Somebody Believed in Me: the Power of Scholarships and Bursaries at Laurier

How scholarships and bursaries can change a student's path!

The email arrived quietly, like so many others. But when Laurier Milton student Jenna opened it, everything changed.

“I told my family right away,” she said. “My mom and my sister were so proud and excited. But honestly, I think I was the most surprised — my family has always believed in me.”

Coming from what she describes as a “small pond” high school, winning the Joyce Family Foundation Bursary felt surreal. For Jenna, it also meant something bigger than the funding. “Somebody heard my story, saw my potential and chose to invest in my future. Being recognized for my efforts was worth almost as much as the actual money.”

That recognition brought something powerful: confidence.

The kind that whispers, “You're on the right path.”

A different kind of freedom

For most students, finances are one of the biggest factors when deciding where to go to university. Before receiving the bursary, Jenna was balancing a lot – weighing offers, helping out at home and working two part-time jobs in Milton.

Receiving the bursary changed that calculation immediately.

“It was a huge relief to know I had that stability behind me,” she said. “It's set me up for three years of financial stability.”

Awards like this can create something so valuable for students: freedom. Freedom to focus on academics, explore campus life and pursue opportunities that might otherwise feel out of reach.

In a time when financial aid policies and funding supports can feel uncertain (like the recent OSAP changes), scholarships and bursaries can remove an enormous weight from students' shoulders.

Sometimes, the greatest gift financial support provides isn't money.

It's breathing room.

Connections you can't plan for

The bursary played a role in a big decision: choosing Laurier's Milton campus. Staying close to home meant she could keep connections in the community while building new ones at Laurier. It also led to her being able to work as a research assistant with one of her professors, an unexpected opportunity.

“That's an opportunity I probably wouldn't have had at a much larger campus or another school,” she said.

At Laurier, those moments of connection can happen quickly. Smaller classes, approachable professors and a tight-knit campus environment mean students get to know the people around them – and feel known in return.

Feeling seen

“The staff and faculty I've met really care about student life. You are heard,” Jenna said. “That was unexpected.”

Knowing that someone took the time to read her story – and believed in it enough to support it — created a powerful sense of belonging.

“Even when I don't believe in myself sometimes, I want to succeed for the people who believe in me and have invested in me.”

Somewhere out there is someone ready to read your story… and believe in what comes next.

Advice every student should hear

If there's one message Jenna hopes future Laurier applicants take to heart, it's simple: apply. Apply for the scholarships. Apply for the bursaries.

“Apply to as much as you can — especially if you think you won't get it,” she said. “Never think, ‘There's no way.' Don't stand in your own way — give yourself every opportunity.”

Because sometimes all it takes is one application, one person reading your story and one moment of belief to change your path entirely.

And that golden moment could be waiting for you at Laurier.