Paying for post-secondary education can be expensive and may leave you with a lot of debt after you graduate. Aside from loans, there are ways you can get money for school that you don't have to pay back.
What are scholarships?
A scholarship is an award given to students based on their academic performance, extracurricular achievements, community involvement, or leadership skills.
Who is eligible?
Different types of students are eligible for different scholarships. For example, some are only awarded to first-generation students, while others may require applicants to have a certain grade point average (GPA). To find out if you’re eligible, check the requirements for each scholarship you apply for.
What are some of the different types of scholarships?
- Entrance Scholarships: automatically given to incoming students based on their grades
- Community Service Scholarships: awards that recognize extracurricular activities
- Travel and Exchange Awards: scholarships that help students study abroad
- Specialty Scholarships: may be granted to women, people of colour, or other groups that face barriers to accessing education
Besides scholarships, how else can I get money to pay for school?
- OSAP: loans and grants that the government gives to eligible students
- Private loans: money you can get from banks that you have to pay back, with interest, after you graduate
- Grants: monetary “gift” usually awarded for a specific purpose, like to do research or study abroad
- Bursaries: money granted to students based on financial need
Where can I find scholarships to apply to?
Universities and colleges have many scholarships that students can apply to once they’ve been accepted into the school. There are also external websites that compile lists of scholarships from different organizations and groups. Check them out below and start applying!
Universities Scholarships:
Toronto Metropolitan University
University of Ontario Institute of Technology
College Scholarships
External Scholarships
The Daniel Schickedanz Scholarship Award Program for refugee and migrant students.