Cmolik Foundation Scholarship

What you will need

• ✓ Completed online application form
• ✓ Two reference letters (if you are currently in school, one should be from a teacher or faculty member verifying financial need, hardship, academic/emotional ability, character, and tenacity)
• ✓ Official transcript (Grade 12, post-secondary, or most recent report card including all marks from Grade 11 and 12)
• ✓ Current photograph
• ✓ School Principal's Support Letter stating you are the nominated student

About this award

You can receive a maximum of $60,000 paid over five years of study to cover your books and tuition for a four-year undergraduate degree or equivalent. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. If you later pursue a graduate degree, you may be eligible for one of three $30,000 Graduate Scholarships awarded each year. This is for you if you have faced significant adversity or hardship in your life but have remained tenacious and focused on your educational goals despite those challenges. You must apply by February 7 each year for enrolment starting in September of that same year. No specific notification date is posted publicly — ask The Cmolik Foundation how and when you will hear back after the February deadline. A selection committee chooses winners based on your proven resilience, work ethic, academic suitability, community contributions, and the strength of your references. They award up to 25 scholarships annually. Ask The Cmolik Foundation how many students typically apply so you can judge your odds. The money is used to reimburse your tuition and book costs. Note that transportation and living costs are not covered. Ask The Cmolik Foundation during your application how the funds are delivered to you and your school to help you plan your cash flow. To keep the scholarship, you must make appropriate academic progress. You must take a minimum of four courses per semester (unless you have pre-approval) and pass at least three courses per semester. Costs for courses you fail or withdraw from will be deducted from your funding. Confirm with The Cmolik Foundation if there are other renewal conditions you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

You must be a current resident of British Columbia and have lived in Canada for at least 7 years. You must be in Grade 12 or a recent secondary school graduate planning to be a full-time student in an undergraduate degree program or equivalent. Your total annual family income must not exceed $80,000. You must have experienced adversity or hardship and be ineligible for the BC Tuition Waiver Program (which supports former youth in care). You must be endorsed by your school principal and be at arm's-length to any Trustee of The Cmolik Foundation. You must also show that you can afford your own transportation and living expenses and agree that someday in your life, you will help a non-related person with their post-secondary education in a similar way.

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 British Columbia

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

   Ask for reference letters2 weeks

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

4. 4

   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

• AdversityAvoid simply listing the hardships you have faced. Instead, describe how you responded to those challenges with positivity and tenacity. Give a concrete example of a goal you achieved despite the odds.
• ReferencesAvoid choosing referees who only know you casually. Instead, select a teacher or faculty member who can specifically verify your financial need, your character, and your emotional ability to succeed in college.
• StrategyAvoid applying independently without coordination. Instead, work closely with your principal since each BC secondary school may only nominate one application unless they get special permission for a maximum of 2 students.
• RealismAvoid assuming your grades are the only factor. Instead, focus on showing your work ethic and community contributions, as the foundation values your resilience and fit with their organization over perfect marks.

Questions students ask

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