BMO Indigenous Leader of Tomorrow Scholarships

What you will need

• ✓ Completed University of Manitoba application for admission
• ✓ Payment of the university application fee
• ✓ Self-declaration as First Nations, Métis or Inuit
• ✓ Evidence of leadership qualities and future potential
• ✓ Evidence of high-level communication skills
• ✓ Record of community involvement (school, local, city, regional, national, or international)

About this award

You can receive $16,000, paid as $4,000 in each year of a four-year undergraduate degree. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are an Indigenous high school graduate who combines academic giftedness with a strong record of leadership and community involvement. For fall 2027 entry, your scholarship application, your University of Manitoba admission application and fee, your Grade 11 transcript and all three references are due December 1, 2026. Short-listed applicants are interviewed in early March 2027, and decisions are released by email and in your application portal in mid-March 2027. Three awards are given each year. A selection committee ranks applicants on a holistic review of grades, extra-curricular activities, reference letters and an interview. Applicants who are not selected for an interview do not get a decision. Ask the University of Manitoba's Financial Aid and Awards office (ilotawards@umanitoba.ca) 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. To receive the award, you must keep a 90% average in the Grade 12 (40S) courses the University of Manitoba uses to calculate general entrance scholarships. Confirm with the University of Manitoba whether there are conditions for keeping the $4,000 in later years.

Who qualifies

You qualify if you are Indigenous (Status, Non-Status, Métis, or Inuit), are graduating from a high school in Manitoba or Northwestern Ontario, and are entering any of the direct-entry programs of the University of Manitoba in September 2027. You must have a high school average of at least 90 per cent, calculated using your results in English 30S (or Français 30S and Anglais 30S), Mathematics 30S (pre-calculus or applied only), and your three highest marks among Biology 30S, Chemistry 30S, Physics 30S, History 30S, Geography 30S, Computer Science 30S, or another 30S level language. You also need to show evidence of leadership potential, high-level communication skills, community involvement (which can be school, local, city, regional, national, or international), and special abilities such as artistic, athletic, or linguistic skills.

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 high school students
• ✓ Resident of Manitoba or 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

   Submit your application

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

Tips for applying

• LeadershipAvoid just listing the titles of the clubs you joined. Instead, describe a specific time your leadership led to a real result for your community. Give a concrete example of a project you managed from start to finish.
• ReferencesAvoid choosing recommenders who only know you in one context. Instead, pick people who can speak to different sides of your identity, such as your academic skill and your community work. Reach out to your principal, a teacher, and a community leader early.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until the last minute to request your letters. Instead, give your recommenders several weeks to write their feedback so they can be detailed. Set a personal deadline for them that is at least a week before December 1.
• RealismAvoid ignoring the admission side of this process. Instead, remember that you must be fully admitted to the university to get the money. Submit your University of Manitoba application and pay the fee before the December 1 deadline.

Questions students ask

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