An opportunity to make a real community difference, an “eye-opening” chance to volunteer abroad and a chance to pay some tuition are among the benefits cited by past winners of the RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship.
The program gives $150,000 in scholarships to 15 of Canada’s most civic-minded students in three categories: graduating high school or CEGEP, first undergraduate degree or diploma, and second degree or diploma.
Applications are now open and available online.
“Today’s students aspire to make a difference in their communities and in the world. We want to help students focus on what matters to them, encouraging their civic spirit and academic goals, without having to worry as much about paying for the increasing costs of school,” said Melissa Jarman, director of Student Banking at RBC.
According to Statistics Canada, full-time undergraduate students paid on average $5,959 in tuition fees in 2014/2015, up 3.3 per cent from last year.
In addition to the monetary scholarships, six Me to We trips will be awarded to student applicants.
Lauren Wilson had never traveled outside North America before her Me to We trip in May 2014.
Describing her experience as “eye-opening,” the Queen’s University biology student said her volunteer work with a health clinic in Kenya has reinforced her passion to pursue a career in medicine and public health.
“I was exposed to a whole new culture and lifestyle that vastly differs from the Western lifestyle. I learned aspects of life that we take for granted, such as clean water and an abundance of food,” she said.
Brianna Desveaux is in the middle of her first year as a double major in chemistry and mathematics at Cape Breton University. She offers three hints when filling out the Students Leading Change scholarship application:
Talk about what you’re passionate about. Include everything you’ve participated in – nothing is ever too small. Be yourself – don’t try to sound like someone you’re not.
To qualify for a scholarship, applicants must be Canadian citizens or permanent residents with a minimum 70% average in their last completed year of study. Students with a disability who attend or are planning to attend post-secondary school on a part-time basis are also eligible. Please see terms and conditions for full details. Scholarship recipients are selected for their excellence in academics, but there is also a strong emphasis on civic and volunteer engagement.
The RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship application may be downloaded from rbc.com/scholarships. The deadline to apply is 3 p.m. EST on February 19, 2015.
