BMO Capital Markets Equity Through Education Award

What you will need

• ✓ Indigenous affiliation (First Nation, Inuit, or Métis)
• ✓ Enrollment in a post-secondary program

About this award

No fixed dollar amount is posted — contact BMO Capital Markets to confirm the value for your specific award before you apply. As a scholarship, this money is yours to keep and you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you identify as First Nation, Inuit, or Métis and have strong educational ambitions but limited opportunities to reach them. Deadlines come around three times a year on August 1, November 1 and February 1, so aim for whichever one is next. When you apply, ask how and when you'll hear back — whether it is by email, phone, or through the Indspire portal. Selection criteria aren't published — ask BMO Capital Markets how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask BMO Capital Markets during your application 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 conditions aren't listed — if you're counting on this for multiple years, confirm with BMO Capital Markets whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

You can apply regardless of your level of study or your specific Indigenous affiliation. While you can be enrolled in any post secondary field of study, you will have a better chance if you are studying Commerce, Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Actuaries, Engineering, a Master of Business Administration (MBA — a postgraduate degree in business management), or other business-related programs.

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 college, undergraduate, graduate, trades or certificate students
• ✓ Studying Commerce, Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Actuaries, Engineering or Master of Business Administration

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

• Field of StudyAvoid assuming you cannot apply if you aren't in business. Instead, highlight how your specific program connects to your goals, though you should emphasize any ties to commerce or engineering if you have you.
• SupportAvoid submitting a generic application. Instead, provide strong references that prove you have "great promise" despite having limited opportunities.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until the final deadline. Because there are three windows (August, November, and February), try to apply in the earliest cycle possible to increase your visibility.
• RealismAvoid ignoring the preference for business and STEM fields. If you are in the arts or humanities, you can still win, but you must clearly articulate your educational ambitions to stand out beside the preferred majors.

Questions students ask

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