Thinking of switching from a public school to a private school and wondering if your family can support you financially in the long run?
Fret not, we got you covered on the different scholarship and financial options available.
In this article, we will go through the following points:
- Merit-based scholarships
- Alumni and specialized scholarships
- Education bursaries
- Independent financial aid programs by private organizations
- Ways to have a smooth financial assistance application
Types of Merit-Based / Entrance Scholarships
One of the most common misconceptions parents and students have whenever scholarships are mentioned is that only those with good academic performance will receive them.
Many top private schools in Canada offer a wide range of entrance scholarships to well-deserving students based on their academic results and their talents and accomplishments in sports, arts and leadership.
Scholarships are awarded to students based on merit and not financial need to reduce the original tuition fees throughout the years of study.
Here are some categories of merit-based scholarships offered by different private/independent schools in Canada.
Academic Scholarships
Athletic Scholarships
Arts Scholarships
Needs Based & Specialized Private School Scholarships
Apart from merit-based scholarships, there are other types of scholarships that prospective students can explore such as needs-based scholarships, diversity scholarships, and alumni scholarships.
Needs-based scholarships play a huge role in enabling students from different socioeconomic backgrounds to access high-quality education without worrying about the overall cost and expenses.
Some schools solely look at a family's financial ability while some also take the student's overall hard work and achievements into consideration when they award the scholarships.
- Lakefield College, Ontario offers the Paul and Hélène Desmarais Family Scholarship to local Canadian students based on their financial needs and leadership ability.
Diversity scholarships aim to reduce educational barriers, and cultural support inclusivity in the school community in Canada.
- St Michaels University School, Victoria offers the Indigenous Peoples Within Canada Award to students of the Indigenous communities in the country, whether First Nations, Métis, and/or Inuit.
Alumni scholarships are also popular among private schools in Canada to establish strong connections within the institution — creating a legacy across families and generations. Generally open to family members of alumni of the private schools.
- Albert College, Ontario offers the Alumni Scholarship for senior students who are relatives of an alumnus while taking into consideration their financial needs and overall academic performance.
Exploring Various Education Bursaries Offered by Different Private Schools
Education bursaries are another way to financially support your private education journey in Canada. Unlike most scholarships, they are solely need-based financial awards which focus on the student's financial needs.
Many private schools in Canada have different sets of education bursaries depending on external donors, special endowments, and individual foundations set up by their alumni.
To facilitate smooth financial assistance applications, many private schools in the country are part of the Financial Aid for Canadian Students (FACS) program which will process the financial aid application (for scholarships and bursaries) to ensure unbiased evaluation and insightful analysis to ensure the right financial support for deserving students.
On the financial assistance section of some private schools' websites, you may even notice this clause which states, "All applications are reviewed by an independent financial services firm, Apple Financial Services."
The FACS program partners with Apple Financial Services, an independent financial service to analyse a family's ability to contribute to their child's education, especially when it comes to financial assistance applications.
Other private schools in Canada that are not under the FACS program will usually engage another third party to determine the financial need of the applicants before they give out the bursaries. However, it's important to note that it's the awards committee of the respective school that makes the final decision.
Many private schools indicate the number of families who receive financial assistance on their websites to give parents and prospective students an idea of how the budget for education bursaries is used.
It is also advisable for applicants to apply as soon as possible as some of these awards are subject to budget availability annually.
A key factor that determines the amount of financial assistance received is the gross family income of the applicant, which follows a rough range as the table below shows (an actual example by Trinity College School, an independent boarding and day school in Ontario).
According to the gross family income and overall evaluation, the bursaries will usually be awarded to cover from 25% to 75% of the tuition fees or more depending on the discretion of the committee.
| Gross Family Income Range | 0 – 25% | 26 – 50% | 51 – 75% | >75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $0 – $125,000 | x | x | x | x |
| $125,001 – $200,000 | y | y | y | y |
| $200,001 – $300,000 | x | x | x | x |
| >$300,000 | v | y | y | y |
Independent Financial Aid Assistance by Canadian Private Organizations
Parents and students can also explore financial aid options from Canadian private organizations besides scholarships and education bursaries from private schools.
Here are some organizations that you can look out for:
Children’s Scholarship Fund Canada (CSF Canada)
Specially targeted for families with elementary schooling children, applicants can apply for this fund and enrol in any private school in Canada as long as they fulfil the income requirements set.
For instance, if your child has been interested in learning languages like French or German since kindergarten, you can apply for this scholarship to study at Alexander von Humboldt German International School (Montreal) for their elementary school studies.
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
Under the Cooke Young Scholars Program, this foundation offers exclusive 5-year pre-college financial support for Grade 7 students who show promising potential in various spheres while studying in Ridley College, a private boarding and day university-preparatory school, for instance.
A Better Chance Canada
This organization offers financial assistance to color students from Grade 4 to Grade 9 to study in various private, independent schools in Canada (day and boarding options included). Families are advised to submit their application 8 months ahead.
How To Have A Smooth Financial Assistance Application?
Now that you have reviewed the different types of financial assistance for private schools in Canada, it's time to start preparing.
Whether it's finding the right private school, improving your overall grades or getting all the documentation ready before admission, you can get all of them done with the right guidance.
One good way to kickstart your journey is to visit as many school expos as possible. Some of the major school expos in Canada include the Halton Peel Expo, Vancouver Expo, Toronto Expo, Montreal Expo, Calgary Expo and Ottawa Expo.
These school expos at different locations allow parents and students to meet admission officers from different private schools all across Canada in one go without having to visit them one by one.
There, you get to ask in detail about the tuition fees, admission details, overall learning environment, and also the process to apply for financial assistance regardless of your grade and learning level.
You will be guided step by step on the documentation that you need to prepare (whether you're a local or international student). Additionally, you can also meet up with other parents or connect with the alumni of various private schools to get some advice and school reviews as you compare them.
Once you have reviewed the essential information about these private schools, you should have an idea about the basic academic requirements for admission or the financial assistance application. For instance, there are private schools that are looking for students with astounding performance in STEM-related subjects or art-related fields.
Depending on your interests and strengths, you can enrol in private tutoring to improve your competency in these fields. We highly recommend you to find an experienced and reliable tutor through a tutoring platform like Superprof.
At Superprof, students can be connected to dedicated educators from all across Canada and master any field of study, ranging from languages, arts, sports, science, mathematics, and humanities. Students can opt for physical lessons or online lessons according to their preferences.
Once you have viewed the tutors' profiles and learned about their teaching experience, teaching methodology and hourly rate, you can proceed to contact them directly via the messaging feature on their respective profiles.
It’s time to debunk the myth that private schools are only accessible to the wealthy. With the right financial assistance, every student has the opportunity to enjoy a top-tier education at a private school.
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