Scholarships & Financial Aid

The following slideshow is presented to grade 12 students and their families and overviews:

• distinctions between scholarships, awards, and bursaries
• where to find scholarships
• typical requirements for scholarships
• useful links to use

Helpful articles when applying to scholarshops:

• 10 Steps to Writing the Perfect Scholarship Essay
• The Secret to Finding Unclaimed Scholarships in Canada
• Financial Literacy for Students: 3 Ways You Can Be More Financially Literate

This following video presentation from myBlueprint discusses how to:

• find and apply to more scholarships (and in less time)
• write the best possible application 
• win multiple scholarships!

The following scholarships have been promoted to Guidance Offices for distribution to grade 12 applicants:

• African Caribbean & Black Excellence Scholarship Award
• Black Business and Professional Association National Scholarship (over two dozen scholarships of varying amounts and criteria for Black Canadian Youth)
• Butterfly Foundation Bursary (must demonstrate financial need)
• Black Veterinary Association Pathway to Veterinary Medicine Bursary for Black Students ($1,000-$2,500 for applicants seeking admission to veterinary technician or veterinary medicine programs)
• Canadian Scholarship Trust Foundation & myBlueprint Bursaries (25 scholarships at $6,000 each)
• Catholic Women's League and Knights of Columbus Bursaries
• Diversity & Inclusion Bursary and Mentorship Program ($5,000 towards post-secondary for racialized students)
• Don McBain Memorial Award ($5,000 towards post-secondary for Indigenous student applicants)
• Dr Ethel Chapman Scholarship sponsored by Halton, Waterloo, Wellington District Women's Institute ($1,000, due March 31 annually)
• Easter Seals Ontario (ESO) Post-Secondary Scholarships (10-20 scholarships available for those with physical disabilities impacting movement)
• Electronic Recycling Association Scholarships
• Enriched Academy Scholarship for Canadian High School Students (2 x $1,000 awards)
• FirstOntario Education Scholarship ($1,000 towards post-secondary)
• FurnacePrices.ca Voice of the Future Scholarship ($1,000 towards any college or university program)
• Georgetown Soccer Club Eustace Collins Scholarship ($500; due in May annually): Scholarships will be awarded by the Georgetown Soccer Club to a successful male and female applicant who, for at least three years, has played with a Georgetown Soccer Club team and is currently participating in soccer in some capacity, this may be as a player, referee, coach or other volunteer position
• Healthy Democracy Student Leadership Award ($1,000 towards post-secondary)
• Innovation in Education Scholarship (monthly $500 scholarship contest)
• Jamaican Canadian Association Annual Scholarship Awards (over 40 scholarships available; due annually in July)
• Jean Lumb Awards ($1,000 for students of Chinese heritage)
• John Elliott Award (applicants must show community effort in performing arts, course selection in the arts or music, and an interest in the performing arts) 
• Kevin Doherty Scholarship to Support Digital Creativity ($1,500 towards post-secondary in graphic/communication design)
• Lucas Ulbinas Memorial Scholarship ($2,500 - although from Hamilton, is available to HDSB students)
• Mon Sheung Foundation Golden Jubilee Scholarship ($1,000 towards post-secondary)
• myBlueprint Scholarships ($1,000; typically opens in May): login to myblueprint.ca/halton, select "Tasks", select "Scholarships"
• National Indigenous Scholarship Program ($50,000 for Indigenous students at Western)
• North American Van Lines Logistic Scholarship ($1,000 towards post-secondary in business, logistics, or related fields)
• ​N.R. Richards Masonic Bursary ($500 towards post-secondary)
• Oakville, Milton, and District Real Estate Board Scholarship ($2,500; application form here)
• Ontario Hockey Federation Scholarship (OHF Member hockey player for at least 3 of last 4 seasons)
• Ontario Justice Education Network Bursaries ($1,000 towards studies in Law)
• Ontario Parks Association Scholarships and Bursaries (multiple awards, due end of May)
• OPSBA Public Property Assessment Network Scholarship ($1,000 towards post-secondary)
• OTIP Bursary Program ($1,500 towards any post-secondary program; relative must be insured by OTIP)
• Pathway to Public Works Student Bursary ($1,000 towards post-secondary in Engineering, Environmental Studies, Landscape Architecture, Public Works Administration, or related disciplines)
• Port Nelson United Church Youth Award ($1,000)
• RE/MAX Quest for Excellence Scholarship Program ($1,000)
• Rick Hansen Scholarship for Youth with Disabilities ($10,000 per year for students with a disability)
• Scotiabank myBlueprint Scholarships (diversity, financial wellness, future women leaders, and STEM)
• Skilled Trades Student Bursary ($1,000 towards pursuit of skilled trades for students in need)
• State of Kindness Scholarship (up to $15,000 towards post-secondary studies)
• Storwell Foster Children Bursary Program ($2,000 for a student in foster care towards post-secondary)
• Terry Fox Humanitarian Award ($28,000 over four years for true humanitarian applicants)
• Tom Tittel Memorial Award ($250 for student persuring studies in social services)
• Tons of Hope Scholarship ($2,500 - although from Hamilton, is available to HDSB students)
• Toronto Regional Real Estate Board Scholarship (up to $5,000 towards post-secondary)
• UofT I-Think Scholarship ($4,000/year towards tuition at UofT)
• ​Wellington-Halton District Community College/Trade School Award ($500 towards college or trade school)
• Western University National Indigenous Scholarship Program (up to $50,000 towards tuition at Western for Indigenous students)
• Wize Canadian High School Scholarship ($1000)
• Zach Sutherland and Kaya Firth Resiliency Scholarship ($1,500 toward education at university, college, or trade program for youth who have shown resilience following adversity in their lives)

Most scholarship deadlines are in winter/spring. Note, there are some early deadlines for: 

• Loran Scholarship
• U of T National Book Award
• TD Scholarship for Community Leadership
• Queen’s University Major Admissions Awards - must have applied to Queen’s University via OUAC earlier
• Schulich Leader Scholarship
• Western University National Scholarship Program

For scholarships that require a nomination from the home high school, you must contact your Guidance Counsellor to receive the GDHS Scholarship Nomination Form. Completed forms are due back to your counsellor 14 calendar days before the scholarship deadline.

• Halton Learning Foundation (HLF) Scholarships for HDSB students (generally due April-May; see specific scholarships for detailed information and criteria)
• Visit the Community Education Awards Hub to apply to the above HLF scholarships online in addition to other community scholarships

GDHS distributes a number of awards and scholarships each year to graduating students.  Students are able to nominate themselves for consideration of these awards. Awards and scholarships are generously donated by community members and organizations.

The GDHS Awards Committee will review all graduating student nominations to determine these school-based award recipients. To nominate yourself for consideration, please complete the self-nomination form linked below

This form will open in late winter 2026 for graduating students in June 2026.

Successful students will be notified by HDSB email prior to the end of the school year and will be recognized during the Class of 2026 Celebration Ceremony. Some awards have financial prizes; winners of financial amounts will be expected to write a thank-you card to the community donor that provided the award. Contact information will be provided in the congratulations email.

If you have specific questions, please contact your Guidance Counsellor.

Various colleges, universities, and industry organization recognize and recruit Specialst High Skills Major (SHSM) students through specific SHSM bursaries and scholarships

This is an alphabetical list of 2SLGBTQIA+ focused scholarships, awards and bursaries available for those studying in Canada. Some information may have changed. This may not be an exhaustive list. For more information, please contact the grant-making organization:

Interested in making the scholarship search process a bit easier? Consider making a profile on a Scholarship Search Database such as:

What is OSAP? How does it work?

These slideshows were presented by Sheridan College Financial Aid Office to students/parents at the GDHS OSAP and Scholarship Presentation in April 2024.

The Halton District School Board has created a dedicated website for accessing all financial resources to help pay for post-secondary education. This includes:

• scholarships 
• bursaries
• OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program)
• scholarship/bursary search engines and servies