Students Awards: What Does That Mean?

Every year thousands of dollars that are made available through student award programs go unclaimed because students are unaware of the opportunities, or think they won’t qualify. These awards can be a number one resource for financing a post-secondary education.

How do you get your hands on some of that cash?

1.    Plan ahead!  Keep track of deadlines.
2.    Read eligibility requirements carefully and make sure you demonstrate how you meet the criteria.
o    Community Involvement/Volunteer Work
Describe your duties and state what you learned as a result of these experiences
    Volunteer work at school:  Tutor, student government (Were you the president, secretary, treasurer, vice-president, class representative?), clubs, school associations, sports (what was your position on the team?  Were you the captain, co-captain, or manger?)
    Volunteer work out of school:  Hospital, public school, non-profit organization, Government office, sports team, nursing home, etc.
o    Awards:  were you on the honour roll?  Did you receive an award for your extracurricular activities?
3.    Know your strengths and don’t be afraid to advertise them.
4.    Don’t leave items blank.  Include all requested attachments.
5.    In your essays, go for quality, not quantity.
6.    Proofread your application and essays.
7.    Double check your budget.  Make sure your costs are realistic and you include all the funds you will have available to you.
8.    Choose references carefully--make sure they can describe why you are a good candidate for the award.  Make sure those who are writing letters of recommendation are familiar with the scholarship program.  And don’t wait until the last minute to ask for your letters of recommendation.
9.    Apply for all awards for which you are eligible.
10.    Apply on time, or better yet, early.

Students planning on attending NAIT can look forward to an increasingly large number of awards. Check the opportunities at www.nait.ca/scholarships