Awards

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Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton Bursary & Scholarships Program
Deadline: Tuesday, April 22, 2025

The Catholic Children’s Aid Society of Hamilton (CCASH) Bursary and Scholarship Program aims to alleviate financial barriers, providing service recipients opportunities for higher education and skill development. Together, with the support of our community and generous donors, we aspire to open doors, create possibilities, and pave the way for a brighter future.

Approx. $1,800 – $2,000

Eligibility Requirements:
Current and former CCASH Crown wards
CCASH kin families
Parents and children currently receiving service from CCASH
Children of families that provide foster homes through CCASH (up to 1 bursary per year)

Click here for more information

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Don McBain Memorial Award
Deadline:  April 25, 2025

The Don McBain Memorial Award, in honour of the late OAHS founder and Executive Director, is comprised of (3) $5,000 scholarships that will be distributed annually to (3) Indigenous students from Ontario pursuing their first year of post-secondary studies.

Please visit the Don McBain Memorial Award webpage for information regarding the award.

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Jeff Dickins Memorial Award
Deadline: April 30, 2025

Jeff Dickins was a sportswriter at The Hamilton Spectator who passed away in 2003. In his 26 years at The Spectator, he wrote about professional baseball, hockey and football but drew the most satisfaction from covering amateur sports. Whether it was McMaster Marauders and the university leagues or high school athletics, Dickins loved the atmosphere of competitors playing for the sake of participation. The award in his name is given annually to a high school student who has demonstrated a commitment to athletic participation, while maintaining a high academic standard and being involved in the community.

The three criteria are athletic involvement, academic achievements and community involvement. Athletic involvement should not be limited to abilities and skills demonstrated in any number of sports, but should include those students who act as trainers, fundraisers, or managers of teams. There may be individuals whose contributions to a team are not reflected on score sheets.  Academic achievement points to the student’s ability to consistently maintain high grades while competing or being involved in multiple sports, although participation in a single school sport would not necessarily disqualify one for consideration. For example, an individual could be a member of the school’s rowing team and a member of a provincial or national team which has earned recognition for its efforts. By the same token, a student could be a manager of a school team and coach or manage a team away from the school.  Community involvement would show a student-athlete’s participation outside the school environment. Volunteer work with various social agencies, visiting seniors in nursing homes, and coaching non-school teams, are just some of the possible considerations.

This year, there are four awards, each worth $750 cash.  Click here for more information.

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McMaster Students Union (MSU) Community Youth Bursary
Deadline: April 30, 2025

Within the MSU, the Sponsorship and Donations Committee accepts applications from McMaster students, MSU Clubs, and community groups seeking funding. As part of this initiative, we introduced the Community Youth Bursary to provide financial support for Hamilton youth wishing to attend conferences or events. We currently have $5,000 remaining to allocate before April 30, 2025.
This program provides essential opportunities for marginalized youth, and I want to ensure the McMaster Students Union provides meaningful support to the Hamilton community by reducing barriers to valuable experiences. The eligibility criteria are:

• Applicants must be 18 years of age or less;
• Applicants must live in the Hamilton area;
• Applicants have not previously applied for the bursary from May 1, 2020-current date.

Additional information, including the application form, can be found on our website under the Sponsorship and Donations dropdown menu.

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Lions Club of Stoney Creek
Deadline: April 30, 2025

In 2025, the Lion’s Club of Stoney Creek has approved four bursary grants of $500.00 to be awarded to students of senior year moving forward on to post secondary education. The bursary award intended to be equality awarded between schools and students within Stoney Creek district.

Applications accepted by mail or email as noted above no later than April 30, 2025

The two eligible secondary schools in our district are.

• Orchard Park Secondary School
• Saltfleet District High School

To be eligible for the bursary award the student must be a person who ordinarily resides in the geographical area served by the Stoney Creek Lions Club and attend the schools listed above.
Eligibility: District High School noted above, each (2 awards of $500.00)
You should be between the age of 17 to 21 of age.

The applicants are reviewed by committee in the order of:

• Proof of acceptance to Post secondary education.
• Need of the applicant.
• Community volunteer and community commitment.

Please email [email protected] for the application form.

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The Rick & Amanda Hansen Scholarship for Youth with Disabilities
Deadline:  Wednesday May 14, 2025 at 11:59 P.M. Pacific Time.

Rick and Amanda Hansen believe that people of all abilities should have the right to a barrier-free education. The Rick & Amanda Hansen Scholarship for Youth with Disabilities, funded generously by the April 1 Foundation, provides financial support to Canadian youth with disabilities to pursue post-secondary education.

This scholarship aims to make a profound impact on the lives of Canadian youth with disabilities by removing financial barriers and supporting career aspirations through post-secondary education.

Funding of up to $10,000 per year (up to a maximum of $40,000) is available for youth with disabilities looking to complete a 1- to 5-year post-secondary program at a publicly funded institution in Canada.

Applicants must be:

• A person with a disability, defined as a functional limitation – whether permanent or episodic – that is compounded by barriers. Attitudinal and physical barriers can prevent the student’s equitable access to meaningful participation in post-secondary education.
• A Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada.
• Eligible for domestic tuition at a publicly funded post-secondary institution or training program at a public university, college or institute in Canada.
• Under 30 years old as of May 14, 2025.
• Enrolling full-time in the eligible academic year for a 1- to 5-year post-secondary program.
• Enrolling in a publicly funded Canadian institution.
• Not receiving other financial awards that total more than $2,500 per year (excluding student loans and automatically awarded entrance scholarships).
• Responsible for ensuring that any funding received from the Rick & Amanda Hansen Scholarship will not negatively affect the status of any benefits and subsidies that they
  are eligible for.

Click here for more information.

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Trailblazer Award
June 1, 2025

This award is for graduating Dundas Valley Secondary School students between the ages of 16-21.   Established by local authors in gratitude for the community, this award is a $1000 bursary to recognize youth participation in the community and in particular, students who have shown considerable perseverance and achieved the opportunity to enroll in a postsecondary education. Whether through caregiving, paid work, volunteer work, academic or athletic achievement or other means youth contributions to Dundas are vital and this award celebrates them.

The applicants are reviewed by committee in the order of:
Proof of acceptance to Post secondary education.
Need of the applicant.
Community participation.

Applications will be available in the guidance office.

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Health Democracy Student Leadership Award
Deadline: June 6, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.

The Health Democracy Student Leadership Award, a partnership between the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association (OPSBA), is being awarded in the amount of $1,000 to one graduating English public school student in each of OPSBA’s five regions.  Scholarship recipients are students with strong leadership skills and potential, who care deeply about their communities and furthering their own learning.

Open to all graduating OPSBA-member English public school and school authority students.

Selection Criteria:
Commitment to civic engagement and the importance of local governments
Diversity of leadership and perspective
Community involvement
Social identity, socio-economic status or other factors

Please visit this website for more information and instructions on how to submit your application.

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ERA Offers $1 Million and $100K in Scholarships for 2025
Deadline: September 30th, 2025

The Electronic Recycling Association (ERA) proudly announces two 2025 scholarship opportunities, running from January 1 to September 30, 2025. Students across Canada can compete by collecting donated laptops, smartphones, and other devices for reuse. The $1 Million Scholarship is awarded for 1 million devices, while the $100K Scholarship requires 100K devices. Participants can leverage ERA’s free shipping and pickup services, host events, or organize corporate collections. Approved and fee-paid non-approved items contribute to totals. Winners, announced in November 2025, will support ERA’s mission of providing donated electronics to 500+ charities and nonprofits across Canada.

Open to high school and post-secondary students residing in Canada.

Click here for more information.

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Chaney-Ensign Bursary Fund
Two application deadlines – October 1 and February 1

NEED HELP WITH TUITION? A bursary is money to help pay for your education that you don’t need to pay back. Ever!
Hamilton Community Foundation is a local charity. We have a program called the Chaney-Ensign Bursary that’s specifically for postsecondary students like you who graduated from high school in Hamilton.

Complete the application on our website by these dates:

• February 1
• October 1 You can apply (and receive funds) in both rounds.

Three steps to get a bursary:

• Graduate from a publicly funded high school in Hamilton.
• Apply for OSAP (you don’t need to have received funding).
• Submit application for a bursary.

Apply online here when the portal is open.

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Think Big Scholarship
(ongoing opportunity)

Federal Education Grants and Bonds
(ongoing opportunity)

To help save for a child’s future studies, the Government of Canada provides two education savings incentives, which are deposited into a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) consists of a basic amount of 20% on the first $2,500 in annual personal contributions to an RESP (this grant is available to all eligible beneficiaries regardless of family income), as well as the additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant, which is:

• • • 10% on the first $500 of annual personal contributions for children from families with an adjusted income greater than $46,605 and up to $93,208; or,
    • 20% on the first $500 of annual personal contributions for children from families with an adjusted income of $46,605 or less.
      CESG is available until the end of calendar year in which the beneficiary turns 17, and the maximum lifetime amount, including the additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant, is $7,200.

The Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is available for eligible children from low-income families born in 2004 or later and provides an initial payment of $500 plus $100 for each year of eligibility, up to age 15, for a maximum of $2,000. Personal contributions are not required to receive the CLB.  RESPs are the only savings vehicle that attract the federal and, where applicable, provincial education savings incentives. The money saved in an RESP is not only used to help with tuition, but can also be used to pay for housing, transportation and other education-related expenses, such as textbooks, equipment, supplies, etc., once enrolled in post-secondary education. You will need you and your child’s SIN. Visit your bank and ask to open an RESP.

Learn more: Brochure

Criteria for awards

Awards will be approved based on the following criteria. For context, the promotion of awards will align with the Education Act:

Education Act, Regulation 298 S.24:  No advertisement or announcement shall be placed in a school or on school property or distributed or announced to the pupils on school property without the consent of the board that operates the school except announcements of school activities.

Criteria for Approval:

1. There cannot be a fee for a student to apply for an award.

1. 1. A student providing their likeness (name, photo, post-secondary institution, area of study, etc.) may not be a requirement to be considered for an award.
   2. The organization offering the award is responsible for obtaining consent before a student’s name, photo or any personal information is shared or posted where it is accessible to the public (e.g., on websites, social media platforms or in print material)

2. The material must NOT contain commercial advertising, corporate logos, reference to corporate sponsors, or be a private business, unless these are directly linked to an award.
3. The information must be respectful of all faiths, races and ethnic backgrounds.
4. The information must respect the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and the Education Act.

Awards will be removed after their application deadline. If your award is offered annually, you will need to resubmit each year.

Questions

Questions regarding the distribution of award opportunities should be directed to:

Hamilton Foundation for Student Success
905-527-5092 ext. 2103
email [email protected]

Disclaimer

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information regarding scholarships on this website. It is the responsibility of the student to do research early in order to note deadline changes, revisions to criteria, and so on. Contacting the sponsor directly for the most up-to-date information is recommended.

HWDSB schools may have awards that are specific to a given school. That is, only students attending a given school may be eligible for certain school specific awards. Check with your Principal (elementary) or Guidance Counsellor (secondary) for more information about school specific awards offered by your school.