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Okay, so, what is the GrantMe Scholarship Success Program?
Our program is 6 weeks long and it is broken down into 6 modules. We are going to go through what the topics of the modules and learn how they are going to help you in the scholarship process. We aim to help students become high ticket scholarship winners so that they can win anywhere from $30,000-$110,000 in scholarships, like many of the students in our program have done! If you are interested in our program I will have a link to our webinar below. You also might be wondering what I mean about accessing $500,000 dollars in scholarships through our program. Well, every student is eligible for more than $500,000 in scholarships and our program is designed to help you find and win them. Module 1: Creating Your Authentic Personal Brand Scholarships are all about self-reflection. In applications, students tend to only reflect on their strengths. But in order to differentiate yourself you should be reflecting on your weaknesses as well In English class in school, you don’t learn this type of self-reflection. It is new to most students and can be uncomfortable because you really have to reflect on your impact Committees don’t care about you listing everything you have done. In order to be competitive, you have to dive deep into your impact and how it relates to your strength, weaknesses and values. Module 2: Initiative in Action In module 2 we go over what type of volunteer work will actually help you win high ticket scholarships. We look at the differences between an initiator role, leadership role and member role in extra-curricular activities and what you should be focusing on when it comes to volunteering. For example: if someone is in five clubs as a member it may be less powerful than someone who has created an initiative from scratch. We know what initiatives you need to win $70,000-$100,000 so we work with you to build initiatives that match those of students who are winning these scholarships. One of the most important things we do in this module is break down your impact, which is key when you get to the essay writing module. You have to consider what volunteer activities align with your values and strengths. We teach you how to put others before yourself and become part of a group. Module 3: The Winning Resume and Cover letter Having a strong resume and cover letter is key to many scholarship applications. With a resume and cover letter, you promote yourself to potential scholarship committees and employers by giving them a summary of your skills, abilities and achievements. We teach you what to focus on when it comes to writing both your resume and cover letter, such as, formatting them correctly and effectively and also highlight what to include and not include. We find that students have a tough time keeping their writing concise and so we aim to help them structure their cover letters and resumes in the most effective way. Module 4: Scholarship Discovery In scholarship discovery, we teach you how to save time in the scholarship searching process and help you find the scholarships that are best fit for you. We help you create your scholarship goal so you can stay motivated and we support you in achieving that goal. We look at the differences between university, affiliate, financial need and external scholarships and how to prioritize your applications. To track, we give you an organized scholarship tracking sheet. Module 5 and 6: Scholarship Writing Principles and Essay Writing Structure Out of all of the modules in this course, these are the most important two. There are some principles that you need to follow in order for you to be a high ticket scholarship student. We teach you how to write powerful essays using our formatting system. Students get stuck in the mindset that having amazing initiatives will help you win (it does), however, if you can't write in a concise and compelling way, does it matter? One of our goals in these modules is to get your writing to a point where you can re-use your essays for multiple applications as most of the scholarships ask you to write about your community involvement. Through our modules and support, we aim to help you in your scholarship goal—no matter how large. Click here to visit our free online webinar and have a chance to register for our Success Program at the end: https://start.grantme.ca/free-scholarship-training/ Ever wonder if the university you are going to offers a scholarship? Well, you’re in luck. Today we will be discussing the top Canadian university scholarships and their valued amount so that when you are ready to apply to these schools, you can also take a look at how to fund your university degree while you’re there.
Like I mentioned in last week’s blog, the first step that you need to take is to visit the university's website. That is where you can explore all of the scholarships that they offer. However, I am going to highlight four scholarships that you can apply for when you are applying to go to these universities. If you are looking for that additional help in learning how to win these scholarships (like our students have) check out our online webinar to learn how: https://start.grantme.ca/free-scholarship-training/ The overall eligibility for all of these scholarships includes the following: students must be a Canadian citizen or have permanent residency, must have community leadership, and must be in your final year of high school or CEGEP (stay tuned for next week’s blog on the type of volunteer work you should focus on). Here are four of the top Canadian University Scholarships: 1. York University's Governor's Award’s of Distinction: Worth: $21,600 Eligibility: students must have a high academic average and be enrolled in a full-time and day-time undergraduate degree. This scholarship is also renewable for 3 years! You need to maintain an average of 8.0. Application required? No! This scholarship is awarded to students based off of merit. Once you apply to the University, your application will be reviewed for this scholarship. Here is York’s website to check out: https://www.yorku.ca/index.html 2. University of Western Ontario National Scholarships: Worth: 5 awards of $65,000 and 15 awards of $50,000 will be presented. Eligibility: Students must have an average of 90% or above, you have to be applied to Western’s main campus and must be registered in a full-time course load. Application required? Yes! Link to application: https://www.registrar.uwo.ca/student_finances/scholarships_awards/ I would also like to mention that one of our students in our program was successful in winning this scholarship! 3. Queen’s University Chancellor Scholarship: Worth: $36,000 Eligibility: Students must have an average of 90% or above and you must be nominated by your school. Application required? Yes! Link to application: https://www.queensu.ca/studentawards/admission-awards Special not: two students in our program have one this scholarship! 4. University of Toronto Arbor Scholarships: Worth: $7,000 in your first year and $1,500 dollars is awarded for your second, third and fourth year. Eligibility: This scholarship requires the basic eligibility that I mentioned above. Application required? Yes! Link to application: https://www.future.utoronto.ca/finances/scholarships Those are just some of the few top scholarships from these universities. Make sure to check out their websites to see what else they offer! Ever wondered what the top scholarships are in Canada? How can you win the most with one single application? In this article, we will be exploring the Top 3 Canadian scholarships with big dollar amounts!
First things first--how do I go about winning these scholarships? The first thing that you need to do is visit each of these scholarship’s websites so you can track when the scholarship is open and the due date. Application deadlines vary and the best way to find out is simply visiting the website directly. Something else that I want to point out is that you need to understand what you actually need to do in order to be competitive for these scholarships. We have had students in our program win many of these high ticket scholarships and if you are interested in becoming the type of student who can win them, sign up for our scholarship webinar: https://start.grantme.ca/free-scholarship-training/ Alright, now that we have established what you need to do first, let’s get into the top 3 Canadian scholarships. For each scholarship, we will look at the eligibility, worth and application process. Most of these scholarships have similar eligibility, as in, they all require: Canadian citizenship or permanent residency and students must be in their final year of high school or final year of CEGEP. As we dive into the specifics of their eligibility, I have listed the specific eligibility for each. Last, but not least, you must, must, must be a community leader! Yes, you have to show extensive involvement within your community. Instead of just being a member of volunteer foundations, you want to demonstrate leadership roles and initiator roles within your community (see upcoming blog for next week about the differences between the initiator and member volunteer roles) Here are the top Canadian scholarships below: 1. TD Community Leaders Scholarship: Worth: $70,000 Eligibility: Minimum grade average of 75%. Application required? Yes! Link to application: https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-banking/solutions/student-banking/community-leadership-scholarship-for-canadians/ 2. Loran Scholarship: Worth: $100,000 Eligibility: You have to be a full-time student. You cannot have interrupted studies and you must be at least sixteen years old by September the following year. You also have to present an R score on your report card, that should be 29 or greater. Application required? Yes! Link to application: https://loranscholar.ca/ 3. Schulich Leader Scholarship: Worth: $100,000 for students who want to pursue engineering and $80,000 for students who want to pursue mathematics and science. Eligibility: you have to plan to be enrolled in a STEM program. That means that you will have to make sure that you are going into a university that offers a STEM program (to see if the university you want to go to is a partner, check out Schulich’s website here: https://www.schulichleaders.com/#slide-top) Some of you might be wondering, what is STEM? STEM stands for: science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Schulich’s Scholarships will only go to students who are planning to study in those fields. That does not include students who want to become a medical practitioner or study medical research (unfortunately). Students must also fit one last criterion, they have to have at least two of the following: academic excellence, financial need and community Leadership. Application required? Yes! Link to application: https://www.schulichleaders.com/#slide-top Those are the top 3 Canadian scholarships! Check out our upcoming blog next week about the Top 4 Canadian Scholarships offered from universities. There tends to be a lot of confusion between the different terms used to describe student funding opportunities. To be fair, this is because many organizations use the terms interchangeably, which means there isn’t necessarily one simple definition for each. In this blog, I am going to run through some of the basic requirements you often see in each of the categories to help differentiate between award types. However, be aware that there isn’t one definition and there are many different ways to describe the different types of funding that are available to students.
Scholarships Scholarships are the most popular type of student funding because it is free money that is awarded based on a specific merit. This could be academic merit such as entrance scholarships or your overall GPA. However, it could also be based on other merits such as leadership, sports or volunteer to name a few. The term scholarship has changed drastically over time and many organizations will use the term generously as a way to describe money that will go towards education in some capacity. Some scholarships may be awarded automatically, whereas other scholarships may be awarded based on an application, which requires more information. In some cases, you also may have to include a transcript, resume, cover letter or references in order to complete the scholarship application. Some scholarships may also take financial need into consideration depending on the award. Bursaries and Grants Bursaries and grants are typically given out based on some degree of financial need. However, the actual level of financial need required will vary based on the organization and application itself. You shouldn’t assume that if something is called a bursary or grant that you won’t qualify because you don’t have a high enough “financial need.” Sometimes a bursary or grant application will simply require you to show that your expenses are higher than your income and others might have a more detailed equation to determine financial need. There are even some awards that are called bursary or grant applications but don’t always have a financial need requirement. Application requirements can also vary based on the grant or bursary itself. Some applications will strictly look at financial need, while others will consider many factors such as volunteer or extra-curricular activities. Loans Loans can be described as borrowed money that will have to be repaid later on with interest. Many students try to stay away from loans and focus on scholarships and grants because they don’t want to borrow money. This is completely fair and your first choice should always be non-repayable free money. However, if you do take out a loan that is absolutely fine as long as you manage it appropriately. The requirements of a loan generally factor in financial need as the main criteria. There are various types of loans for students including student loans or student lines of credit. I personally prefer student loans because you will have zero interest charged until you graduate or stop attending school. Keep in mind: Just because a group calls an award a scholarship, bursary or grant, it doesn’t mean that it will have the requirements you see above. Like I said at the beginning, the terms for types of student awards are often used interchangeably, which means that some bursaries or grants may not actually require a large financial need and not all scholarships will be based solely on merit. Make sure you take a very close look at the individual requirements of each application to fully understand what is required in order for you to qualify. Some scholarships and awards are even flexible on the requirements they have put forth if they don’t have enough applicants. If you don’t meet all of the requirements exactly it may be worth asking if you can still apply. The number of scholarships that are available to students each year is continuing to grow. I have created five tips that can be used as a guide to help you begin the search for scholarships in 2018, so that you can take advantage of the free money that is available to you. Here are five ways that you can make your scholarship search easier in 2018:
Many students run into financial troubles once they get into post-secondary and get hit with some major bills. It is easy in high-school to ignore the costs associated with post-secondary education, but we are here to tell you that the last thing that you want to do is ignore those costs. There are thousands of high school scholarships available in Canada each year and many of these scholarships go unclaimed.
Here are five reasons on why it is important to look for scholarships in high school: 1. Understanding the Cost of University One of the most beneficial aspects of looking for scholarships in high-school is that you are able to get a clear understanding of how much your post-secondary education is going to cost you each year. It is a good idea to look at the costs associated with your post-secondary institution and create a budget worksheet before you begin your scholarship search. Get a step ahead of most high school students by knowing the costs of your schooling and creating a financial plan. 2. You May be More Involved in Extra-Curricular Activities Many post-secondary students say that they have much less time to commit to extra-curricular activities and volunteer than they did in high school. It is a good idea to take advantage of the volunteer and extra-curricular activities that you have built up over the years and put that into your scholarship applications. One of the main criteria for many scholarships is your commitment to extra-curricular activities. Scholarship committees are looking for well-rounded students and high-school students have more time to ensure that their resume is full. 3. There Are Specific Entrance Scholarships Available at Each University I recently wrote another article that highlighted some of the best entrance scholarships at specific universities. However, almost every school will offer some sort of entrance scholarships that are available for high-school students to apply to when they are entering post-secondary. Entrance awards are something that can only be applied for in the first year that you apply to the university; therefore, you do not want to miss out on those opportunities. 4. How To Access Scholarships That Aren’t Available to Current Post-Secondary Students Scholarship committees LOVE to give out scholarships and awards to grade 12 students to help ease the transition into post-secondary school. There are more grade 12 scholarships available than any other age group or category and once you get into university the scholarship opportunities are more limited. Take advantage of the scholarships that were designed for Grade 12 students as there is no better time to win scholarships. It is also very likely that you have more time in Grade 12 to apply then you will when you get to post-secondary so if you do the work now you can save yourself a lot of time down the road. 5. Setting Yourself Up for Financial Success Did you know it is possible to get your entire education paid for in Grade 12? There are some major awards that will pay for an entire four-year degree as well as housing costs. These awards are highly competitive, but there are thousands of other awards that can put a good dent in the cost of your education before you even get to university. Set yourself up for financial success by accessing the millions of dollars that are available to current high school students. Hopefully this has convinced you to put in the time and effort that it takes to complete scholarship applications or has at least got you thinking about what scholarships might be out there for you. If you are interested in learning more you can head to our high school page for more information! Universities are one of the easiest ways to begin your scholarship search. Many high-school students often ask me what type of scholarships and awards are available at what schools, so I compiled a list of eight universities and took a look at some of the scholarships and awards that they each offer. Here is an overview of some of the entrance scholarships and awards available at some of the major schools in Canada:
University of British Columbia The UBC Centennial Scholars Entrance Award program: This program is designed to support students transitioning from high-school and other post-secondary institutions to UBC. You must meet specific academic requirements, be interested in contributing to the UBC community, and require financial assistance in order to attend post-secondary. The Major Entrance Scholarship (MES) program: Offers a one-time award of approximately $5,000 and renewable awards of up to $60,000 over your four years. These scholarships are designed for the top students entering post-secondary and are highly competitive. It requires academic excellence and leadership achievements in the arts, community, athletics, and school. Simon Fraser University Undergraduate Scholars Entrance Award: SFU recognizes high school students who demonstrate excellence in both their academic and extracurricular activities. The value of an award can range from $10,000 up to an amount sufficient to cover all tuition and mandatory supplementary fees that are required in the first year of your undergraduate program. Other Awards: Kenneth E Mackenzie Annual Entrance Scholarship Sigma Chi Leadership Entrance Scholarship Rajan Family Undergraduate Entrance Scholarship Joseph Lee Family Undergraduate Entrance Scholarship Lloyd Carr-Harris Entrance Scholarship Community Entrance Award City of Surrey Memorial Employee Entrance Award Edoye Porbeni Service Equals Success Entrance Award Surrey Close to Home Entrance Award University of Toronto U of T has a wide range of entrance awards available. There are over 3,600 undergraduate admission scholarships that the University of Toronto makes available each year to students. Eligible high school students are automatically considered for a variety of admission scholarships when they apply to the university. Awards and cut-offs vary by campus, faculty and college. The University of Toronto Scholars Program: Provides recognition to the University’s outstanding students, at admission and on an on-going basis. There are approximately 700 admission awards which have a value of $7,500. President’s Scholars of Excellence: Approximately 75 of the most highly qualified students applying to first year of direct entry, undergraduate studies will be chosen. They will receive a $10,000 entrance scholarship in their first year of studies; guaranteed access to part-time, meaningful, on-campus employment in second year; and guaranteed access to an international learning opportunity during their U of T experience. There are also admission scholarships that require a separate application, and others that require you to complete an awards profile. Queens University Students who demonstrate academic excellence, creativity, involvement in school or community activities, and exemplary leadership can apply for a Queen’s major admission award. Financial need is also a consideration for some of our major admission awards. Here are a few awards: Chancellor's Scholarship Chernoff Family Award Chernoff Family Award (Quebec) Dr. Iris May Marsh Memorial Award Bank of Montreal Award D & R Sobey Atlantic Scholarship Melvin R. Goodes Entrance Award McGill University McGill's Scholarships and Student Aid Office offers merit-based entrance scholarships to first-time university students entering a full-time undergraduate degree program. There are two types of centrally-administered entrance scholarships: One-year Scholarships, valued at $3,000 (non-renewable) Major Scholarships, valued between $3,000 and $12,000 (renewable annually up to 4 years provided criteria for renewal are met) York University Many automatic scholarships are awarded based on your admissions average at the time of your application: 95%+ (42-45 IB diploma points) — $3,500 (renewable for 3 additional years)* 90-94.9% (36-41 IB diploma points) — $2,000 85-89.9% (33-35 IB diploma points) — $1,000 80-84.9% (30-32 IB diploma points) — $500 Other Awards: Student Life Award Presidents Scholarships Chancellor Cory Entrance Scholarships Western University Western’s Admission Scholarships are unlimited and automatically awarded upon admission to Western. No application is required to be considered for these scholarships. Needs based awards are determined by academic merit, financial need and sometimes extra-curricular activities. National Scholarships are designed to recognize all-round excellence. They are awarded on the basis of academic excellence to candidates who demonstrate ability for creative and innovative thought and a passion for the pursuit of learning. National Scholarships also recognize exceptional achievement in extracurricular activities such as the arts and athletics. A special emphasis is placed on a candidate's commitment to community service through ongoing contributions to school and community life. President’s Entrance Scholarships: 5 at $65,000 ($20,000 for year one, $15,000 annually for years two to four) and; Up to 15 at $50,000 ($10,000 annually, plus $10,000 towards first year residence) Beryl Ivey Continuing Entrance Award: ONE at $64,000; payable $16,000 per academic year for a period of four years. International President's Entrance Scholarships: 3 at $50,000 ($10,000 annually, plus $10,000 towards first year residence costs) Faculty Entrance Scholarships: Up to 15 at $30,000 ($6,000 annually, plus $6,000 towards first year residence) University of Alberta U of A gives out $28 million each year in scholarships, awards and financial support for students. Here are a few scholarships available to new students: Academic and Leadership Scholarships Value: up to $6,000 Automatic consideration — no application required Scholastic Distinction Scholarship Value: up to $50,000 Entrance leadership Scholarships Value: up to $7,500 Note: This information has been provided by the website of each school and is subject to change at any time. For all of these universities I have only highlighted some of the scholarships and awards that are available. I recommend referring to each school’s website directly to find out more information regarding scholarships, eligibility and any changes that may occur. For many students, the scholarship process can be extremely daunting. Students find it challenging to know where to begin their scholarship search, which is why many Canadian scholarships go unclaimed. Here are five simple steps to help you begin your scholarship search:
These five steps are the easiest way to kick start your search for Canadian scholarships and stay organized throughout the process. Once you take the first step and get started it becomes a lot easier and you will have success! Get started today and contact GrantMe! These days, getting an undergraduate degree is as basic as getting a high school diploma. However, paying for post-secondary education is a whole other issue. It is expected that in Canada, tuition fees will rise 2.5 percent above inflation each year for the next 25 years. This means that in 2035 tuition will be sitting close to $20,000. With student debt currently averaging just above $25,000 for Canadians, it is clear it is only going to get worse before it gets better.
My goal is to reach high-school students before they enter university so that they can take the necessary (and often unknown) steps to avoid this kind of debt completely. In the meantime, I know there are many current university students who are already sitting in huge debt. I currently work with many students who already have $50,000+ in student loan debt. I even work with some adults in their 30’s and 40’s who are still working to pay down student debt. Why is student debt a major issue for graduates and for the Canadian economy?
How is the government trying to help?
Although the government has some solutions available for student debt in Canada, student debt still sits at over $15 Billion. What can graduates do to get out of such debt?
The student debt problem isn’t going away anytime soon in Canada. In fact, it is only going to get worse. Debt will continue to rise as tuition and housing costs increase and we will continue to see the negative impact on the economy. That isn't to stay that student loans are always a bad thing. If students take out loans and use them in a smart and responsible way, there can be many benefits to having a loan. This is why it is critical that high-school students are educated on their financial options before entering post-secondary. Post-secondary student’s should create a carefully designed budget and access all scholarship and awards in order to avoid having loans run your life! By the time students start school in September, they have limited time to think about the ways in which they could save a few bucks. In fact, many students often don’t think about their finances at all. However, there are many tips and tricks that I used in college that saved me over $6000 in my five years. If you follow these tips, you could save yourself a year's worth of tuition. The best part is they are so simple!
1. RENT YOUR TEXTBOOKS The cost of textbooks in university is astronomical. Students are often paying $100-$300 per book. Textbook costs for a student can total over $7500 throughout an undergraduate degree. Instead of buying textbooks, I used to rent them. Every semester I would head to the library before classes even started to make sure I got a copy. It saved me thousands of dollars and if you can’t find the textbook at your university just head to your city library! It also saves you the headache of selling the books after your course. 2. OPT OUT OF HEALTH COVERAGE Most students receive medical and dental coverage through their university as a student. This cost is approximately $200-$300 a year that automatically gets added to student fees. However, most students are actually covered by their parent’s medical while they are a student. There is zero need for double coverage so if you are covered by your parents then I recommend opting out of university coverage and saving yourself $1000 over the course of university. 3. LIVE AT HOME OR OFF CAMPUS Campus housing is ridiculously expensive. Particularly as a first-year, because you automatically have to opt in to the meal plan at some schools. First year residence can cost over $10,000. If you live slightly off campus you can cut your living expenses in half! The great thing about being a student is that you some schools give you a discounted bus pass that automatically comes with your school fees. 4. STUDENT DISCOUNTS Always ask for a student discount! Many places offer discounts to students. Most gyms, cable companies, phone companies, restaurants and retail stores have discounts of up to 25% off that aren’t necessarily being advertised. If you don’t know, just ask! 5. CUT THE COFFEE For a while, I had a terrible habit of buying a coffee every day at school. Spending $2.50 on a coffee may seem insignificant. But when you add up those costs over a month it can end up costing more than your phone bill. Buying a coffee maker could save you $750 over the course of a year. Obviously, I am not speaking strictly coffee. Whatever your indulgence may be, try to find a cheaper option. |
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Erica Chaplin: Student Experience Manager at GrantMe and YouTube Lover Categories |
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