Horatio Alger Canadian Scholarship

Horatio Alger Association of Canada

Win one of 160 scholarships of $10,000 if you are a Grade 11 student in Canada who has overcome adversity and your household's net income is $80,000 or less.

Published by G Paul · last checked September 26, 2026

Total value

$10,000

Deadline

Mar 31, 2027

Level

High school

Open to

Across Canada

Apply on the official site ↗

What you will need

One online application (paper applications are not accepted); it covers every Horatio Alger program you qualify for
Essay responses: your Horatio Alger story, your Canadian journey, and a Horatio Alger Member you admire
High school transcript that includes your Fall grades
Income verification, most often your parents' tax form
Counsellor Certification Form, completed online by your high school counsellor
Support Form, completed online by an adult over 21 who is not related to you and knows the adversities you describe

About this award

You can win one of 160 Canadian Scholarships worth $10,000 each. As a scholarship, this money is yours to keep and you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are a Grade 11 student who has faced real hardship and kept going, and you plan to start a bachelor's degree in Canada right after high school. Applications open January 1 and close at 12:00 p.m. Eastern Time on March 31. Everything else, including the Certification Form your counsellor completes and the Support Form another adult completes online, must also be in by March 31, and nothing is accepted after the deadline. If March 31 falls on a weekend or holiday, the deadline moves to noon on the next business day. Only winners are contacted, by email in June. The same application also considers you for the National Entrepreneurial Scholarships (10 awards of $25,000) if you qualify for them. Selection criteria aren't published — ask the Horatio Alger Association of Canada how winners are chosen. The money does not come to you directly. Each May, winners log in to their Scholar's account to request funds for the coming year, and the cheque goes to your university to be credited to your account. The funds can only be used for tuition and fees, on-campus room and board, books and summer school. You must attend an accredited university in Canada full time and study without a break toward a degree. If you get other funding that covers your tuition, fees, books and on-campus room and board, you must tell the Association so it can give the scholarship to someone else.

Who qualifies

To qualify, you must be a Grade 11 student enrolled full time at a high school in Canada (home-schooled students can apply) and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident living in Canada. Your household's annual net income must be $80,000 or less, and you must have and keep at least a 70% average. You must plan to start a bachelor's degree at an accredited non-profit public or private institution in Canada right after high school. You also need to be involved in co-curricular activities and community service and show integrity and perseverance in overcoming adversity. If you have already finished high school, you do not qualify.

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 high school students

How to apply

Read the award's official page
Check you meet every requirement, and note each document they ask for.
Order your transcript1–2 weeks
Your school's registrar can take a week or two.
Write your essay
Be specific about what you did and what changed because of it. Proofread it twice.
Submit your application
Save a copy, and submit at least a day before the deadline shown above.

Tips for applying

EssayAvoid writing a generic list of your achievements. Instead, answer the three prompts: your Horatio Alger story, your Canadian journey, and a Horatio Alger Member you admire and the opportunities they had. Be specific about the adversity you have faced.
SupportAvoid asking a relative to complete your Support Form. Instead, pick an adult over 21 who is not related to you and knows the adversities you describe, such as a teacher, counsellor, neighbour or family friend. Lock your adversity section only when it is finished, because it cannot be unlocked.
StrategyAvoid leaving the Certification Form and the Support Form to the last week. Instead, send the requests early and check that the emails arrived, because school email systems often block them and no forms are accepted after March 31.
RealismAvoid ignoring the income limit. If your household's annual net income is above $80,000, you will not qualify, so check your parents' tax forms before you start the essays.

Questions students ask

How do I apply?

Use the Apply on the official site button on this page: it opens the official application page in a new tab.

When is the deadline?

Applications close on March 31, 2027. Submit a day or two early: application sites get busy at the end.

Can international students apply?

No. You need to be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Similar awards

Share this award

FundMyCourse.ca · checked Sep 26, 2026