Student awards, scholarships and bursaries
$5M+ in student awards annually
We offer scholarships, bursaries and awards that add up to over $5 million in student support each year, available thanks to the NSCC Foundation, student associations, and generosity of donors.
Some awards are specific to a campus, program or year of study, and many are open to both new and returning students.
Awards are based on a variety of criteria:
- Financial need
- Demonstrated leadership
- Volunteer experience
- Career interests
- Academic standing
The majority of our awards are offered during our two main award cycles – spring and fall. If you’re an incoming student, your eligibility to apply for awards depends on when your program begins.
- If your program starts/restarts during the fall academic term, you’re eligible to apply for awards offered during both our spring and fall awards cycles. In order to retain your eligibility to receive an NSCC award, you must be continuously enrolled during both fall and winter academic terms.
- If your program starts/re-starts during the winter academic term, you’re eligible to apply for awards offered during our fall awards cycle.
Additionally, we offer cost of living bursaries and exit awards for graduating students at other times during the year. It pays to log in to the student awards portal regularly to check for new opportunities as they arise.
The Student Awards Portal matches you to award opporunities based on information you provide in your admissions application (e.g., program, campus, address).
Once you've logged in using your NSCC username and password, you'll be prompted to complete the General Application. Not all sections are mandatory; however, it's in your best interest to complete as many as you can to maximize the number of awards matched to you. If you wish to pursue awards that have financial need as an eligibility component, complete the Financial Need application. Since many awards consider financial need, completing this application can help maximize your opportunities.
Auto-matched opportunities: these are based on the completion of the General Application, you'll be automatically considered for any award that doesn't require the submission of additional application elements (e.g. essays or references).
Apply-to opportunities: If you wish to pursue more awards, review your Recommended Opportunities. If you meet the eligibility criteria stated in the recommended award postings, click the apply button to start your application. We strongly encourage you to apply for as many opportunities as you are eligible to maximize your chances of being selected.
We communicate with you through the Student Awards Portal. Log in weekly to:
- See if you've been selected to receive an award (award offers expire within 10 days and must be accepted through the Student Awards Portal)
- Check for any notifications or application updates
- Find out if any action is required for your existing applications
- View and apply for new award opportunities for which you might be eligible
Students will receive notifications via email when selected for awards opportunities. Students must act on student award offers in the portal. Award offers expire within 10 days, so it is vital to check back often to make sure you don’t miss out.
For Spring award recipients, the award is split in two instalments with a portion going towards your Fall tuition and fees and the other portion towards your Winter tuition and fees (as long as you maintain eligibility and are in good academic standing). Fall award recipients will receive the full award value for Winter tuition and fees.