Get yourself a scholarship from Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC.

There are hundreds of scholarships and other awards available to TRU students – last year the university awarded $1.5 million dollars worth, and the university recently received an additional $1.5 million for scholarships.  But, like most good things in life, getting one doesn’t come without some effort.

So you know there’s money out there to help pay for university, but how do you get your hands on it?  Gordon Down, Manager of TRU’s Financial Aid & Awards Department says getting money requires students to be diligent. “Student finance success stories come from those who know their needs and habits, and are willing to be disciplined in pursuing a goal,” he states.

But where to begin?  First, do some research on Financial Aid & Award websites to find out what’s offered and what you might qualify for.  Scholarships recognize high academic achievement while bursaries are given to applicants who demonstrate financial need.  Other types of awards acknowledge meritorious accomplishments in a certain field, either academic or non-academic.

Second, make a list of all the awards you want to apply for, and gather information on what is required for each one, as well as the deadline.  Some awards are simply chosen by faculty members and no application is necessary, while others may require the submission of an essay or other documentation.  A great way to keep track of everything is to create divided sections in a binder.

To read more on TRU scholarships visit http://www.tru.ca/finaid/awards.html.   The deadline for ongoing awards is the third Friday in September (September 19th, 2009).

Your university is not the only place you can find money to help pay for school.  The following is a short list of where to find other financial resources.

www.studentawards.com – Create a profile on this website to be automatically marched against thousands of private scholarships and bursaries for post-secondary students.

www.canlearn.ca – This site offers great information and resources for educational planning and budgeting.

www.StudentAidBC.ca – If you are a BC resident and are planning on taking out a student loan, this site offers a wealth of information on BC loans.

TRU is currently accepting applications for 2009-2010.  Apply now at www.tru.ca.