Understanding the Student Journey
Scholarships can provide essential support to students by addressing barriers and opening doors of opportunity, preparing them for school and the rapidly changing future of work. But the scholarship landscape in Canada is fragmented, with no central, up-to-date information about what scholarships are available and who can access them.
This is why RBC commissioned “Untapped Potential: Working Together to Open Doors to Opportunity through Scholarships” which CultureFoundry produced in collaboration with Medow Consulting.
The Support Ecosystem
Learn more about the wide range of actors who can help young people address either the cost-related barriers of attendance and transition into the job market or the non-cost-related barriers:
offer scholarships, bursaries and awards; and a range of programs including access and bridging programs, work-integrated learning and career supports
funds 60% of student financial aid; funds research; delivers specific postsecondary funding for First Nations. Metis and Inuit Students; and funds work-integrated learning.
play multiple roles, including program administration, policy development, advocacy, and administering and delivering funding for indigenous students.
regulate postsecondary education, fund 40% of student financial aid, and play a role in funding work-integrated learning
prepare students for postsecondary education, help students transition into colleges and universities and provide career counselling
advocate for different groups such as students and institutions
help students access, stay in and graduate postsecondary education through programming, and convene partners
help students reduce the cost of postsecondary education and provide supports
help students reduce the cost of postsecondary education and provide supports
inside and outside academia study issues and advocate for solutions
offer scholarships, bursaries and awards; and a range of programs including access and bridging programs, work-integrated learning and career supports
funds 60% of student financial aid; funds research; delivers specific postsecondary funding for First Nations, Metis and Inuit Students; and funds work-integrated learning
play multiple roles, including program administration, policy development, advocacy, and administering and delivering funding for Indigenous students
regulate postsecondary education, fund 40% of student financial aid, and play a role in funding work-integrated learning
prepare students for postsecondary education, help students transition into colleges and universities and provide career counselling
advocate for different groups such as students and institutions
help students access, stay in and graduate postsecondary education through programming, and convene partners
help students reduce the cost of postsecondary education and provide supports
help students reduce the cost of postsecondary education and provide supports
inside and outside academia study issues and advocate for solutions
The scholarship ecosystem is vast and complex. It’s difficult for young people to navigate and creates even more barriers for underrepresented students. And – students, and their caregivers, have little or no guidance on how a scholarship may impact their government student financial aid (i.e., it may be clawed back).
Learn more about what this can look like for a young person and their families through Tomika and Terry’s journeys.
A student’s journey through getting financial support for postsecondary can be less complicated with higher family income.
Tomika is a dependent student with two parents working white collar jobs and a younger sibling. She is called a dependent student because she is dependent on her parent’s income. Her parents make $180,000 annually. Both of them attended postsecondary so they are able to give Tomika advice on how to apply, enroll in courses, and seek out scholarships.
A student’s journey through getting financial support for postsecondary can be complicated and involve their funding being clawed back.
Terry is a dependent student with one parent working in the service sector and one younger sibling. He is called a dependent student because he is dependent on his parent’s income. Terry’s parent makes $50,000. Terry’s parent did not attend postsecondary, so they’re not able to advise him on how to navigate the application process and apply for funding. Terry also had additional home responsibilities during secondary school, needing to work to help his family and care for his sibling, so while his grades are sufficient to be accepted into postsecondary, they are not exceptional.
We were so pleased to work with the Medow Consulting and RBC Future Launch teams on producing this report.
Learn more about why RBC commissioned this research and their scholarship offerings:
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