Whether you are venturing out on your own for the first time or heading into your final year, if you are a student getting ready to head to post-secondary, fall is an exciting time of year. During this formative time, you will learn much more than the skills needed for your future career. It is also when you learn all about taking care of yourself (laundry, anyone?) and other life skills, such as how to manage your own finances. One of the most important lessons you can learn is how to get help when it is available, and when it comes to financing your education, scholarships are a great way to get some much-needed financial support.
There are hundreds of scholarships available to students in Alberta, but the process of searching and applying can be a daunting task. However impossible it may seem, applying for financial aid can make all the difference in your financial future. Alberta Student Aid provides a resource guide to scholarships and awards for students that makes it easy to find financial aid to fit your circumstances and needs, but did you know your credit union may also offer help?
Many of Alberta’s credit unions offer scholarships to members – in fact, in 2022 Alberta credit unions awarded more than $85,000 in scholarship funds – so we’ve come up with a list of scholarship offerings that may be right for you:
Credit Unions of Alberta
The Future Leader of Alberta Scholarship, offered by Credit Unions of Alberta in partnership with Alberta Central, is here to help you make your post-secondary dreams a reality.
This Scholarship is accepting applications until August 31, 2023 and is open to any legal resident of Alberta entering any year of study at a post-secondary institution, including undergraduate and post-graduate degrees. Institutions do not need to be based in Alberta to be eligible and students working towards degrees, diplomas, certificates and trade programs are all welcome to apply.
1st Choice Savings and Credit Union
1st Choice Savings and Credit Union offers The Star Citizen Award to high school students who demonstrate dependability, cooperative spirit, and leadership in their school and community, which comes with a $500 scholarship to the recipient. This award is typically given to a local high school student in the community of each branch.
1st Choice Savings and Credit Union also offers an AEM (Agriculture Enterprise Management) Award of Excellence of $1,000 to two students enrolled in the AEM program at Lethbridge College each year.
Bow Valley Credit Union
To support youth in the Bow Valley community, Bow Valley Credit Union (BVCU) offers four general scholarships of $500 to any student enrolled in post-secondary who resides in Alberta.
BVCU also offers the Jack Paterson Memorial Scholarship, with $1,000 awarded to a student who has demonstrated meaningful involvement in the communities that BVCU operates in.
Calgary Police Credit Union
Calgary Police Credit Union offers a variety of scholarships ranging in value from $50 to $250 to students of all ages – from kindergarten to post-secondary – who are members.
Christian Credit Union
Christian Credit Union supports graduating students from nine participating high schools in the Christian community with $1,000 scholarships, with one recipient selected from each participating school. Students must be members of the Christian Credit Union to apply.
Christian Credit Union also offers a Valeyo Learning Grant of $1,200 to post-secondary students who are members.
connectFirst Credit Union
connectFirst Credit Union’s Learn and Earn Scholarship is open to up to 12 students in grade 12. This matching program enables students to learn about personal finance and receive up to four dollars for every one dollar they save (up to $110 a month or $2,200 a year).
connectFirst also offers STEM scholarships, specific to students studying Science, Technology, Engineer, Math or skilled trades at a post-secondary/trade institution in Alberta. A total of four scholarships of $500 each are awarded each year.
Lakeland Credit Union
Lakeland offers scholarships in the amount of $1,000 each to students in the community who wish to pursue post-secondary education or an apprenticeship program. In 2022, they presented nine scholarships to members entering their first year of study.
Rocky Credit Union
Rocky Credit Union offers four different scholarships to members who are in their final year of high school, focused on the following categories: Business (for a student who will be studying business or finance), Community (for a student who shows dedication to their community through volunteer work), Academic (for a student who demonstrated academic excellence) and Apprentice (for a student pursuing an education in the trades). Each scholarship is worth $1,000.
Servus Credit Union
Servus offers scholarship endowments to Grande Prairie Regional College, Lakeland College, Medicine Hat College, Mount Royal University, Red Deer College and the University of Alberta. These institutions then award students up to $2,000 per year on behalf of Servus Credit Union.
Find a credit union near you today to become a member and get access to these scholarships today!
The tips in this writing are generic in nature and do not constitute specific advice to specific situations. You should consult a professional regarding your specific situation.