The Secrets to Finding Unclaimed Scholarships in Canada

Editor’s Note: This blog post has been written and published on the myBlueprint blog on behalf of GrantMe. Visit grantme.ca to learn more.

Scholarships are gifts that do not need repayment. Schools, employers, individuals, private corporations, Nongovernmental organizations, communities, religious groups, and professional and social associations all provide hundreds of scholarships and prizes. There’s a lot of unclaimed scholarships in Canada, and they can be yours if you know where to look. However, you must know where to search!

What types of scholarships are available?

Many scholarships for post-secondary are merit-based. You earn them by meeting or exceeding certain standards set by the scholarship-giver. Merit scholarships might be awarded based on academic achievement or on a combination of academics and a special talent, trait, or interest! Scholarships can also be based on financial need and will require your income information from you and your parents/or guardians. If you’re curious to see if you qualify for financial need scholarships, check out this guide!

Scholarships tend to be targeted toward particular groups of people; for example, there are scholarships that are just available to women (like these 10 scholarships!) or students with disabilities. There are also some awards or grants that you can become eligible for due to the place where you or your parent’s work, or if you come from a certain background (for instance, there are scholarships for military families).

A scholarship might cover the entire cost of your tuition, or it might be a one-time award of a few hundred dollars. Either way, it’s worth applying for, any unclaimed scholarships in Canada will help reduce the cost of your education!

How do I find scholarships?

You can learn about scholarships in several ways, including contacting the financial aid office at the school you plan to attend and checking the information in a public library or online. But be careful. Make sure scholarship information and offers you receive are legitimate; and remember that you don’t have to pay to find scholarships or other financial aid.

Here are some of the most common places you can find scholarships and other money for school:

Look for scholarships at your prospective post-secondary institution

The most convenient place to look for scholarships is within the post-secondary program you have applied to/are applying for! Depending on your program, you can apply for multiple awards to increase your chances of winning. These awards are usually based on the work or projects you’ve done over the school year, or based on your academic excellence within the program’s area of study. Some are even automatic entrance scholarships that will be given to you, without an application required, based on your entering GPA!

However, a lot of students forget about financial aid beyond automatic entrance scholarships. Keep looking for opportunities to find additional scholarships; for instance, if you are heavily involved in volunteer efforts, or if you put in a lot of work at your on-campus job. All of these qualities could make you eligible for a faculty or university-wide scholarship!

Don’t know who to go to? Be sure to read through emails that come from your program, talk to your program coordinator, or explore your program’s website for information about their financial aid office.

Your high school guidance counsellor

Your high school guidance counsellor is a great person to go to inquire about the scholarships that are available in your school district and high school community. These awards can range from your school’s sports team scholarships and departmental awards to scholarships from community donors who are partnered with your high school.

Explore local foundations, religious or community organizations, businesses, clubs, or civic groups

If you’ve applied for every scholarship and award possible at your school, then it’s time to look outward! Ask the place you work at, the charities you admire, or companies you shop with for scholarships that they may offer. You might be surprised at just how many places have a scholarship that simply isn’t well advertised!

Make sure to look into places such as:

• organizations or companies that relate to the field of interest you want to study (including professional associations)
• organizations based around your ethnicity or your religion.
• your employer or your parents’ employers

There are also some prominent companies in Canada that are known for their massive scholarships. You should apply to scholarship funds like the Loran Scholars Foundation or the Schulich Leader Scholarships for potentially life-changing scholarships!

Research on Google (Using Key Terms)

The most efficient approach to locate a new scholarship is to just Google it! Simply searching for a scholarship with key phrases such as — your program name or specialty — and the word “scholarship” below it will provide a number of results. Don’t be afraid to search outside of the province, or country, for scholarships as well! Some scholarships are not strict with their guidelines, so you could be eligible and win awards that are miles away.

Check Your myBlueprint Account

Does your school have access to myBlueprint? If so, you already have access to a variety of scholarship opportunities available in your student account.

During the 2020–2021 school year, myBlueprint and partners like Scotiabank and the Canadian Scholarship Trust Fund gave away over $200,000 in scholarship awards to Canadian students!

How can you access scholarships available through myBlueprint?

• Log in to your myBlueprint student account
• From the Tasks menu, select the Scholarships tab
• Apply to the scholarships applicable to you!

For the 2021–2022 school year, myBlueprint is set to launch multiple scholarships so don’t forget to check this valuable scholarship resource!

When do I apply for scholarships?

This is dependent on the deadline for each scholarship. Some deadlines are as early as a year before the start of college, so if you’re still in high school, you should start looking for scholarships and applying for them during the summer between your junior and senior years. But don’t give up if you missed that opportunity! Examine the scholarship details to determine which ones are still open for applications.

How do I apply for scholarships?

Each scholarship has its own set of criteria. The scholarship’s website should provide you with information on who qualifies for the award and how to apply. Make sure you read the application thoroughly, complete it entirely, and submit it before the deadline!

Need tips on writing a stellar scholarship essay? Use this guide that’s helped students win thousands of dollars of unclaimed scholarships in Canada.