Financial Aid Directory

Millennium Scholarship Program

Background

The Government of Canada, as part of an initiative known as the Canadian Opportunities Strategy, created the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. The Foundation is an independent and autonomous organization that oversees the investment and manages the allocation of the $2.5 billion Government of Canada endowment. The Foundation will use this fund to award scholarships to Canadian, undergraduate students over a 10-year period beginning in the year 2000.

The Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation was created to grant scholarships to students who are in financial need and who demonstrate merit. The purpose is to improve access to post-secondary education and reduce student debt. The Foundation's goal is to award a portion of the first scholarships at the beginning of the year 2000 and to award every year, for 10 years thereafter, more than 100,000 scholarships, worth an average of $3,000 each.

The Foundation has three guiding principles:

  1. The primary focus of the Foundation's work should be students.
  2. The Foundation's programs should avoid duplication of existing financial aid programs and costly processes.
  3. The Foundation should emphasize a fair and equitable approach to all its programs.

To reduce administrative costs and to avoid duplication with existing student assistance programs, the Foundation has been negotiating with each province and territory over the last several months. As of July 30th, 1999, agreements had been concluded with Alberta, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia, Yukon, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and Prince Edward Island. Because student assistance programs are administered differently in each region, there will be slight variations in the delivery of Millennium Scholarships.

Eligibility for the Millennium Scholarship will be determined by your provincial/ territorial financial assistance program. In general, they will also be responsible for delivering the Millennium scholarships on behalf of the Foundation. Your financial aid office in your school or region will be able to help you. As stated above there is no separate application process for the Millennium Scholarship. When you apply for assistance from your provincial or territorial student financial assistance program, you will automatically be considered for the Foundation's General Awards. The Student Financial Aid Office will assess your level of financial need. If you meet the Foundation's eligibility criteria the office will automatically forward your name to the Foundation.

The scholarships will be awarded by the Foundation to students in the greatest financial need until they have reached the limit of awards allocated to the province or territory. This limit is based on percentage of the total Canadian population.

NOTE: YOU DO NOT NEED TO ACCEPT PROVINCIAL ASSISTANCE OR FEDERAL STUDENT LOANS TO QUALIFY FOR A MILLENNIUM SCHOLARSHIP. YOU MUST SIMPLY DEMONSTRATE YOUR FINANCIAL NEED.

Exceptional Merit Award: Application procedures for the Foundation's Exceptional Merit Awards have also been developed. The first Exceptional Merit Awards will be distributed in fall of year 2000. For more information contact:

Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation
1000 Sherbrooke St. West, Suite 800
Montreal, Quebec H3A 3R2
Tel: 1 (877) 786-3999 (toll free)
Fax: 1 (514) 985-5987
Email: millennium.foundation@bm-ms.org
Web site: http://www.millenniumscholarships.ca/




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