Leslie V. Sansom Continuing Education Endowed Scholarship

What you will need

• ✓ A completed Leslie V. Sansom Continuing Education Scholarship Application form, emailed with your other documents to scholarships@msvu.ca (scholarship name in the subject line)
• ✓ Two separate sheets: one describing your community involvement as it relates to your interests and concerns for current social issues, and a brief statement of why you have decided to attend university, your long-range goals, and how your career and educational plans relate
• ✓ At least one letter of testimonial from someone in a community organization you have worked with or for (you may also add a résumé or other documents)

About this award

No fixed dollar amount is posted for this scholarship — contact Mount Saint Vincent University to confirm the value for your specific award before you apply. 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 woman and a mature student entering Mount Saint Vincent University for the first time, or coming back to complete a first degree after time away from study, and you are coming from the workplace or from time working in the home to develop your career. You must apply by May 15. Email your application to scholarships@msvu.ca with the scholarship name in the subject line. No notification date is posted, so ask Mount Saint Vincent University when you will hear back. The award goes to women with a clear plan for entering or re-entering the workforce when they finish, who know about and care about current social issues, and who have shown it through active involvement. In a year with suitable applicants, it goes to either one full-time student or two part-time students. Ask Mount Saint Vincent University 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 Mount Saint Vincent University whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

You must be a woman and a mature student who is entering Mount Saint Vincent University for the first time, or re-entering to complete a first degree after a period away from study. You must be coming to the University from the workplace, or after a period of time working in the home, for career development. You also need a clear plan for entering or re-entering the workforce when you finish, knowledge of and concern for current social issues, and active involvement that shows that concern. The award can go to one full-time student or two part-time students.

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 undergraduate 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

   Submit your application

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

Tips for applying

• Community involvementAvoid listing groups without context. Instead, on your separate sheet, link each activity to the social issues you care about. Name one concrete thing you did and what it changed.
• SupportAvoid a testimonial from someone who only knows you casually. Instead, ask someone from a community organization you have worked with or for, since you need at least one letter of testimonial from them. Give them a short summary of the work you did together.
• StrategyAvoid a vague reason for coming back to school. Instead, in your statement, connect your career plan to your education plan and explain how you will enter or re-enter the workforce when you finish.
• RealismAvoid leaving it to the last day. Instead, email everything to scholarships@msvu.ca well before May 15, with the scholarship name in the subject line.

Questions students ask

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