Scholarships & Bursaries
What’s the difference between scholarships and bursaries?
Scholarships are awards for academic achievement, but may be based on other things such as community involvement or other specific criteria.
Bursaries are based on financial need. You may have to disclose your parents income, or write an essay describing your situation.
NEED SCHOALRSHIP HELP?
Here are some tips:
- Be polite - Ask for reference letters and transcripts well in advance.
- Be sure you have filled out the entire application – it will get discarded if it isn’t!
- Stay organized; Keep track on a calendar or in an agenda all due dates of the scholarships.
- BE CLEAR ABOUT THE DUE DATE – some dates do not include post-marked dates, so it must literally be in their hands by that date!
- Watch out for signatures needed by school staff or parents.
Essays
Essay topics are usually about personal stuff, like volunteer experiences or your future goals, but they may be about something specific. The scholarship or bursary instructions will let you know in detail what they are expecting.
Tips for writing essays:
- Try to have it done early so a teacher can proof-read it.
- Watch for spelling errors!
- Be sure of the word count of the essay!
- Be honest when writing personal essays…they check your references and may call your school to ask about you.
- Focus on what writing aspects you’re good on – if you’re good at descriptive writing, try to work it into your essay, possibly the intro.
Where to find scholarships, bursaries and other great info
Mission Foundation Scholarship - A local award. Ask your school counsellors about it!
www.keytoscholarships.com - great tips on getting organized.
Remember to check your chosen post-secondary institution for their entrance awards and other scholarships.
Good luck!
