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Financial Aid

Financial Aid

Financial Aid

Types of Scholarships

Automatic Consideration and Need to Apply

Automatic Consideration Scholarships mean that no application is necessary to be considered for the award. These awards are generally given out to high-ranking academic students who have an 80% average or more. A notable trend is that institutions are now factoring in your level of volunteerism, leadership abilities and financial need. Be aware that in most cases that if you are trying for the major scholarships, only courses completed by June 30th of the year of registration will be included in the calculation of the top six grade 12 courses required for university. Also, expect to have repeated courses not included in one’s average for scholarship purposes.
· For Need to Apply Scholarships money is awarded differently. For example, you might qualify for a scholarship because you are a great athlete, a talented musician/writer or you have shown a strong commitment to volunteerism. You may also qualify for a scholarship if you want to go into a specific profession, win a competition, have financial need, are of a certain background or have a physical challenge.

The scholarships you apply for take more effort. Before you begin to apply, know what your skills and strengths are. In a recent study, by 2004 Scholarships Canada, they reviewed 7363 scholarships. They found these common characteristics in the scholarships they were looking at:

17 – required some agriculture experience
262 – require athletic involvement
631 require some sort of extra curricular activity
615 – require some leadership role
1115 – require school or community service (above the minimum 40 hours of service)
80 – require a student to have a general disability

Thus it is important for students to know their strengths and build a strong portfolio.

Find out who offers the scholarships

Colleges and universities offer entrance scholarships that vary both in the number available and in their monetary value. Some of these school scholarships require a detailed application and others do not. Information on these scholarships is available in INFO a guide to Ontario universities and The Ontario College Guide. More detail on these scholarships can be found in the university and college calendars or at the school’s web site. Also, check out www.scholarshipscanada.com , Entrance Awards Directory. This is one of the easiest ways to compare school scholarships. Once you know which institution you want to attend, visit their financial aid office and go through all the books, posters, and bulletins they have. Apply for everything you qualify for.
A large number of scholarships come from private and public life. Valuable sources are the government, the military, corporations, small businesses, unions, non-profit groups, social groups, foundations, fraternities, charities and individuals. Too often, students are guilty of under valuing the importance of smaller local scholarships. The competition for these awards is less and therefore they are more attainable. Students can also turn to scholarship search companies who for a price find scholarships that fit one’s marks, interests and background. Be advised that some of these search companies make unrealistic claims and they may be trying to scam you for your money.

Start early

One of the greatest mistakes students make is not realizing how much they can do before starting to fill out a scholarship application form. It is important to have built up a bank of experiences and maintain good records of your volunteer experience. Also, know the names and your results for the academic contests you have participated in. Students must make sure they know everything about the award before they apply to it. Be sure you meet all the requirements!
At Lockerby C. S. there are numerous opportunities for students to participate in enriched activities that provide them with beneficial experiences. These experiences can be added to a student’s profile required on application forms for university and college scholarships, as well as profiles required by schools for their limited enrolment programs.

Scholarship Applications

It is also common for students to under estimate the amount of work needed to complete a scholarship. It takes time to write the essays and get letters of reference. Many students leave this processes to the last minute and they end up missing the deadline. It is recommended that students start building their resume in grade 9. One should document your activities fully, keep an electronic record of your essays, and develop a relationship with people who can write meaningful recommendations. Lastly, do not underestimate the value of how important first impressions are to the judges who will evaluate your application. You must follow instructions exactly, place emphasis on accurate spelling and grammar, and present a visually appealing product.

Lockerby students are encouraged to use the record keeping outline (provided in Guidance) of their accomplishments. Classroom teachers need to use this resource if they need to prepare a letter of recommendation for a student.

What are the qualities of an award winning presentation for a scholarship entry? Here is a sample summary of what it took to be one of the top scholarship winners in Canada. Note the clever style of writing and see how the author sells her strengths.

TORONTO, ON – October 20, 2004 – Edge Interactive announced today that Mallory Statham, who graduated from Brooks Secondary School in Powell River, British Columbia, this past spring, won over $25,000 in scholarship money.

How I am helping to make Canada a better place to live.

By Mallory Statham

Our remote forestry community is accessible only by air or sea. Here, youth spend most of their life on a 7 km strip of road. How can we possibly contribute to Canada’s improvement? It’s simple, really. Bloom where you are planted – the need is great!
At fifteen I became aware of our graduation, teen pregnancy, and substance use rates. Impassioned, I began networking an infrastructure within existing organizations to birth or expand youth initiatives. I found that programs designed to mirror the core values and purposes of their sponsoring organizations create a strong mentoring relationship and ensure sustainability. Here is an overview of how our community responded.

The Chamber of Commerce and the Youth Ambassador Program (Self-development through Community Service): As the youngest local participant I was soon appointed to the Leadership Team to mentor new Ambassadors, serve in public ceremonies, and to travel throughout BC promoting tourism. More recently I was appointed to the three- member BC Ambassador Team, which promotes post-secondary education and forges links of friendship at the provincial level.

The Public Health Unit and Youth Advisory Council (YAC): As a student leader, my mandate was to build bridges between groups of teens, being especially mindful of the unique needs of our First Nations youth. Providing a support group, we organized dynamic events designed to battle these health-related issues: the dropout rate, substance use, teen pregnancy, social marginalization, bullying, and low self-esteem.

Canada World Youth (CWY) and YAC: YAC hosted a welcoming banquet for CWY’s three-month visit, which spawned a joint 24-Hour Food Bank Famine. We look forward to annual collaborations.
Municipal Leisure Services, the Academy of Music, and YAC: YAC’s love of Karaoke and substance-free dances developed into a “Music Idol” partnership. The on-stage camaraderie spilled out over the capacity crowd and this promises to be an annual community highlight.

The Business Community and the Power of Hope Camp: A co-leader and I solicited $10,000 in corporate sponsorship to organize a life-changing camp for 40 youth. In a mutually supportive environment, participants were led to self-assess their goals and to determine the life changes necessary to achieve them. First Nations Elders told ancient stories and escorted kayak and backwoods treks while performance and fine artists guided us in creative exploration. Many unlikely friendships were formed; the effect of which is still felt on our newly amalgamated high school campus.

Credit Union and Financial Leadership for Youth (FLY): As a business student hopeful, helping to develop a commerce-based leadership program has been most rewarding. The FLY Team assists at public events and initiates community improvement projects. Currently we are delivering financial management lessons to high school CAPP classes.

The Road Sense Team, the School District, and CARS BC (Counter Attack Road Safety): While serving with insurance professionals on the Road Sense Team I initiated educational events involving ten businesses, police, fire fighters, and my squad of Youth Ambassadors. I also coaxed the Road Sense Team into grass skirts to host our school’s Hawaiian Dance. We served free mocktails from a beach hut along with the Counter Attack message and prizes. Plans were hatched to fund a school-based club for the coming fall and our hopes were high. However, two local youths died in separate car crashes over the summer vacation. I independently recruited students to attend training conferences and by November we had secured teacher sponsorship, achieved school-sanctioned status, and were executing a calendar of events. Our most ambitious undertaking flew in a Vancouver trauma doctor to deliver a graphic presentation followed by an elaborately staged crash, closing our highway for three hours. I coordinated our school administration, drama department, insurance professionals, the Ministry of Highways, tow trucks, wrecking yards, the media, regional ICBC staff, ambulance, police, and fire departments. The response from several students in newspaper interviews revealed the resulting impact on their driving attitudes. Tragically, even as I write this, my peers are learning the news that a third youth from our small community died in a car crash today – a sombre confirmation of the urgency of our plight.A related longstanding program in which I played a leadership role is on the Dry Grad Committees. We organize a substance-free prom dinner and dance for 1,000 guests and an all-night extravaganza.

The Rotary and the Interact Club: Echoing the activities of our sponsors, the Interact School Club fundraises to provide clean water and farming animals for Third World villages. This year we connected with our school’s young moms to lay the foundation of joint fundraising towards supporting their efforts to obtain high school diplomas. I also organized campus hosts for rotary exchange students and brainstormed the Food for Thought basket to which students donate excess lunch items to share with others who may be short on lunch.

Student Council President: Pressures on the forest industry have forced the main employer in our one-horse town to whittle its workforce by two-thirds over the past 20 years. The corresponding drop in enrolment resulted in years of school closures and student relocations. This has a negative impact on educational outcomes, student behaviour, and school spirit. As a school closure ‘refugee’ displaced in my senior year, I was elected to the post of Student Council President of our newly-melded student body. To unite and build a dynamic campus, I encouraged our council to initiate many fun activities that incorporate a charitable aspect.

Highlights: Random Acts of Kindness grass roots movement; National Juvenile Diabetes Sneakers Day; Heritage Canada’s ‘Racism – Stop It’ Day that we transformed into a week of events; Christmas Child Shoebox Project; food bank drives; Battle of the Grades Challenge; Dances and Spirit Days in the theme of monthly holidays.

I believe the desire to volunteer can only spring from a grateful heart, and I have so much to be thankful for. Whether my future roots lie in rural pastures or urban plots, I will always seek to connect with my world through community service.

– Mallory Statham

Mallory’s achievements are amazing for someone so young. She won so much money because selection committees are looking for more than just someone who joins an organization as a member. They look for signs that you took on a project or got involved with an organization in a qualitative way. Note how this student made her essay come alive for the judges. Students must also remember that when you apply for a scholarship that the style of writing you use, and the format you use to present your ideas/ achievements must be personalized, honest, specific, and easy to read.

Terminology

Administrator or Scholarship Administrator – an individual or committee in a company, school, association, or branch of government that manages one or more scholarships. The administrator considers applications and determines suitable candidates for the award, scholarship or bursary.

Admission Award – is a scholarship or award given to a student entering his/her first year at a post-secondary institution. This is also referred to as an Entrance Award.

Award – is given in recognition of outstanding achievement. Awards may be in the form of books, plaques, subscriptions, or money. A monetary award is usually called a scholarship or bursary.

Bursary – a non-repayable grant of money. They are awarded primarily based on financial need, but academic achievement is also considered. Usually the applicant must provide detailed documentation describing their financial situation when applying for the bursary.

Fellowship – a monetary prize awarded to a student pursuing studies usually beyond the baccalaureate level. Usually one of the criteria is academic average.

Financial Need – refers to the need of a student who needs financial aid in order to pursue their education. The eligibility criteria differ at almost every institution. Generally it is based on the expected contributions from the student and/or their family, which are then deducted from allowable educational expenses such as tuition, books, and personal living expenses at a moderate standard of living. Contact the Scholarship Administrator(s) for information about their specific definitions of financial need.

Graduate Award – this is awarded to students pursuing a postgraduate level of study (Master’s or Doctorate degrees.) Recipients usually hold at least one degree and are engaged in some sort of research project.

Grant – it is a non-repayable sum of money that is given based primarily on financial need, but academic achievement may also be considered. Usually, official documentation describing your financial situation is required when applying.

In-course Award/Scholarship – awarded to students already enrolled in post-secondary studies, beyond the first year level.

Internship – describes a professional /educational experience conducted in a non-university setting, usually with the corporation that donates the money for the scholarship.

Loan – awarded as financial assistance that must be repaid.
Scholarship- a non-repayable sum of money awarded to a student to help finance further education. Most scholarships are based on merit in areas ranging from academic achievement to athletics. Usually scholarships are not based on financial need.