Canada Bursaries
If you are seeking funding to pay for your college education, and you live in Canada, you may have seen various grants and Canadian bursaries in Canada that you can apply for. While you probably know that a grant is money that you can be awarded, and do not have to pay back, you may need help in taking the confusion out of a Canadian Bursary. Canada bursaries really aren’t that confusing once you understand what they are.
A Canada bursary works much like a grant, and for all intents and purposes, it is a grant – with a few differences. You have to apply for it, and win it, and then use the funds for a specific purpose – like paying towards your college education. Grants are not taxable, but Canadian bursaries are. Grants do not have to be repaid, but a Canadian bursary may. In most cases, however, if a portion of a bursary must be repaid, it is done through the student work program. Work study involves working at a job on campus, in most cases. These jobs are awarded on a first come, first served basis, so you must apply for them early through the financial aid office at your school.
Unlike grants, bursaries in Canada are taxable. Like grants, they are awarded based on financial need. Typically, you must submit documentation proving your income, savings, and expenses. Applying for Canadian bursaries is quite easy. First, you do not have to determine which bursaries in Canada you are eligible for. For example, when you apply for funding through the OSAP Ontario, using the information that you provide on the initial application form, the OSAP will determine your eligibility for additional grants, Canada bursaries and scholarships, and will then direct you to fill those forms out as well. The OSAP is the Ontario Student Aid Program.
The Canadian bursaries that are available through the OSAP include the Aboriginal Bursary, the Bursary for Students with Disabilities, the Bursary for Students with Disabilities Attending Out-of Country Postsecondary Institutions, the Child Care Bursary, the First Generation Bursary, and the Ontario Special Bursary Program.
Bursaries may also come from sources outside of the Canadian Government. For example, some corporations and organizations also have scholarship and bursary programs. In some cases, a portion of the bursary must be repaid by working for the company after graduation, or while attending school. If the bursary comes from an organization, you may need to be a member of the organization, or volunteer for the organization. You will need to seek out these potential bursaries on your own – as they are not made available through the OSAP.
Each Canadian bursary will also have its own eligibility criteria. This criterion may be different than the criteria for OSAP funding in general. You can visit the OSAP website at to see a listing of the Canadian bursaries, grants, and scholarships that are available through the OSAP, and you can click the Canada bursaries that you are interested in to read more about it. When you do this, you will be able to learn the purpose of the bursary, the amount, eligibility requirements, how to apply, the documents that you need to provide, and how the Canada bursary will be distributed to you if you are awarded the funds. You can also visit your schools financial aid office for information, or visit the Ontario Student Aid Program helpful information website and their programs at OSAP.
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Canadian Scholarship Programs for Canada Students
