Post secondary students struggle with finances constantly. But these struggles can be made easier through scholarships and bursaries. Thousands of dollars worth of scholarships and bursaries go unclaimed, and the main reason is simply lack of awareness.
“Like with everything, there is a spectrum,” says Fanshawe’s Bursary and Outreach Coordinator Kelly Armstrong. “Some students handle all of their financials and have a great understanding of it, meanwhile others have absolutely no idea what they are doing, and that is where we come in.”
Fanshawe College alone gives out over five million dollars worth of financial incentives every year, and yet there is still more money to be claimed. There are private businesses and organizations that set up events like essay contests to get students to apply for these awards. And the thing is, it can be very quick and simple to apply.
“I urge all students to dig into this a little bit, because applying does not take up very much time,” says Armstrong. “If you apply and receive a $500 scholarship and it only takes you an hour, that is quite the hourly rate.
There is a website where you can find and access hundreds of scholarships, and you can find it at https://www.scholarshipscanada.com/.