Discover University of Alberta Award

Students and laptop

Discover University of Alberta Award

This award assists domestic students entering the University of Alberta without having completed any post-secondary coursework and who have demonstrated financial challenges and barriers to attending university. Through the program, students will be considered for up to $8,000 per year in award funding. Up to 30 new students per year will qualify for the award.

Eligibility Criteria

The eligibility criteria includes the following:

  • Admissibility to an undergraduate direct-entry program.
  • Canadian citizenship, permanent resident, or protected person in Canada.
  • No previous completed post-secondary coursework. 
  • Demonstration of financial challenges and barriers to attending university.

Prepare to Apply

As part of the award application, you will be asked to provide the following:

  • Short answer questions providing a brief overview of your current life circumstances.
  • Long answer questions highlighting your education goals and more detail about the relevant financial and life circumstance challenges you may be facing. When providing long answers, be clear and concise, provide specific examples where you can, show your passion and put things in your own words. We want to get to know you better!
  • A support reference that provides us with an additional perspective on who you are as an individual from someone who is supportive of you.

Tips for Applying

  • Apply early! This application requires thoughtful reflection and should not be rushed.
  • Carefully read all sections of the application and complete them to the best of your ability.
  • Work on your application in a document outside of the scholarship application form to check for spelling and grammar errors and to avoid technical problems in the application. 
  • Save your application often to ensure you do not lose your progress!
  • If you encounter technical issues or have questions about the application, email awards@ualberta.ca.

How to Apply

  1. Apply for admission to your desired program to receive a CCID and password to apply for scholarships. Please note it can take 2-3 business days for a CCID to be generated.
  2. Apply online from October 1, 2023 - February 15, 2024. Offers will begin mid-April. 

If you have a permanent disability and need accessibility support to complete your application, apply for applicant accommodations or contact dosdean@ualberta.ca. 

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