Need Cash? Scholarships can help finance your
education.
Financial need or
academic average are not always the deciding factors in whether you qualify for
scholarships. It pays to research them, writes Robyn
Doolittle
Are you Ukrainian?
Scottish? Sikh? Perhaps you’re studying to be a flight attendant? Or your
parents belong to a union? Whatever your situation, background, financial
need, academic track record, there’s probably a scholarship or bursary out there
for you. You’ve just got to know where to look. For 10 years,
scholarshipscanada.com has helped students find cash for school. With 27,000
scholarship listings (many offering more than one), it may be the most
comprehensive database around. “And it’s free to use,” says CEO Chris
Wilkins. “You come on the site and fill out a form that helps us search the
database more accurately and then you get a list of scholarships. “In some
cases, there are online applications and the site will direct you to it.”
Students can also use a keyword search, such as “photography,” to bring up
listings that apply to them. One of the most common misconceptions among
students is that you need to be either a genius or have great financial need to
earn a scholarship, Wilkins says. “We have a total of 57,000 scholarships
(including groups that offer more than one). Financial need is required for
15,000 of the 57,000,” he says. “And no academic average is required in 83 per
cent of the database.” A simple Google search will garner thousands of
results and other databases. The Ontario School Counsellors’ Association is a
good resource. (Did you know Mike Holmes from HGTV has a “Make it Right” bursary
for students looking to study residential construction?) Don’t forget to
check in with your college or university’s financial assistance office!
“Determining your needs and having a budget are best done before school
starts. Understanding your situation will help you eliminate the unknowns of
where your money goes,” says Carolyn Posa, coordinator of student financial
assistance at Ryerson University. “If you need help with your budget or if
you’re feeling stressed about money, reach out and speak to a financial aid
adviser as soon as possible.” It’s important to check out what kinds of
scholarships, awards and bursaries are up for grabs early on. Clubs, athletics,
programs — don’t discount any of your connections. But remember, many have early
deadlines and require timeconsuming applications. It’s a good idea to bookmark
these dates in your day planner — in between the social events, of course.
And if you don’t snag some cash this year, don’t despair. Only 43 per cent
of the funds on scholarshipscanada.com are entrance scholarships, says Wilkins.
“The point being you just never know. There’s probably something out there.
Log on, do some digging and you’re bound to find something,” he says.
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