Conestoga First Generation Bursary

What you will need

• ✓ Complete the General Awards Application during the winter term window (Winter 2027: December 21, 2026 to January 29, 2027)
• ✓ Financial need, shown through your General Awards Application
• ✓ Your parents have never attended post-secondary studies, inside or outside of Canada
• ✓ Registration at Conestoga College in the current term

About this award

No fixed dollar amount is posted — contact Conestoga College to confirm the value for your specific award before you apply. As a bursary, this money is yours to keep and you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are a domestic Conestoga College student whose parents never attended post-secondary studies, in Canada or elsewhere, and you are facing financial challenges. Apply through Conestoga's General Awards Application in the winter term. For Winter 2027 it opens December 21, 2026 at 9 a.m. and closes January 29, 2027 at 4 p.m., and late applications are not accepted. Students chosen for an award are told by Conestoga email. Conestoga College awards bursaries on the basis of financial need; academics are not considered. Ask Conestoga College 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 Conestoga College whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

You must be a domestic student who can demonstrate financial need. To qualify, your parents must have never attended post-secondary studies, whether those studies were inside or outside of Canada. Additionally, you must be registered at Conestoga College in the current term to be eligible to receive this bursary. Only full-time students (or students with a reduced course load accommodation through Accessible Learning) can submit the General Awards Application, and students on a co-op or Career Management in Canada (GCM) term cannot submit it.

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 post-secondary 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

   Submit your application

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

Tips for applying

• Financial NeedAvoid providing vague descriptions of your situation. Instead, use specific numbers to show exactly how your current expenses exceed your income. Gather your latest bank statements and tuition invoices before you start.
• SupportAvoid missing the short application window. Instead, watch your Conestoga email, since the college sends an email each term when the application opens. You can save a draft and finish it any time before the deadline.
• StrategyAvoid focusing on your grades in your application. Since academics are not considered for this bursary, spend your time detailing your financial gaps and your status as a first-generation student.
• RealismAvoid counting on a set payment. The value varies, and completing the application does not mean you will receive an award.

Questions students ask

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