Scholarship information session

1. Scholarship information session SEPTEMBER 2013

2. Facts • The average undergraduate student in Canada graduates with $24,000 worth of debt. • According to Statistics Canada’s Youth In Transition Survey, 36% of students who ceased their studies early cited financial reasons. Source: Studentawards member base & Statistics Canada

3. Costs of education According to York University (Fall 2013) the following are average costs you will be looking at for an undergraduate program: • Tuition $6713 (some other programs are higher) • Textbooks $1000 - $1500 • Residence $4702 • Meal plan $2500 - $4000 • Personal expenses $2200 (entertainment & other) • Health Care ($241) Source: York University, Fall 2013

4. Costs of education • If you plan on living ON CAMPUS in residence your first year of university will cost approximately$18,000 • This means that an average four year program will cost you 72,000? Source: York University, Fall 2013

5. Where Do I Begin? • Begin your research early • Look closely at the colleges and universities that you are applying to for their own Entrance Scholarships • For example, York University offers automatic scholarships and awards, and other’s that require an application. For more information go to: http://futurestudents.yorku.ca/funding#cdn-hs • General Scholarships • Community Scholarships • Maple Graduation Awards

6. How Do I Find Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards? • www.studentawards.com: get matched with money for school • www.fundyourfuture.ca: great financial planning tools here • www.scholarshipscanada.com • www.canlearn.ca: provides interactive planning tools to help you make important decisions about saving for, selecting and financing your post secondary education • www.electronicinfo.ca • College/University Financial Aid Office Websites

7. Myth:Scholarships are just for “brainiacs” Real students DO win real money There are thousands of scholarships and awards that reward students for non-academic attributes: • Being creative • Being tall • Being nice • Volunteering • Playing hockey, soccer etc. • Where you live • Your heritage or what languages you speak • Entering a contest, responding to a survey Source: studentawards.com

8. What type of students are scholarship providers looking to reward? In addition to academic success and financial need, scholarship providers look for applications who can demonstrate: • Originality and Passion – what makes you stand out from all the other applicants? • Volunteering & Community Service – do you give back to the community? Have you volunteered beyond the 40 hour requirement? • Leadership & Initiative – are you a founding member or have you taken an active role in a club or organization? • Talent – Do you have a vision? Scholarships reward fresh thinking and new ideas • Special targeted areas – specific heritage or cultural background, gender, special needs, geography and more Source: studentawards.com

9. Student loans • OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) • You can apply for OSAP once you accept a program (mid to late June) • OSAP is only meant to supplement one’s educational costs, not pay entirely • On average, students receive $7000 - $8000 if they qualify for OSAP – only in special circumstances will a student receive the full $11, 900 York University OSAP Presentation

10. Scholarship timelines • The Guidance Department will post and announce scholarships on a regular basis from September to June. • All of this information can also be found at http://maple.hs.yrdsb.ca • Additional information related to Scholarships may be found on the bulletin board directly outside of guidance. • Students applying for scholarships are reminded it is your responsibility to meet all deadlines. • There are an abundance of scholarship opportunities available; we encourage you to go on these sites, see what is out there, and apply to as many as possible.

11. Scholarship timelines • Make an appointment with your Guidance counsellor to ask questions about the process or get help with up-coming applications • Organize your documents early (transcript requests, letters of references) • Don’t wait until the last minute – start your work well ahead of deadlines

12. Maple high school awards • Check the Maple HS website to look for information about applying for the Graduation Awards. These applications will be due in May. • Lieutenant Governor’s Community Volunteer Award • Director’s Achievement Award • Roy Foss Leadership Award • The Student Trustee Award for Character • City of Vaughan Proficiency Award • Lion’s Club Award • Maple Perseverance Award

13. transcripts • TRANSCRIPTS are required when applying for Scholarships • REMEMBER to submit a “Transcript Request Form” to Guidance well ahead of the time you need it. • The Transcript Request Form can be printed off from the Maple HS website under Scholarships. • The first 2 transcripts that are printed are FREE of charge. Each additional transcript after the first 2 will cost $1.00

14. Kristi fung – graduate maple hs, 2012 • Currently attending University of Waterloo with an Honours in Biomedical Science Major • First year cost was approximately $16,000 and 78% was funded by scholarships, bursaries and awards