Awards

The Hamilton Spectator
Jeff Dickins Memorial Award
Deadline:  May 31, 2026
4 Awards, Each Worth $750

Jeff Dickins was a sportswriter at The Hamilton Spectator who passed away in 2003. In his 26 years at The Spectator, he wrote about professional baseball, hockey and football but drew the most satisfaction from covering amateur sports. Whether it was McMaster Marauders and the university leagues or high school athletics, Dickins loved the atmosphere of competitors playing for the sake of participation.  The award in his name is given annually to a high school student who has demonstrated a commitment to athletic participation, while maintaining a high academic standard and being involved in the community.

A grade 12 student from the Hamilton or Halton (Burlington schools) boards who will be going on to post-secondary education. The three criteria are athletic involvement, academic achievements and community involvement. Athletic involvement should not be limited to abilities and skills demonstrated in any number of sports, but should include those students who act as trainers, fundraisers, or managers of teams. There may be individuals whose contributions to a team are not reflected on score sheets.  Academic achievement points to the student’s ability to consistently maintain high grades while competing or being involved in multiple sports, although participation in a single school sport would not necessarily disqualify one for consideration. For example, an individual could be a member of the school’s rowing team and a member of a provincial or national team which has earned recognition for its efforts. By the same token, a student could be a manager of a school team and coach or manage a team away from the school.  Community involvement would show a student-athlete’s participation outside the school environment. Volunteer work with various social agencies, visiting seniors in nursing homes, and coaching non-school teams, are just some of the possible considerations.

Click here for more information.

BioTalent Canada’s I.D.E.A.L. Scholarship^TM
Deadline: June 8, 2026

Applications for the I.D.E.A.L. Scholarship™ are now open. Apply before the June 8 deadline!

BioTalent Canada’s I.D.E.A.L. Scholarship^TM supports Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility (IDEA) leadership for first-year students like you entering bioscience programs.  Launch your biosciences career with a $10,000 scholarship. We want to recognize your impact!

Apply Now

Crime Stoppers of Hamilton Inc.
June 30, 2026

Crime Stoppers of Hamilton will offer two scholarships valued at $1000 each to be awarded yearly. The purpose of the scholarship is to advance education by providing scholarships to high school students who demonstrate leadership, academic commitment, and a strong contribution to community safety, crime prevention, or civic engagement. The scholarship is intended to support youth in their pursuit of post-secondary education at an accredited college, university, or skilled trade’s institution. It is open to high school students attending a Public, Catholic or Private secondary school in the City of Hamilton.

• Be enrolled in Grades 11 or 12 in a Secondary School in Hamilton (Public, Catholic, Private)
• Intend to pursue post-secondary studies at a recognized educational institution.
• Demonstrate leadership, integrity, and a commitment to community safety or volunteerism.
• Show involvement in at least one of the following areas:
  • School leadership or student council – Volunteerism in community safety, mentorship, or social responsibility programs
  • Participation in Crime Stoppers Youth Ambassador programs or school safety initiatives
  • Contributions to crime prevention awareness at school or in the community

Click here for more information.

Professional Engineers Ontario
PEO Chapter Scholarship
Deadline: June 30th, 2026

Each year, PEO chapters offer scholarships to Gr. 12 students who have applied to an engineering program at a post-secondary institution accredited by the Canadian Engineering Accreditation Board (CEAB). There are 36 scholarships valued at $1,500 each (1 scholarship per chapter). Scholarship winners are invited to meet the PEO chapter in their community, and it is our hope that the scholarship program can: – build connections between PEO and future professional engineers; – foster interest in engineering careers among high school students; – raise awareness of the professional licence; and – provide some financial assistance to future engineers.

Scholarship Objectives:

• Foster interest in engineering among high school students
• Build connections between PEO and future Professional Engineers
• Provide financial assistance to students pursuing accredited engineering programs
• Promote a sense of belonging to a respected profession that values high standards, competence, and responsibility
• Highlight the importance of the P.Eng. licence and encourage students to pursue licensure as part of their career development

Click here for more information

Click here for the application form in English

Click here for the application form in French

HFX - Halifax International Security Forum

15@15: Youth Building Democracy

Deadline:  11:59 PM ET September 15, 2026

HFX is a Washington DC-based, independent, non-profit, non-partisan organization that convenes the annual Halifax International Security Forum, which POLITICO describes as “a major annual national security conference that brings together democracy advocates from around the world.” 

Featured on CBC News: The National, 15@15: Youth Building Democracy is a global youth competition requires applicants to submit a fifteen-second video about one positive change they would like to see within the next fifteen years that will make their world more secure. 

Winners will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to attend the 2026 Halifax International Security Forum in Nova Scotia, Canada from November 20–22, 2026, with one parent or legal guardian also covered.

Any individual who was born in the year 2011 can enter the competition. It is free to apply and to participate. All applicants must have permission from one parent or legal guardian to apply.  Click here to for more information.  

North Cover Futures Scholarship
Deadline: October 1, 2026
Scholarship: $5,000

At North Cover, our goal has always been to protect the quality of people’s lives. We do this by providing life and final expenses insurance products that meet the needs of everyday Canadians and offer peace of mind at an affordable price.  We know that you and your family’s future depends on the expertise and dedication of the people shaping our healthcare, business, and finance industries. So, with that in mind, we are aiming to attract the best people into these industries by providing the North Cover Futures Scholarship.

To be eligible:

• you must be a domestic undergraduate enrolled full-time at the time of entry in an accredited Canadian Post-Secondary Education Institution and studying for a certificate, diploma, degree, or internship in any of the following areas: Business – including any business-related courses from any institution. Finance – including actuarial, statistics, accounting and general finance courses. Medicine – including medical and health sciences, surgery and medical research. Healthcare – including health and fitness-related specialties, sport sciences, health services assistance and international health. Specialist healthcare – including nursing, optometry, dentistry and pharmacy.
• only citizens or permanent residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) can apply.
• you must have reached 18 years of age or older at the time of entry.
• employees and Immediate family members including the spouse, de-facto spouse, parent, guardian, child or sibling ("Immediate Family Members") of a North Cover employee are ineligible to enter. Employees, and Immediate Family Members of Greenstone Financial Services Pty Ltd and Greenstone Financial Services Canada Inc. are also ineligible to enter.
• entrants must abide by the Terms and Conditions for an entry to be deemed eligible.

Click here for more information.

Electronic Recycling Association
Deadline: November 15th, 2026

Applicants must be full-time or part-time students residing in Canada.   Students located outside ERA’s operating regions (Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, Halifax, Ottawa, and Montreal) may be subject to adjusted participation requirements.

Scholarship Prizes:  1st Place – $10,000 (Includes 1 laptop for winner + 3 laptops donated to charity) 2nd Place – $5,000 (Includes 1 laptop for winner + 3 laptops donated to charity) 3rd Place – $3,000 (Includes 1 laptop for winner + 3 laptops donated to charity) 4th Place – $1,000 (Includes 1 laptop for winner + 3 laptops donated to charity) 5th Place – $1,000 (Includes 1 laptop for winner + 3 laptops donated to charity)

Please refer to the FAQ for details.

The Black Foundation of Community Networks

The Black Foundation of Community Networks (BFCN) is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 and based in Ontario. BFCN provides free programs and resources to support Black communities and also connects people with existing resources and other local organizations. There are three key pillars to our work: Community Advocacy, Community Resources, and Community Programs which includes the BFCN Scholarship Program.

Each year BFCN presents annual scholarships and awards to Black students pursuing post-secondary undergraduate education in Canada. These $1,000 awards are granted to students who have demonstrated community involvement, leadership qualities and financial need. To learn more and apply for the 15th Annual BFCN Scholarships and 12th Annual Aim 2 Achieve Awards, please visit bfcn.ca/scholarships.

Applications are launched in April and due July 31 of each year.

Click here for the scholarship directory.

Chaney-Ensign Bursary Fund
Two application deadlines – October 1 and February 1

NEED HELP WITH TUITION? A bursary is money to help pay for your education that you don’t need to pay back. Ever!
Hamilton Community Foundation is a local charity. We have a program called the Chaney-Ensign Bursary that’s specifically for postsecondary students like you who graduated from high school in Hamilton.

Complete the application on our website by these dates:

• February 1
• October 1 You can apply (and receive funds) in both rounds.

Three steps to get a bursary:

• Graduate from a publicly funded high school in Hamilton.
• Apply for OSAP (you don’t need to have received funding).
• Submit application for a bursary.

Apply online here when the portal is open.

Think Big Scholarship
(ongoing opportunity)

Federal Education Grants and Bonds
(ongoing opportunity)

To help save for a child’s future studies, the Government of Canada provides two education savings incentives, which are deposited into a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). The Canada Education Savings Grant (CESG) consists of a basic amount of 20% on the first $2,500 in annual personal contributions to an RESP (this grant is available to all eligible beneficiaries regardless of family income), as well as the additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant, which is:

• 10% on the first $500 of annual personal contributions for children from families with an adjusted income greater than $46,605 and up to $93,208; or,
• 20% on the first $500 of annual personal contributions for children from families with an adjusted income of $46,605 or less.
  CESG is available until the end of calendar year in which the beneficiary turns 17, and the maximum lifetime amount, including the additional amount of Canada Education Savings Grant, is $7,200.

The Canada Learning Bond (CLB) is available for eligible children from low-income families born in 2004 or later and provides an initial payment of $500 plus $100 for each year of eligibility, up to age 15, for a maximum of $2,000. Personal contributions are not required to receive the CLB.  RESPs are the only savings vehicle that attract the federal and, where applicable, provincial education savings incentives. The money saved in an RESP is not only used to help with tuition, but can also be used to pay for housing, transportation and other education-related expenses, such as textbooks, equipment, supplies, etc., once enrolled in post-secondary education. You will need you and your child’s SIN. Visit your bank and ask to open an RESP.

Learn more: Brochure

Criteria for awards

Awards will be approved based on the following criteria. For context, the promotion of awards will align with the Education Act:

Education Act, Regulation 298 S.24:  No advertisement or announcement shall be placed in a school or on school property or distributed or announced to the pupils on school property without the consent of the board that operates the school except announcements of school activities.

Criteria for Approval:

1. There cannot be a fee for a student to apply for an award.
   1. A student providing their likeness (name, photo, post-secondary institution, area of study, etc.) may not be a requirement to be considered for an award.
   2. The organization offering the award is responsible for obtaining consent before a student’s name, photo or any personal information is shared or posted where it is accessible to the public (e.g., on websites, social media platforms or in print material)
2. The material must NOT contain commercial advertising, corporate logos, reference to corporate sponsors, or be a private business, unless these are directly linked to an award.
3. The information must be respectful of all faiths, races and ethnic backgrounds.
4. The information must respect the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and the Education Act.

Awards will be removed after their application deadline. If your award is offered annually, you will need to resubmit each year.

Questions

Questions regarding the distribution of award opportunities should be directed to:

Hamilton Foundation for Student Success
905-527-5092 ext. 2103
email [email protected]

Disclaimer

Every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of information regarding scholarships on this website. It is the responsibility of the student to do research early in order to note deadline changes, revisions to criteria, and so on. Contacting the sponsor directly for the most up-to-date information is recommended.

HWDSB schools may have awards that are specific to a given school. That is, only students attending a given school may be eligible for certain school specific awards. Check with your Principal (elementary) or Guidance Counsellor (secondary) for more information about school specific awards offered by your school.