How to Find and Apply for Scholarships

Finding and applying for scholarships can be tiring and stressful. UWaterloo makes it easier for you with our simple steps!

Most universities will offer scholarships for new students and for students who are already studying there. At the University of Waterloo, we offer a variety of entrance scholarships for students starting their first year of full-time studies. Students applying to any program will automatically be considered for several scholarships by using your admission average to determine the amount of funding you're eligible for. You can find entrance scholarships and awards available to Waterloo students using the undergraduate entrance awards database. This database allows you to filter the results based on award type, program, citizenship, and whether an application is required.

Tips for applying to scholarships:

1. Start early

Deadlines for scholarships vary so it's important that you begin your search early and set reminders for important deadlines. Starting early ensures you have enough time to complete your application and any additional requirements. You may also need personal or professional references so it's important to ask these people in advance to give them enough time to write you a reference letter.

2. Treat it like a job

With so many scholarships available, it can take time to find and complete applications. It can be helpful to set aside time each week to ensure you don't miss deadlines and that you don't leave applications to the last minute.

3. Research, research, research

It's important to spend time researching scholarships that are available to you. With so many scholarships out there, it can be easy to miss ones that would be a great fit for you.

4. Don't forget about the details

Your scholarship application may require an essay or response to questions and it's important to make sure that you edit it carefully before submitting it. You may even want to have a second pair of eyes read it over before submitting — such as a parent, teacher, or guidance counsellor — to make sure you didn't miss anything.

5. Submit your supplementary applications

At Waterloo, some programs require you to complete an Admission Information Form (AIF) to be considered for scholarships. Even if it's not required, the AIF is highly recommended for all Waterloo programs. The AIF gives you an opportunity to share information about yourself and can be used for scholarship decisions. Other universities may require similar supplementary applications that are used for scholarship decisions.

Where should I look for scholarships?

Here are some other helpful scholarship resources:

ScholarshipsCanada.com

ScholarshipsCanada.com is a great website that has over 99,000 awards listed! You can sign up to find scholarships that match your profile and save your information to the dashboard. These scholarships range in value from a few hundred dollars to several thousand.

Ontario Universities' Info

The Ontario Universities' Info website is another great resource that allows you to filter scholarships by university, name, amount, and deadline. Waterloo lists many scholarships on this site, including those specifically for first-year or upper-year students.

Part-time jobs and parental employers

If you have a job, your employer or your parent/guardian's employer may offer scholarships that you can apply to! For example, McDonald's has a scholarship program offered to help support employees paying for their education. Ask your employer to see if any of these opportunities are available and check with your parents/guardians to see if their companies offer scholarships.

Although finding and applying to scholarships may seem intimidating and time consuming, it's worth the time and energy spent when it relieves some stress about how you are going to pay for your education.

Follow these tips to start finding and applying to scholarships! And remember, always start early. Good luck!