BC Achievement Scholarship

What you will need

• ✓ No formal application required (automatic selection)
• ✓ Confirmation from school that you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (reported via "C" indicator by August 31)
• ✓ Verification of eligibility for the B.C. Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma)
• ✓ Maximum of one Transfer Standing (TS) or Standing Granted (SG) among graduation courses
• ✓ Minimum grade of 73% (B) in Language Arts 12

About this award

You receive a $1,250 scholarship voucher if you are selected. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. You have five years to redeem the voucher before it expires, and the funder does not grant extensions. This is for you if you are a graduating high school student in British Columbia who has maintained a top academic average in the courses required for your diploma. Notifications are posted in November to the StudentTranscripts Service (the official provincial portal for academic records). You should log into your account then to see if you won. Paper vouchers are also typically mailed to your home address at that time. There is no application process. Your school reports your final grades and eligibility to the ministry. They automatically calculate averages for all eligible students and select the 8,000 graduates with the top academic achievement in the province. If there is a tie for the last spot, they use the final percentage from your Language Arts 12 course to break it. Once you start attending a designated post-secondary institution or a B.C. authorized trades training provider, you can use the voucher to be reimbursed for tuition you have paid. Ask the BC Ministry of Education and Child Care during your redemption process exactly how the reimbursement is processed to ensure your cash flow is covered. Since this is award based on your high school graduation marks, there are no ongoing GPA requirements to keep it. However, remember that you must use the voucher within five years of receiving it.

Who qualifies

To be considered for one of the 8,000 spots, your school must report that you meet these requirements by August 31 of your graduating year: you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, be eligible for a B.C. Certificate of Graduation (the Dogwood Diploma), and fulfill all B.C. Graduation Program requirements. Additionally, you can have no more than one Transfer Standing (TS, credit granted for prior learning) or Standing Granted (SG, credit recognized from another jurisdiction) among the courses used for graduation. Finally, your Language Arts 12 graduation requirement must have a reported percentage score of at least a "B" (73% or above).

This is what the award's official page said when we last checked. Rules change, so confirm on the award's official page before you apply.

• ✓ Canadian citizen or permanent resident
• ✓ Open to high school students
• ✓ Resident of British Columbia

How to apply

1. 1

   Read the award's official page

   Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.

2. 2

   Deadline: August 31

   August 31 has already passed this year. The award's official page gives the date without a year, so check there when the next round closes before you prepare anything.

Tips for applying

• GradesAvoid assuming your overall GPA is what counts. Instead, focus on the specific courses used to meet graduation requirements, as electives that don't count toward your diploma are ignored. Ensure your counselor has correctly flagged your core graduation courses in the system.
• SupportMany students miss their award because their home address is outdated. Since paper vouchers are mailed, double-check that your school has your current mailing address on file before August 31.
• StrategyYou cannot apply for this award, so your strategy should be proactive communication. Meet with your school administrator in August to confirm your citizenship or permanent residency status is marked with a "C" indicator in the student information system.
• RealismThis is a highly competitive award with a fixed number of winners. Even if you have a very high average, there is no guaranteed percentage that secures a win, treat this as a potential bonus rather than a primary funding source.

Questions students ask

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