By Mara Hurst

Many students looking forward to post-secondary education have a large question on their minds: How will I pay for this? Post-secondary education can be very pricey and can cause years of debt in your future. Fortunately, there are a multitude of scholarships and bursaries.

Many of these financial aides require a high grade average. However, with the recent pandemic, many high school students have found it difficult to maintain a high enough average for those opportunities. Even with certain athletic scholarships, a certain grade average is necessary to obtain the scholarship. And if someone is not athletic, the idea of financial aid seems unlikely.

But there’s good news! There are numerous non-academic scholarships available throughout Canada. A few examples are listed below.

Canada’s Luckiest Student

There’s a contest you can enter with multiple prizes to win. Some of these prizes include shopping sprees, funds for textbooks, money for rent, and so much more. Even if you are unlikely to win, it’s worth a shot! Your first step is to make an account on the Canada’s Luckiest Student website. From there, enter the contests that are going to be most beneficial for your academic career. Be sure to read over the rules of each contest before you enter!

Free Tuition at York University

Attending York University? The school has an opportunity for your first year of tuition to be completely free! Fill out a quick form, then submit it, and you are on your way to having a free year at York University. The current contest period runs until March 31, 2022.

Marketing Education Scholarship Fund

If you are specifically going to be attending school for marketing, business, communications, public relations, or computer sciences, then the Marketing Education Scholarship Fund from Jelly Academy may be for you! You must be pursuing a degree in one of the categories stated above and need to submit a personal essay regarding why you should receive this award. You will also need a reference letter and the reference’s contact information. Applications must be submitted by April 28, 2022.

National Indigenous Scholarship Program

Many schools offer scholarships for Indigenous students. One example of this is from Western University. Western University offers up a $50,000 scholarship for Indigenous students to continue their studies. If applying, a 1,000-word essay is required as well as proof of ancestry. The application deadline for the current period of the program is February 14, 2022.

It is more than helpful to do your own research and find financial aid that specifically applies to you. The more specific the better, because that means fewer people will be applying. There is never any shame in needing financial help when it comes to post-secondary schooling. Your education is extremely important and hurdles should be minimized so nothing stands in your way. As you can see, there are a multitude of scholarships, funds, and bursaries that do not require any academic achievements. All they require is some dedication and you just being you.

Sources 

Canada’s Luckiest Student. “Are You Canada’s Luckiest Student?” https://cls10.studentlifenetwork.com/

Jelly Academy. “Marketing Education Scholarship Fund.” https://jellyacademy.ca/marketing-education-scholarship-fund

Western University. “National Indigenous Scholarship Program.” https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/student_finances/scholarships_awards/admission/national_scholarship_is.html

York University. “Enter for a Chance to Win Free Tuition.” https://www.yorku.ca/rightthefuture/?utm_source=Student%20Life%20Network&utm_medium=Free%20Tuition%20&utm_campaign=Students_FreeTuition#entry-form-1