Bill 7 Award 2SLGBTQI+ Scholarship

What you will need

• ✓ Application form (posted each spring on the Bill 7 Award website)
• ✓ A copy of your OSAP estimate (or other provincial student aid estimate)
• ✓ Proof of registration or acceptance from your post-secondary institution (offer of admission, registration confirmation or proof of tuition payment)
• ✓ A reference letter from a teacher, guidance counsellor, coach, employer, community or social worker, doctor, religious leader or similar professional
• ✓ A personal statement of 250 words or fewer on why you should be selected

About this award

You can receive a scholarship of $5,000. This year the Bill 7 Award Trust is giving out 30+ of them. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you identify as 2SLGBTQI+, are attending or accepted at a post-secondary school in Ontario, are in your first post-secondary program, and still have financial need after using the public student aid available to you. The 2026 application form opened April 30, 2026 and closed Monday, August 3, 2026. Recipients are notified in late September. The award runs every year, so check the Bill 7 Award website in the spring for the next form. Selection criteria aren't published — ask the Bill 7 Award Trust how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. If you are selected, you must show proof of active enrolment before payment is issued. Ask the Bill 7 Award Trust how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. Renewal is not mentioned on the award's official page. If you are counting on this for more than one year, ask the Bill 7 Award Trust whether past recipients can apply again.

Who qualifies

To qualify, you must be attending or accepted at a post-secondary institution in Ontario and pursuing your first post-secondary program of study. You must identify as 2 Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender or Queer (2SLGBTQI+), and have demonstrated financial need after using the public student aid available to you (such as OSAP).

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.

• ✓ Open to post-secondary 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

   Ask for reference letters2 weeks

   Give your referees at least two weeks' notice, and send them your résumé.

3. 3

   Write your essay

   Be specific about what you did and what changed because of it. Proofread it twice.

4. 4

   This round closed on August 3, 2026

   Check the award's official page for the next round before you prepare anything.

Tips for applying

• Financial NeedAvoid providing a vague statement about needing money. Instead, give a clear picture of your current financial situation and how this $5,000 would change your ability to attend school. List your specific monthly gaps if possible.
• SupportAvoid using references who only know you casually. Instead, choose a teacher or community leader who can speak to your character and your identity within the LGBTQ+ community. Ask them to provide a signed letter.
• StrategyAvoid focusing only on your grades. Instead, highlight your lived experience as an LGBTQ+ student in Ontario and why this specific support matters for your studies. Keep your personal statement to 250 words or fewer.
• RealismAvoid counting on this award alone. Instead, treat this as one part of a larger financial plan. Apply for other Ontario-based bursaries at the same time to ensure you have enough coverage.

Questions students ask

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