KAMLOOPS-Post-secondary studies can bring out things in people they never knew they had. Many post-secondary students end up taking on the world with all they’ve got, making it a better place for all of us, while in the process becoming better students, better citizens, and better leaders, says the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation, which established the national in-course awards program in 2003 to reward worthy students who were midway in their studies and had not yet received any substantial merit scholarships. The program is now one of the largest in Canada.
The emphasis for award selection is on active and significant involvement for the betterment of the community, be it one’s city or province, one’s country, one’s school, or beyond. To recognize and foster active citizenship, creative leadership, and academic excellence in upper-year post-secondary students, there are four fundamental millennium excellence award criteria: leadership, community involvement, innovation, and academic achievement.
Each participating institution receives a certain number of nominations based on their full-time student population enrolled in eligible programs for the 2004 application year; UCC can award up to eight $4,000 and $5,000 scholarships, some renewable for one additional year. Recipients must maintain a B+ GPA and continue to demonstrate the leadership, innovation and service to the community for which they were originally selected. All award recipients must sign a contract with the Foundation that stipulates that they must retain full-time status and that the scholarship money is designated for expenses related to their studies. The Foundation’s awards can be used to attend a foreign institution as part of a formal academic exchange program offered by their current post-secondary institution.
To be eligible, students must possess Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status, and be enrolled full-time (defined as 80 % of a full course load) in a recognized undergraduate program of at least two years’ duration leading to a degree, diploma or certificate at an eligible and approved Canadian post-secondary institution. The Foundation also makes special efforts to encourage applications from aboriginals.
Prospective applicants may visit the Foundation’s website at www.millenniumscholarships.ca for more information.
