Donor Info & Awards Form

Criteria

Criteria for a bursary (based on need) or scholarship (based on academics) are set by the donor.  Simple criteria works best.  If the criteria is too specific, it makes it very difficult to match the award to a suitable applicant.  For example, “must have an 85% average, be planning on studying marine biology, be active on a school team, and attending the University of Toronto” makes it difficult to find a suitable match.  Therefore, an award criterion that states “good marks, good citizenship/leadership and well-rounded” or ” intended for a student who has excelled in one of music, art, athletics, sciences, trades programs” makes it very clear and straightforward to award the bursary/scholarship to any number of deserving students.

Selection

Each school has a Selection Committee that reviews applications and matches students with the available bursaries and scholarships. Most awards are ‘need’ related, although we do have several academic and vocational scholarships for students. Students must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident and must be taking a full course load at an accredited university the September after they graduate. Applicants who meet all the requirements receive an award. They are never turned down. The committee also looks at citizenship, character, leadership, school and community involvement and affiliations with local churches, service groups, etc., Basically, the student is reviewed holistically, with special consideration for students who might have had a challenging time in high school, but have made a change and have, in their grad year, set post-secondary goals for themselves.

Once recipients are chosen, donors are advised as to the name of the recipient and have an opportunity to accept or deny the choice.  Denial is rare as donors trust the selection committee members to choose wisely.  On occasion, a suitable recipient may not be available, so donors can choose to suspend the award for a year or carry the amount over to the next year.  Donors are also asked if they will present the award at convocation, or if they prefer someone to present on their behalf.