Father Roger Guindon Student Assistance Fund

What you will need

• ✓ Application in the Online Scholarship and Bursaries portal, reached through uoZone, by March 31
• ✓ The Financial Questionnaire
• ✓ A letter describing the significant and long-term life challenges you have faced or are facing, supported by documented evidence

About this award

You can receive up to $20,000 for the year. The money covers your tuition fees, access fees and, if you live in residence, residence fees. If you pay international fees, it also exempts you from the difference between international and Canadian tuition. This is an award, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are starting or already studying at the University of Ottawa and have overcome, or are still dealing with, significant and long-term life challenges. The deadline is March 31. The fund is awarded for the academic year after you apply. You apply in the Online Scholarship and Bursaries portal, which you reach through uoZone. When you apply, ask the University of Ottawa how and when you will hear back. The University of Ottawa's Financial Aid and Awards Service decides your financial need. The number of awards varies each year, so ask how many students usually apply to judge your odds. Past recipients can receive the fund again if they reapply and still meet every eligibility rule. Undergraduate students can renew it for up to four years and master's students for up to two, so the total can reach $80,000.

Who qualifies

You must be a Canadian citizen, a permanent resident, a person with protected or refugee status, or an international student. You must be admitted or registered as a full-time or part-time student at the University of Ottawa, in an undergraduate or graduate program, and be in good academic standing. You must show financial need, as determined by the University of Ottawa's Financial Aid and Awards Service, and have overcome or be dealing with significant and long-term life challenges. You must also be registered full-time or part-time in the Fall term after the application deadline.

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, permanent resident, protected person, refugee or international student
• ✓ 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

   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

• Your letterAvoid a vague account of hard times. Instead, explain clearly the significant, long-term challenges you have faced or still face, and back them up with the documented evidence the application requires.
• Financial QuestionnaireAvoid rushing it. Instead, gather your income and expense figures before you start, because the Financial Aid and Awards Service uses it to decide your financial need.
• StrategyAvoid waiting until late March. Instead, log in to uoZone and start your application early so you meet the March 31 deadline.
• RealismAvoid counting on the full $20,000. Instead, treat it as one part of your funding plan and apply for other bursaries too.

Questions students ask

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