Awards

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Zonta Club of Hamilton, Young Women in Leadership Award
Deadline: March 1, 2025

Club award $1,000 Cdn
District 4 award $5,000 USD

IS THIS YOU?

• a student age 16 to 19
• you enjoy volunteering
• you have leadership skills used in your school or the community
• want to help build a better world for women and girls

Apply for our Young Women in Leadership Award
1 APPLICATION, 2 OPPORTUNITIES HOW TO APPLY
Visit www.zontahamilton1.ca
Call Dianne at 905-741-5953
Email [email protected]

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University of Waterloo English Grade 11 Writing in Colour Contest
Deadline:  March 3, 2025

This competition is open to grade 11 students who are Black, Indigenous, or students of colour. To apply, students submit an essay on this year’s selected topic, self-discovery. The students with the top essays will be asked to participate in a student colloquium at the University of Waterloo, where the student with the winning essay will receive a $1000 prize and an opportunity to meet with university members who are relevant to their future plans.

Students must be registered in grade 11.

https://uwaterloo.ca/english/awards/writing-colour

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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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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.