Lorne Fraser Educational Bursary

What you will need

• ✓ Electronic submission only (submissions by mail or fax are disqualified)
• ✓ One application per year across all CMHA British Columbia awards (only your first application is evaluated)

About this award

You can receive one of seven $700 bursaries to help cover your tuition costs. As a bursary, this money is yours to keep — there is nothing to repay. This is for you if you live with mental illness or addiction and are pursuing higher education in British Columbia. Applications for the 2026 CMHA (the Canadian Mental Health Association) British Columbia scholarship and bursary awards have closed. The awards are offered each year, so check CMHA British Columbia's page for when the next round opens. Only electronic submissions are accepted. When you apply, ask how and when you'll hear back — email, portal, or phone. Selection criteria aren't published — ask CMHA British Columbia how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask CMHA British Columbia 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, but if you have already won this award, you must wait two years before reapplying, which makes you eligible again in the third year after winning.

Who qualifies

You must live with mental illness or addiction and be a post-secondary student at an accredited BC institution. You may only apply for one award from the CMHA British Columbia list in a given year.

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 college, undergraduate, graduate, trades or certificate students
• ✓ Resident of British Columbia
• ✓ Studying mental health or education

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

   Check this year's deadline

   We don't have a confirmed date for this round. The award's official page will have it.

Tips for applying

• Mental Health ExperienceAvoid writing a generic academic essay. Instead, focus on your lived experience with mental illness or addiction and how this funding helps you overcome barriers to education. Describe one specific way this support changes your path.
• SupportAvoid providing references that only know you as a student. Instead, include a referee who can speak to your resilience or your journey with mental health recovery. Contact a mentor or counselor to see if they will support your application.
• StrategyAvoid submitting multiple applications for different awards in the same year. Instead, choose the one award that best fits your situation, as CMHA British Columbia will only evaluate the first application you submit.
• RealismAvoid assuming you can apply every year. Instead, remember that if you win, you cannot apply again for two years. Plan your long-term budget knowing this is not a yearly payment.

Questions students ask

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