Scholarship Planning 101
Presented by:
Carolyn Albanese
Denison Guidance
A Dr. J.M. Denison S.S. Presentation
An Overview
• Scholarships: facts, terms, factors,
examples
• General information about scholarships and
bursaries, including key websites
• What students can do now
How much does a year of postsecondary education cost?
• Median total expenditures in Canada, per annum:
$18,000-$20,000
This includes tuition, fees, books, supplies, room and
board and other non-educational expenditures
• Tuition fees vary from place to place -the average
Diploma programs - $2,400
Bachelor’s Degree programs - $6,100
Sources: Stats Canada, 2007; CUDO reports from various universities, 2011;
ontariocolleges.ca – College Tuition fees report, 2012.
Some facts regarding postsecondary fees
• The average bachelor’s degree debt from Ontario: $22, 800
• The average Ontario college graduate’s debt: $14,500
• about 1 in 5 students who graduate from university or
college incur a debt of $25,000 or more!
• Almost 1 in 4 students who graduated in Ontario with a
bachelor’s degree from the class of 2000 had paid off their
government student loans within two years of graduation
• Source: Statistics Canada
So, what are students’ funding
sources?
• employment prior to starting post-secondary
schooling as well as during post-secondary
schooling
• funding received from family: repayable and nonrepayable
• government student loans
• investment income (i.e. RESP)
• private loans or lines of credit
• scholarships and bursaries
Scholarship Terms –
“Awards”
Award
• Given in recognition of
outstanding achievement
• Can be in the form of books,
plaques, subscriptions or money
• A monetary award is usually
called a bursary or a
scholarship
Scholarship Terms –
“Bursaries”
Bursary/Grant
• Non-repayable grant of money
• Usually awarded based on financial need,
but academic achievement could be
considered
• Usually the applicant must provide detailed
documentation describing his/her financial
situation
• Students usually apply for bursaries in
summer of having graduated
Scholarship Terms –
“Scholarships”
Scholarship
• Non-repayable sum of money awarded
to help finance further education
• Most based on merit in areas ranging
from academic achievement to
athletics
• Usually not based on financial need
• Students apply in their Grade 12 year
Sources of Bursaries,
Awards & Scholarships
• At High School Graduation
• Post-secondary Institution
Entrance
College / Trades
University
• Sponsored: businesses, clubs,
corporations…
Graduation Awards
• Given to students at the time of their graduation: based on
staff nominations and/or academic achievements
• Based on different criteria - e.g. History, French, for top
marks in the respective subject areas, school leadership,
volunteering, etc.
• Several are monetary and are school-sponsored as well as
community-sponsored. For example, Denison Spirit Award,
Denison Social Justice Award, New Roads Chevrolet Award,
Aramark Foods Award, Rotary Club Award
Examples
•
Staff: Eric Knabe Memorial Award: given to a student involved in
technology and helpful in that area
•
Community: Vince’s Achievement Award: given to one male and one
female demonstrating leadership skills, positive interaction with
staff and community, going to a post-secondary institution and
has a 75% average or better
Entrance Awards
• Usually automatically given to students based on academic
achievement
• The higher the average, the more money a student will
receive
• Entrance awards vary from post-secondary institution to
post-secondary institution
• Some colleges and universities will continue to give a student
an award each year, provided he or she maintains a certain
academic average
• The award money is used as a credit towards the students’
tuition fees
Entrance Awards cont’d
• In many cases, if a student’s
average increases into “the
next bracket” by the time of
his/her final grades, it is
quite possible that the college
or university will increase the
entrance scholarship to
reflect the new academic
average!
College and University Awards
•
Colleges and universities offer scholarships in addition to entrance awards
•
Criteria may vary, so ensure applying for the right scholarship
•
Deadlines vary as well – so keep those different deadlines in mind!
examples: U of T National Scholarship Award – due November
Queen’s University Chancellor’s Scholarships – due December
University of Western Ontario Scholarships – due March
College and University
Scholarships
Scholarship opportunities can be found:
•
www.electronicinfo.ca
• on the individual institution’s website
• at scholarship websites / databases such as:
www.scholarshipscanada.com
www.studentawards.com
www.canlearn.ca
www.osca.ca
www.yrdsb.ca – Guidance and Career Education
• Viewbooks in Guidance also have scholarships
information
www.electronicinfo.ca
www.studentawards.com
Student Awards continued…
www.scholarshipscanada.com
www.canlearn.ca
Canlearn continued…
www.osca.ca
More OSCA…
OSCA
www.yrdsb.ca
yrdsb – apprenticeships example
Financing an Apprenticeship
Community/Corporate
Awards
•
Given by corporate and community sponsors (e.g. Town of Newmarket,
Newmarket Horticultural Society, Wendy’s, TD Canada Trust, Toyota
Earth Day).
Example
TD Canada Trust - $70,000
Deadline: Fall
Criteria: outstanding community leadership and academics
Value: $ Up to $10,000 for tuition per year
$ 7,500 a year toward living expenses
Plus:
An offer of paid summer employment
Mentorship Opportunities
Invitations to annual gatherings, networking opportunities and events
Number of scholarships available: 20
How do selection committees
grant awards?
Generally speaking, selection committees
are looking for:
• academic achievement
• originality and passion
• demonstration of leadership and initiative
• demonstration of creativity/innovation
• special areas *
• an overall well-rounded student who is
positive within the school and community
and has been an agent of change
*Special areas include:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
year of study – first year, graduate studies
special circumstances – orphan, brain injury, etc.
financial need
academic average
heritage
field of study – e.g. business, humanities, etc.
affiliation - companies, religious, environmental
location – where you live and go to school now
Some suggestions…
• It’s never too early to plan and get involved – parents can
encourage their children to try leadership roles within the
school and community
• Grade 9 students should begin keeping track of
participation in events, bands, clubs, etc.
• Students should keep copies of letters of reference
• Guidance recommends that students use the PORTFOLIO
method to keep track of all letters, certificates, training
notes, medals, etc. – this begins in the Career Studies
course
• Student scholarship planners are available in the Guidance
Office: PLANNERS are like graphic organizers – students
can chronologically keep track of their involvements,
achievements, etc.
Guidance Services
•
Has scholarship planners (graphic organizers) and awards lists that
indicate which larger scholarships are due and when
•
Guidance presents this information to Grade 10 students in the
Careers Studies classes as well as when we meet with them oneone-one in Grade 11: students are encouraged to participate in a
variety of activities and keep track of them
•
Guidance informs Grade 12 students during Fall and Spring
assemblies (How to Apply... And Graduating, Now What?)
•
Free transcripts can be ordered in Guidance for scholarship and
bursary applications
What can students do
starting from Grade 9?
• Stay organized and plan ahead . Keep
any documents, letters of reference,
thank-you notes, etc. in a portfolio
for future application reference.
• Ensure that you obtain letters of
reference that “speak” to your skills,
qualities, abilities, leadership,
creativity, etc.
What can students do
starting from Grade 9?
• Be involved in bands, clubs, sports and
other activities, both within the
school community and outside of it
• Be aware what you post on social
network sites – even if you close a
site and scrub it, there are digital
dirt trackers hired to look for
potential disqualifications
In Grade 12, students should…
• Research: which awards match your criteria???
• Apply, apply, apply! And know your deadlines!
• See your Guidance counselor for feedback on the
process, and see your counselor early!
• Be clear and concise in your application – have it
proof read before submitting it
• Remember: discuss your experience, don’t list it!
It’s not a re-write of your resume!
Selection committees are looking
for answers to…
What are the broader implications of your volunteer
work and leadership roles at school and within the
community?
How have your experiences enhanced your life and
the lives of others?
How does the above fit into your long-range plans?
And perhaps other questions….
A final word...
Continue to encourage your
children to pursue their
academic goals and help
them stay organized when
researching scholarship
opportunities.