Financing Your Post-Secondary Education
Scholarships, grants, and bursaries are all free money. They are money that you are given that doesn't need to be repaid and can be used to pay for post-secondary training after high school.
- Scholarships: Generally are awarded based on academic merit.
- Bursaries: Generally are awarded based on need or some other defined characteristic (disability, ethnicity, etc).
- Grants: Generally are awarded to support someone doing an interesting project or experience.
There is no one place where all scholarships are housed. You will need to commit time, creative Googling, and investigative skills to find the best scholarships for you.
Some places to start your search for financial assistance for post-secondary education or training:
Set up an account, fill out your information, and these databases will filter scholarships for you!
All Albertan students attending post-secondary are eligible and should apply.
If you are wondering how your averages are calculated for the Rutherford scholarship, please visit this link! It is especially helpful for those of you wondering how taking -1 or -2 classes affect your averages.
This Government of Alberta website will provide you with information on
- Student loans
- Scholarships
Rocky View Teachers' Scholarships are available for students who graduate from Rocky View Schools with either a Certificate of Achievement or a Diploma.
There is also a scholarship available if you are the child of a Rocky View teacher.
See your counsellor or the website above for more information.
*These scholarships are awarded the year after you graduate - apply in the summer/when you are starting post-secondary. It usually has a September deadline for applications.
The Calgary Foundation offers scholarships and awards for high school students in Calgary and surrounding areas. Learn more here.
There are a few scholarships available for Rocky View County students interested in agricultural pursuits. Learn more here.
If you are planning on going into the trades, Tradesecrets has a number of scholarships, grants, and bursaries for students in RAP, various CTS programs, etc. Learn more here.
There are several websites that will help you find funding for post-secondary as an Indigenous student.
- ALIS has a whole page dedicated to informing you about funding opportunities.
- Aboriginal Futures also has a large listing of scholarships, grants, and bursaries available.
- The Government of Canada has an Indigenous Bursaries Search Tool
If you have a documented permanent disability and are attending post-secondary studies, you may be eligible to receive more student aid.
- Alberta Student Aid - search "disabilities" and it will bring up a PDF that is updated every year with the newest requirements for applying for and receiving funding from both federal and provincial grants.
- Disability Awards from the National Educational Association of Disabled Students allows you to search by disability or by province.
Storwell Self Storage offers an annual bursary of $2,000 to support foster children as they pursue their post-secondary education and to help them as they progress into a new and exciting stage of their lives. This is the direct link to the online application, which outlines all eligibility requirements:
The Government of Canada website has multiple scholarships, bursaries, and grants listed. Look at them all here.
NOTE: if the title is mentioning 'Graduate' they are referencing post-graduate studies - Masters, PhD, etc.
myBlueprint has partnered with the Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation to provide $150,000 in bursaries to support students in financial need to achieve their post-secondary goals. Grade 12 students interested in this opportunity can learn more and apply on the myBlueprint website. Students can also access information by logging into their myBlueprint account and clicking on the Tasks > Scholarship Tab.