For students applying to university next year, it’s important to focus no only on university applications and senior courses, but also the financial cost of attending. University tuition costs are at an all-time high, which means many students struggle with the financial burdens of post-secondary education. However, opportunities exist to lighten this load through scholarships, bursaries, and other grants from both government-funded and privately funded programs.
Many students might think they can’t apply for scholarships until after they’ve been accepted to university, but that is not the case. For example, many University of Ottawa scholarships deadlines are on October 31st 2024. This is not the only school or scholarship with an early deadline.
You should start applying for scholarships alongside your university application process to give yourself as many options as possible for financial support.
Starting the Application Process
The first step in the scholarship application process is to create a university application account through OUAC, the Ontario University Application Centre. For more information on creating this account, please check out our website.
You’ll also need to create an account on the Ontario Scholarship Application Program (OSAP) website. While many might think OSAP is only for loans applications, it is also necessary for scholarship applications. Even if you do not plan to apply for a loan and are only looking for scholarships, you’ll still need to create an account.
Once you’ve registered an OSAP account, you’ll receive an OAN number. This is a 9-digit code you’ll need in order to apply for various scholarship programs. You’ll use this account and code to keep your scholarships organized in one central place.
Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund or Ontario Trust for Student Support
The Ontario Student Opportunity Trust Fund (OSOTF) and the Ontario Trust Fund for Student Support (OTSS) are programs created by the Ontario government, where every dollar of donation money received is matched by both the government and the university.
To qualify for the OSOTF or OTSS, students must demonstrate financial need, be Canadian citizens or permanent residents (or protected persons), and be residents of Ontario at the time of application.
When searching for scholarships in OUAC and OSAP, make sure to look for OSOTF options to find application deadlines specific to your university.
Automatic Entrance Scholarships
Achieving high academic scores throughout your high school career, especially during Grade 12, is essential not only for university acceptance but also for qualifying for Automatic Entrance Scholarships.
Most universities offer these types of scholarships, which do not require a separate application but are awarded automatically based on your grade point average upon entry
On average, the following ranges apply to Automatic Entrance Scholarships:
- 95-100% = $3,000
- 90-94.9% = $2,000
- 85-89.9% = $1,000
However, the required GPA to receive an Automatic Entrance Scholarship and the amount awarded will vary from school to school. For example, Western University provides a $3500 scholarship for students who average 92-100% and $2500 for students who average 90-91%. McMaster University offers $3000 automatic scholarships as well, but the GPA percentage required varies depending on the program you’re accepted to.
Be sure to research the available Automatic Entrance Scholarships at your university of choice to aim for a GPA that will help secure financial support.
Other Scholarship Programs
While you can search for scholarships available for your university or program directly on the university website, many other scholarship programs may not be linked to your school. For example, many Canadian banks including TD, Scotiabank, and RBC, offer scholarship programs.
You can also look through the OUInfo website to see different scholarships options by university and deadlines dates.
Additionally, the Ministry of Education website provides further suggestions and resources for seeking out scholarship opportunities.
Even though it’s early in the school year, it’s important for students to begin planning their post-secondary options and to be aware of upcoming scholarship deadlines.