Bursaries for Postsecondary Studies in French as a Second Language

What you will need

• ✓ Application in the Online Scholarship and Bursaries portal in uoZone
• ✓ An unofficial copy of your high school transcript
• ✓ The Self-Identification Form

About this award

You can receive a $3,000 bursary for your studies. As a bursary, this money is yours to keep and you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if English is your first official language, you finished high school at an English-language (or non-French, non-English) school, and you now study full-time in French or French Immersion at the University of Ottawa. The bursary is funded by the Government of Canada and run with the Association des collèges et universités de la francophonie canadienne (ACUFC); other participating colleges and universities offer the same $3,000 bursary. You apply in uOttawa's Online Scholarship and Bursaries portal in uoZone (search the keyword "French"); the application takes about 10 minutes. The deadline is in March — uOttawa's award terms list March 2 — so check the portal for this year's exact date. When you apply, ask University of Ottawa how and when you'll hear back. uOttawa gives out 250 of these bursaries. Special consideration goes to students who face financial difficulties and are the first in their family to go to college or university, and to students from an under-represented group or a disadvantaged minority. Ask University of Ottawa 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. It is not renewable: you can receive it only once in your studies, and you can combine it with other uOttawa scholarships.

Who qualifies

You must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, have English as your first Canadian official language spoken, and have completed and graduated from high school at an English-language or non-official-language (neither French nor English) school. You must be enrolled full-time at the University of Ottawa in a program of at least two years, in a French or French Immersion program, and take at least 6 credits per term taught in French (graduate students: at least 50% of courses per term in French). uOttawa's French Immersion page says undergraduate candidates must be in the first year of their program.

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 undergraduate or graduate students

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

   Order your transcript1–2 weeks

   Your school's registrar can take a week or two.

3. 3

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's official page will have it.

Tips for applying

• High school transcriptAvoid leaving your documents to the last minute. Instead, get an unofficial copy of your high school transcript before you open the portal. It is how uOttawa checks that you graduated from an English-language or non-official-language school.
• StrategyAvoid submitting your application at the last minute. Instead, aim to finish two weeks before the March deadline. This gives you time to fix any technical problems with the portal.
• RealismAvoid assuming this is the only funding available for studying in French. Instead, look for other bursaries at University of Ottawa that support bilingual learners, such as the French Studies Bursary for French Immersion students. You can combine this bursary with other uOttawa scholarships.

Questions students ask

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