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Last Modified: 2026-06-22

Get Canadian scholarships and chase your dream

TL;DR – How scholarships and bursaries can lower school costs

  • Scholarships and bursaries can help reduce the cost of post secondary education and provide financial support.
  • Scholarships are often based on achievements like academics, community involvement, or skills, while bursaries are typically based on financial need.
  • Both scholarships and bursaries usually have application requirements and deadlines, but they generally do not need to be repaid.

Bottom Line:
Applying for scholarships and bursaries can help lower school costs, since this type of funding often doesn’t need to be paid back.

Whether you’re still thinking about which trade school to apply for, or are entering your 3rd year as an undergrad student, the reality of how much everything will cost can be crushing. While costs have risen, investing in your education should be a top priority. Fortunately, there are lots of scholarships and bursaries designed to help you - if you know where to look.

Apply for scholarships

If you do a quick search on the internet, you can find tens of thousands of scholarships being offered in Canada. Do yourself a favour and apply for as many as possible, including the TD Scholarship for Community Leadership. Scholarships are awarded based on your achievements, income, community work and more. Make sure to find out exactly what is required when you apply. It will take more time to apply for a scholarship than a loan, but the extra work could pay off because a scholarship doesn’t need to be paid back.

Check with the financial aid office of your chosen university or college, or use these useful links to explore some of the programs available in Canada:

Get backup from bursaries

Bursaries are an option to consider if you have financial need. A bursary is a given to students based on financial circumstances, and less on academic merit. Bursaries are usually one-time and do not need to be paid back. Do your research to find out which organizations have bursaries you qualify for. They have strict deadlines, so make sure you apply in time.

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