Thunder Bay Community Foundation Bursaries

What you will need

• ✓ Online application through the Thunder Bay Community Foundation's Student Awards portal
• ✓ Documentation of financial need
• ✓ Adversity essay
• ✓ Personal goals essay
• ✓ Letter of recommendation

About this award

You can access over $200,000 in total funding across various awards. These are bursaries and scholarships, which means they are grants and you do not have to pay them back. Individual awards include the Justice Ronald B. Lester Memorial Bursary (two awards of $7,500 each), the Danny Clara Legacy Fund Bursary (four awards of $5,000 each), the Arthur Widnall Bursary (one award of $4,000), the Friesen Jones Family Bursary (two awards of $2,500 each), the James and Shirley Symington Family Bursary (two awards of $2,500 each), the June Morgan MacDonald Bursary for the Arts & Design (two awards of $2,500 each), the Terry and Janice Redden Family Bursary (two awards of $2,500 each), the Chrusz/Savitsky Bursary #1 for Engineering/Business (two awards of $1,500 each), the Chrusz/Savitsky Bursary #2 for Trades/Technology (two awards of $1,500 each), the Susan Cochran Simonsen Bursary for Indigenous Students (one award of $1,500), the Bonnie Moore & Jay Eingold Boys & Girls Club Bursary (one award of $1,000), the Everitt Family Bursary (one award of $1,000), the Ken Moffatt Family Bursary (one award of $1,000), the Laurie & Joanne Tulloch Family Fund Bursary (two awards of $1,000 each), and the Liliana Ciddio Memorial Bursary (three awards of $1,000 each). This is for you if you are a graduating student living in the Thunder Bay area who needs financial help to afford your next step in education. The 2026 round closed on March 31, 2026, at 11:59 PM, and decisions came the week of May 4. Check the Thunder Bay Community Foundation's page and social media for the next round's dates. Selection criteria aren't published — ask Thunder Bay Community Foundation how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask Thunder Bay Community 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. The Terry and Janice Redden Family Bursary can be renewed for up to three more years (up to $10,000 in total) if you stay full time at Lakehead University or Confederation College, keep adequate grades and still show financial need; for the other bursaries, ask the Thunder Bay Community Foundation whether they renew.

Who qualifies

You must permanently reside in the District of Thunder Bay. Most bursaries are for students in their graduating year at a high school in the foundation's catchment area, which includes North Ward schools (École secondaire catholique de la vérendrye, Hammarskjold, St. Ignatius, Superior CVI), South Ward schools (Dennis Franklin Cromarty, St. Patrick, Westgate CVI, Matawa Education Centre), and District schools (École secondaire Cité-Supérieure, École secondaire château jeunesse, Geraldton Composite, Lake Superior, Long Lac 58 First Nation, Manitouwadge, Marathon, and Nipigon-Red Rock District). Specific awards have extra requirements: the Chrusz/Savitsky Bursary #1 is for students entering Engineering or Business at Lakehead University; the Chrusz/Savitsky Bursary #2 is for students entering first year at Confederation College (preference for Trades, Technology or Technician programs) or Confederation College graduates entering a degree at Lakehead University; the June Morgan MacDonald Bursary is for university studies in the arts; the Arthur Widnall Bursary is for Indigenous (Status First Nations) students going into an accredited trades program; and the Susan Cochran Simonsen Bursary is for Indigenous students. A few bursaries are for current post-secondary students instead, such as the Ken Moffatt Family Bursary (entering 2nd, 3rd or 4th year of Nursing at Lakehead University) and the Laurie & Joanne Tulloch Family Fund Bursary (entering 2nd year of Education at Lakehead University).

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 high school students
• ✓ Studying Engineering, Business, Trades, Technology or Arts & Design

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

   This round closed on March 31, 2026

   Check the award's official page for the next round before you prepare anything.

Tips for applying

• EssaysAvoid writing a generic personal statement. Instead, focus your adversity and goals essays on specific examples of how you have overcome challenges. Use a concrete story to show your resilience.
• ReferencesAvoid choosing a reference who barely knows you. Instead, pick a teacher or mentor who can speak to your character and financial need. Give them plenty of time to write the letter.
• StrategyAvoid applying for just one award. Instead, use the online portal to see every award you are eligible for and complete the supplemental questions for all of them.
• RealismAvoid ignoring the financial documentation requirement. Instead, gather your proof of need early. Since these are bursaries, your financial circumstances matter more than your grades.

Questions students ask

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