Bennett First Generation Award

What you will need

• ✓ Completed entrance awards application

About this award

You can receive up to $7,500. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. It is renewable up to 3 years, provided you maintain good academic standing and continue to show financial need. This is for you if you are the first in your family to attend post-secondary education and are starting your undergraduate journey. Apply through the Scholarships and Awards application in MyFile, which opens December 1. Applications for this award close April 1. When you apply, ask how and when you'll hear back — email, portal, or phone. Selection criteria aren't published — ask York University how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask York University during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Note that for some renewable scholarships, funds are applied directly to your account by September 1. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. To keep this award for up to 3 years, you must maintain good academic standing and continue to demonstrate financial need. Your record is automatically reviewed at the end of each academic year. If you miss the renewal criteria due to a serious medical illness or the death of an immediate family member, you can submit a petition for renewal to bursary@yorku.ca.

Who qualifies

You must be a first-generation student entering your first year of undergraduate study with a minimum admission average of 75%. You must be a resident of Ontario and a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or a protected person (someone with refugee or protected-person status in Canada). You must also demonstrate financial need. Please note that you cannot hold this award at the same time as another renewable entrance scholarship, the York University Automatic Entrance Scholarship, or the York University Continuing Student Scholarship.

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, permanent resident or protected person
• ✓ Open to high school or undergraduate students
• ✓ Resident of Ontario

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

   Submit your application

   Save a copy, and submit at least a day before the deadline shown above.

Tips for applying

• Financial NeedAvoid providing vague statements about your situation. Instead, use specific examples and documentation to prove your financial need. Gather your latest tax notices or income statements before you start.
• StrategyAvoid ignoring the restrictions on other awards. Instead, check if you have already received the York University Automatic Entrance Scholarship or other renewable entrance funds. List all your pending awards so you can decide which one is most beneficial.
• RealismAvoid assuming renewal is guaranteed. Instead, plan your budget knowing that you must maintain your GPA (Grade Point Average — the average of all your final grades) and financial need every year. Set a calendar reminder to check your academic standing each spring.

Questions students ask

Similar awards

• York UniversityAwards of Achievement$24,000
• York UniversityPresident's International Scholarship of Excellence$180,000
• York UniversityHonderich Bursary$8,000
• York UniversityYork University Automatic Entrance Scholarship$14,000
• York UniversityYork University Renewable Entrance Athletic Scholarship$5,000
• York UniversityPresident's Scholarships$33,600
• York UniversityYork International Entrance Award$5,000
• York UniversityThe Annie Demirjian '77 Scholarship$10,000