University of Guelph Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) Scholarships

What you will need

• ✓ Completed OAC award application form
• ✓ For the Wilder Family Leadership Scholarship: significant leadership experience
• ✓ For the Wilder Family Graduate Scholarship: being an international student in a course-based master's degree
• ✓ For the Graduate Promise & Potential Fund: current registration in an OAC graduate program, emergency costs incurred during the academic year, and having already tried every other source of funding
• ✓ For OAC Learning Trust applicants: a detailed proposal for experiential learning, international development, or student-led initiatives
• ✓ For Ridgetown Campus Associate Diploma applicants: Need Assessment Form

About this award

You can access over 687 awards totaling more than $1.5 million given out each year to diploma, undergraduate, and graduate students. Specific high-value options include the Wilder Family Leadership Scholarship with one award of $80,000, the Wilder Family Scholarship with two awards of $40,000, and the Wilder Family Graduate Scholarship with two awards of $15,000 each for international students in course-based master's degrees. As these are scholarships and grants, they are not loans, so you do not have to pay them back. This funding is for you if you are a diploma, undergraduate or graduate student at the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC — the University of Guelph's college for agriculture and food), or you plan to study there for a career in the Canadian agri-food sector. OAC graduate students facing an unexpected financial emergency can also apply to the Graduate Promise & Potential Fund. Deadlines depend on the award: Convocation awards are due April 1; Undergraduate Fall awards are due May 15; Graduate Fall awards are due August 15; and Ridgetown Campus Associate Diploma Fall/Winter awards are due October 7. Travel grant applications are due March 15 (for travel from May to August), July 15 (September to December) and November 15 (January to April). OAC Learning Trust proposals are taken each fall; the page still shows last year's date (November 9, 2025), so check it for this year's deadline. If you apply for the Graduate Promise & Potential Fund, you will receive an update via your University of Guelph email, typically within 3 business days. Selection criteria aren't published — ask University of Guelph how winners are chosen and roughly how many applicants they typically receive so you can judge your odds. Ask University of Guelph 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 University of Guelph whether it's one-time or renewable and what you need to maintain.

Who qualifies

You must be a diploma, undergraduate, or graduate student at the Ontario Agricultural College. For the Wilder Family awards, you should be a top Canadian or international student aiming for a career in the Canadian agri-food sector. To use the Graduate Promise & Potential Fund, you must be currently registered in a graduate program offered by the Ontario Agricultural College, and your emergency costs must have been incurred during the academic year while registered in your program. For the OAC Learning Trust, you must be enrolled in courses and programs administered by the OAC, with a preference given to projects that benefit multiple students or groups.

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.

• ✓ Canadian citizen or international student
• ✓ Open to undergraduate, graduate or certificate students
• ✓ Studying agriculture or agribusiness

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

   Submit your application

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

Tips for applying

• LeadershipAvoid just listing your titles. Instead, describe the specific impact you had while leading a project or team. Provide a concrete example of a goal you reached.
• SupportAvoid guessing which form or deadline applies to you. Instead, email the OAC awards office at oacaward@uoguelph.ca with your questions well before the deadline.
• StrategyAvoid applying for only one award. Instead, look at the different deadlines for Fall, Winter, and Convocation awards to maximize your chances. Mark all dates in your calendar now.
• RealismAvoid assuming the emergency fund is a first resort. Instead, gather proof that you have tried other funding sources first. The committee expects you to exhaust other resources before applying.

Questions students ask

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