post-graduation debt.

Many of the application processes for post-secondary schools are now online, and so are many scholarship and bursary applications!

First, find out from your parents and grandparents about where they work, what clubs they belong to, which organizations they volunteer for and so on.  Many community service organizations and businesses allow family members to apply for available scholarships and bursaries.

Next, make sure you investigate the many scholarships and entrance awards usually offered directly from your school of choice.  Some of these are automatically awarded, but others you must apply for. Find the application forms, research the items needed and apply on time! 

Your chosen school can give you some possible websites to check out that list scholarships and bursaries available in Canada, such as studentawards.com and scholarshipscanada.com. Others can help you if you are planning to study internationally, too.  As these websites are operated independently from the schools, they are not always 100% accurate, but certainly can point you in the right places.

You will need your most recent academic standings, but also be prepared to provide lists of your community involvement, leadership activities, extracurricular teams and clubs, volunteer and paid work.  Many education awards go to well-rounded students, not just those scoring the highest on tests!

If you are applying for awards based on financial need, you will require the full annual income amounts from your parents, too. 

Follow all the directions. If you must write an essay of 1000 words, do not apply with 1500 words or only 450.  If you need two recommendations from people in your community, do not apply with only one listed. 

Many awards are renewable if you continue in your field of study for a second year and beyond, so arrange for the follow-up applications as needed.

It is highly beneficial to start searching and applying for scholarships in the September of your Grade 12 year, even if your final school is not determined.  But if you didn’t do that, start now and apply for as many as possible!  And keep it up, even after you begin studies in the fall.  Many scholarships and bursaries are available to first year students, but others only become available as you move beyond your first year of study.