Thunder Bay Community Foundation Scholarships

What you will need

• ✓ Online application through the Thunder Bay Community Foundation's Student Awards portal
• ✓ Transcript
• ✓ Personal goals essay
• ✓ List of volunteer and work experience

About this award

You can access a share of over $200,000 in scholarships and bursaries. These are grants, not loans, so you do not have to pay them back. Individual awards include the Victor Stevenson Engineering Scholarship (3 awards of $7,000 each), Ross A. Wilson Science Scholarship (3 awards of $5,000 each), Roy Seymour Rogers and Geraldine Ruth Rogers Scholarship (5 awards of $4,000 each), Helen L. Dewar Scholarship (2 awards of $4,000 each), Joshua Dyke Family Scholarship (3 awards of $3,000 each), John Alexander McLean Scholarship (2 awards of $2,500 each), Aileen Amanda and Gertrude Lahti Family Scholarship (1 award of $2,500), Veena Lamba Scholarship for the Arts (1 award of $3,000), Keri Chase Memorial Veterinary Scholarship (1 award of $4,000), Shirley H. & Meredith O. Nelson Scholarship (1 award of $5,000), Victor Stevenson Aircraft Engineering Technology Scholarship (1 award of $5,000), and the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop/MacDonald Scholarship (1 award of $600). There is also the Uncommon Woman Leadership In STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) Scholarship, though its specific dollar amount is not listed. This is for you if you are a graduating student who lives permanently in the District of Thunder Bay and attends a local high school. 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 is based on academic performance, your personal goals, and your extracurricular involvement. Because the foundation uses an online portal that automatically matches you to awards based on your profile, your odds depend on how well you meet the specific criteria for each individual award. 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 Helen L. Dewar Scholarship can be renewed for up to three more years if you stay full time, keep at least a C average, still show financial need and re-apply by February 15 each year; for the other scholarships, ask the Thunder Bay Community Foundation whether they renew.

Who qualifies

You must permanently reside in the District of Thunder Bay, and most scholarships are for students in their graduating year at one of the following schools: École secondaire catholique de la vérendrye, Hammarskjold High School, St. Ignatius High School, Superior CVI, Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School, St. Patrick High School, Westgate CVI, Matawa Education Centre, École secondaire Cité-Supérieure, École secondaire château jeunesse, Geraldton Composite High School, Lake Superior High School, Long Lac 58 First Nation High School, Manitouwadge High School, Marathon High School, or Nipigon-Red Rock District High School. Most scholarships also require a minimum overall average of 80% in all Grade 12 credits, and some are limited to certain schools (for example, the Ross A. Wilson Science Scholarship is only for Hammarskjold High School students) or to female students (the Uncommon Woman Leadership In STEM Scholarship). The Keri Chase Memorial Veterinary Scholarship is different: it is for a Thunder Bay resident who graduated from a Thunder Bay high school and is entering second year of the Northern Ontario Undergraduate Cohort of the University of Guelph's Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Program.

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
• ✓ Resident of Ontario

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

   Order your transcript1–2 weeks

   Your school's registrar can take a week or two.

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

• Personal StatementAvoid writing a generic essay about wanting to go to college. Instead, focus on your specific personal goals and how they align with the theme of the award you are targeting. Detail one specific ambition you have for your future career.
• SupportAvoid providing a simple list of activities. Instead, show the impact of your volunteer or work experience by describing what you actually achieved. List the number of hours you contributed to a project to show your commitment.
• StrategyAvoid applying for just one award. Instead, use the Student Awards portal to complete the first section thoroughly so the system can automatically show you every award you are eligible for. Apply to every match the system suggests.
• RealismAvoid assuming you will win just because you meet the basic criteria. Instead, remember that these are competitive and based on a mix of grades and goals. If you are selected, expect to attend the foundation's Student Awards Reception in June.

Questions students ask

Similar awards

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