Canadian Nurses Foundation · National
Ted James Scholarship Award
About this award
Get up to $5,000 for your psychiatric nursing studies—apply between December and late January.
You can receive up to $3,000 if you are in a baccalaureate program or up to $5,000 if you are in a masters or nurse practitioner program. This is a scholarship, not a loan, so you do not have to pay it back. This is for you if you are a dedicated mental health nurse advancing your education to better serve patients in psychiatric care. Applications open each December for the following academic year and typically close in late January. No specific time zone is posted publicly—before you start the application, check the Canadian Nurses Foundation (CNF — the national organization supporting nursing education) program page or call their office to confirm when applications open and close this year. You will hear back via the methods specified on the CNF portal. The CNF awards committee selects winners based on merit. They award over 135 scholarships per year across all tiers, but selection criteria aren't published—ask the Canadian Nurses Foundation how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask the Canadian Nurses Foundation 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 the Canadian Nurses Foundation whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.
Can you get it?
- Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident — citizenship requirement
- Undergraduate, Graduate — study level
- Resident of AB — provincial eligibility
- Studying psychiatric nursing — field of study
How to apply
Review eligibility and gather your documents~1 hour
Read the official award page end-to-end. Confirm you meet every requirement before you start.
Submit by No deadline~1 hour
Double-check every field, save a copy, and submit at least 24 hours early.
More details
The biggest mistake is listing your work history as a simple list of dates.
Winners instead describe the specific impact they had on patient outcomes in mental health settings.
Detail exactly how your two years of experience prepared you for advanced study.
The biggest mistake is providing generic references.
Winners instead secure letters from supervisors who can vouch for their clinical skills in psychiatric nursing specifically.
Ask your manager to highlight your growth in mental health care.