The perfect guide to finding scholarships
University can be expensive. Tuition, residence, food, textbooks – it all adds up faster than you think! A perk of becoming a Ryerson student is that you have access to multiple scholarships and bursaries to apply for throughout your academic career.
Here are a few scholarships and websites that you should consider:
Guaranteed Entrance Scholarships
The first one is the most simple and easiest. Canadian secondary students who meet the terms and conditions of the Guaranteed Entrance Scholarship will be awarded based on their final admissions average. The scholarship is applied directly to your student account and deducted from the amount you owe for tuition.
Prestigious Entrance Scholarships
The Guaranteed Entrance Scholarship mentioned above is simple because you are automatically considered for it. However, if you are interested, you can apply for the Prestigious Entrance Scholarships.
Here are three different Prestigious Entrance Scholarships that you can apply for if you meet the eligibility criteria:
- Terence Grier Entrance Scholarship
- President’s Entrance Scholarship
- International Secondary School Merit Scholarship
There is an application process for these scholarships so it’s best to get started right away.
Fun fact, I was a shortlisted candidate for the President’s Entrance Scholarship. This meant I would be considered next amongst other applicants if the selected recipients failed to meet the criteria. Moral of the story is, don’t count yourself out!
If you check out our TikTok (external link) page, I shared a few tips (external link) that I used when applying to the Prestigious Entrance Scholarships.
"The President's Entrance Scholarship had a really positive impact on my student experience. I was able to focus more on my studies, rather than trying to study and work a job at the same time."
Vanessa Van Decker, Mechanical Engineering
President's Entrance Scholarship Recipient
AwardSpring (external link, opens in new window)
AwardSpring is your main resource for scholarships. In first year you can create an AwardSpring account, and the system will match you with all of the scholarships you are eligible for. My advice is to always keep a lookout for award opportunities because you never know when you might find something for you. Some awards/scholarships offered often receive low student applications, so apply for anything you qualify for!
Scholarships99 (external link)
Scholarships99 was a hidden gem I found and have been actively using. I like this site because you can apply to almost anything at any point during your undergraduate career. I recommend bookmarking this site because whether you’re in first or fourth year, you can apply for most of the scholarships offered.
External Organizations
The next place to check is external organizations. What I mean by this is check a handful of companies such as Scotiabank, Desjardins and even Walmart for scholarships. Doing a simple Google search may lead you to a scholarship that you never knew existed. On that note, I recommend asking your parents, relatives or any adult, if the organization they work for offers scholarships to university students.
The one thing I’ve learned when it comes to applying for scholarships is to be actively trying. I’ve applied to over 20 scholarships and out of those 20, I was only awarded one. Winning scholarships may not always be easy, but it’s important to stay motivated because you never know when you will win. Good luck!