Edwin Borden Award

What you will need

• ✓ Completed Edwin Borden Awards application form
• ✓ A descriptive essay, or a creative piece or video (4 to 6 minutes, posted as unlisted on YouTube), answering one of the prompts on the form
• ✓ A curriculum vitae or résumé
• ✓ Two references, at least one of them academic
• ✓ Your full application package emailed to financial.aid@acadiau.ca by March 1

About this award

You get $3,500 annually for a total of four years. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are an entering Black Nova Scotian student who has demonstrated excellent leadership and exceptional engagement within your community. You must apply by March 1. When you apply, ask Acadia University how and when you will hear back — whether it is by email, phone, or through an application portal. A committee reviews the applications to choose the winner. Only one award is available for the 2026-27 academic year, so ask Acadia University how many students typically apply to help you judge your odds. Ask Acadia University during your application how the money will reach you — some awards pay students directly, while others apply funds to tuition. Confirm this so you can plan your cash flow. Renewal conditions aren't listed — if you are counting on this for multiple years, confirm with Acadia University what you need to maintain to keep the award for the full four years.

Who qualifies

You must be an entering Black Nova Scotian student. To qualify, you need to show a record of excellent leadership among Black Nova Scotian students and exceptional engagement within your community.

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

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

   Write your essay

   Be specific about what you did and what changed because of it. Proofread it twice.

4. 4

   Deadline: March 1

   March 1 has already passed this year. The award's official page gives the date without a year, so check there when the next round closes before you prepare anything.

Tips for applying

• Community LeadershipAvoid just listing the organizations you joined. Instead, describe a specific time your leadership helped other Black Nova Scotian students. Give a concrete example of a project you led.
• SupportYou need two references, and at least one must be academic. Ask a teacher who knows your work for one, and someone who has seen your community leadership firsthand for the other.
• StrategyAvoid focusing only on your grades. Instead, emphasize your impact on the community, as this award recognizes engagement and leadership. Highlight your work outside the classroom.
• RealismAvoid counting on this award alone, since only one award was available for the 2026-27 academic year. Apply for other entrance scholarships at Acadia University to diversify your funding options.

Questions students ask

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