Financial Aid Information and Opportunities for the Students of Centennial Secondary School

2017-2018

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

FOR FINANCIAL AID AND APPLICATIONS TO POST-SECONDARY INSTITUTIONS, STUDENTS SHOULD RESEARCH WHERE AND HOW APPLICATION FORMS MAY BE OBTAINED. IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE STUDENT TO CHECK DEADLINE DATES (AND CHECK THE APPROPRIATE WEB SITE FOR THE CURRENT DEADLINE IF ONE IS NOT LISTED) OBTAIN APPLICATION FORMS, COMPLETE THE NECESSARY DOCUMENTATION AND MAKE THEIR SUBMISSIONS BEFORE THE DEADLINES.

Some Options for Paying for your Post-Secondary:

Government Student Loans: This is money from the Federal and Provincial government that you pay back once you have graduated. No payments are made and interest does not accumulate until 6 months after graduating or leaving school. The amount of the loan is determined by a combination of factors: educational costs, family income and other student resources (eg. RESPs, etc).

Bank Student Loans—Student Lines of Credit: This is a revolving line of credit, which means that instead of taking all the money up-front, you arrange to have an amount of money available to you each year—your credit limit. You can borrow all or any of it, at any time — and you can reuse any of it as soon as you repay it.

Scholarships: These can be based on personal merit, academic achievement, extracurricular activities, sport prowess, ethnic background or any combination of these aspects or other attributes. There are many types of scholarships. Entrance scholarships are given to high school students entering a post-secondary school for the first time. Local scholarships are for students from a small defined area i.e.you are not competing with the country or province for the scholarship/bursary. Scholarships do not have to be repaid.

Find out more about our local scholarships at the next scholarship meeting onFebruary 8th2018.

Bursaries: This money is awarded predominantly based on the degree of financial need, but academic standing and extracurricular activities may also be considered. Bursaries do not have to be repaid.

Awards: Awards recognize skill or accomplishment and may or may not be monetary.

Searching for Scholarships

  • Start with your own activities.
  • Check out any organizations you are involved with for scholarships (your work, sports organizations, your church, etc.)
  • Become familiar with the financial aid page of the school(s) to which you intend to apply. Put the school name into the search engine + “financial aid” to find the page for that school. Here are some local sites to get you started:
  • SFU:
  • UVic:
  • UBC:
  • Douglas College:
  • Branch out to your family’s involvements
  • Parents’ place of work, union, or any religious or ethnic organizations your family may belong to, etc.
  • Talk to people you know; talk to people in the know:
  • Your counselor, teachers, andMrs. Healey Wrightin the Career Center.
  • Drop by the Career Center regularly.
  • Read the Informer daily.
  • Check the school website: Career Center is under Programs and Services (blue bar on the top); then hit the Financial Aid button to navigate to that page.
  • Read local newspapers, social media—are you a member of the Dr. Charles Best Facebook page? Do you follow Best Twitter?
  • Do some online research
  • Here are some online search engines for scholarships:

Provincial Scholarships Program

  • The program’s purpose has been revised as follows: to recognize student achievement and encourage students to pursue post-secondary education
  • Under the revised program, all scholarships will be vouchers to be used upon registration and payment of tuition at a designated post-secondary institution
  • District/Authority Scholarships will consist of vouchers only. A new area of recognition has been added: Indigenous Languages and Culture

Secondary School Apprenticeship (SSA) students are eligible for the SSA Award; however it is no longer being administered under the Provincial Scholarships Program. The SSA Program Guide has additional information about criteria and procedures related to this award. Information is available at Apprenticeship and Trades

BC Excellence Scholarships (School nomination)

The BC Excellence Scholarship is a $5000 scholarship awarded to 55 students, recognizing well-rounded graduates demonstrating community service and leadership, both inside and outside of their schools, as well as commitment and aptitude for their chosen career paths.

  • Recipients should exemplify competencies such as communication and digital literacy; critical thinking and problem-solving; collaboration and leadership; personal and social responsibility; global and cultural understanding; and creativity and innovation.
  • Each public and independent secondary school in BC may nominate one eligible student, who may then make application for this scholarship through his/her school district or independent school authority.
  • Districts/authorities must submit application packages on behalf of their nominees to the Ministry by March 31,2018. Nominees must meet basic eligibility requirements (see p. 106), and be enrolled in or graduated from a BC Grade 12 graduation program and be eligible for a BC Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma) by August 31st of the school year in which they are nominated.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Nominees’ applications will be rated on the following criteria. Nominees must:

  • Meet basic eligibility requirements.
  • Be in their graduating year, with graduation to occur by August 31 or sooner of the year in whichthey are nominated.
  • Have at least a “B” (73% or above) in their Language Arts 11 final mark and have at least a “B” averagein Grade 11 final course marks that fulfill graduation requirements of Science 11, Math 11 and SocialStudies 11, with no more than one “C+” (67% or above) final course mark. Marks lower than “C+”are not accepted.
  • Maintain a “B” average in Grades 11 and 12 final course marks required for graduation.
  • Submit a resume.
  • Provide two references, one from their community and one from their school.
  • Provide a written statement (maximum 500 words) describing:

• what lead them to their community service, volunteer activity, and/or leadership role

• what they learned from this involvement

• how these skills/experiences will benefit them in their chosen career path

NOMINEE’S APPLICATION PACKAGE

Nominees must complete the Ministry’s application package and submit it to their district/authority office.

Districts/authorities must forward the application package to the Ministry by March 31, 2018, for

adjudication by the selection committee.

Application information is available at:

A student cannot win both a BC Excellence Scholarship and a Pathway to Teacher Education Scholarship.

BC Achievement Scholarships

  • The BC Achievement Scholarship is a $1250 scholarship that recognizes broad achievement in courses which meetgraduation program requirements. 8000 are available in the Province.
  • The Ministry will determine recipients based on students’ achievement in Grades 10, 11, and 12 courses that satisfy graduation program requirements (including elective courses). Grad Transitions will not be included. A cumulative average percentage will be calculated and form the basis for awarding the BC Achievement Scholarship.
  • Recipients must meet basic eligibility requirements (p. 106), in addition to attaining a “B” (73% or above) or better average in their Language Arts 12 course (English 12, Communications 12, Français langue premiere 12, or English 12 First Peoples).

Students do not apply for this Scholarship. A student can receive only one BC Achievement Scholarship in their lifetime.

District/Authority Scholarships

The District/Authority Scholarships reward graduating students for excellence in their chosen field of interest or strength. These scholarships are intended to assist with tuition for post-secondary education.

The Ministry will allocate 5500 scholarships pro-rated to school districts and independent school authorities based on each district’s September 30th Grade 12 enrolment. The scholarship will now be a $1250 voucher that can be used toward post-secondary education tuition. Students who win these awards will receive their voucher in the fall after graduation.

QUALIFYING FOR A DISTRICT/AUTHORITY SCHOLARSHIP

To win a scholarship, a student must apply and:

  • Meet the basic eligibility requirements
  • Meet criteria determined by the local scholarship committee, which requires a student to demonstrateoutstanding achievement in any of the following areas:

• NEW: Indigenous Languages and Culture, demonstrated at school or in the community

• Fine Arts (e.g., Visual Arts, Dance, Drama, Music)

• Applied Skills (e.g., Business Ed, Technology Ed, Home Economics)

• Physical Activity (e.g., Athletics, Dance, Gymnastics, not limited to Physical Education)

• International Languages with Integrated Resource Packages (IRPs) or External

Assessments,including AP and IB courses

• Community Service (Volunteer Activity), demonstration of local and globalissues

and cultural awareness

• Technical and Trades Training (e.g., Carpentry, Automotive, Mechanics, Cook Training)

Fulfill the BC Graduation requirements of either the 2004 Graduation Program or the

Graduation Program by August 31st of the student’s graduating year

APPLYING FOR A DISTRICT/AUTHORITY SCHOLARSHIP

Students should apply in the year they are graduating directly to their local scholarship committee,

established by the local Board of Education. Decisions made by each local scholarship committee are final. Applications will be available at our next scholarship meeting inFebruary 2018.

Pathway to Teacher Education Scholarships

The Pathway to Teacher Education Scholarship (PTES) is a $5000 annual scholarship that recognizes

exceptional Grade 12 students planning to enter the field of K-12 teaching. The PTES will be awarded

to 20 graduating students intending to enter a BC faculty of education program. This new scholarship

will support outstanding students in pursuing a career path in K-12 teaching. Scholarship winners will be

awarded a $5000 voucher.

The application deadline is February 15th, the Ministry will not accept applications unless they are received bythis date. Before you start your application, make sure that you meet all eligibility requirements. Use thefollowing checklist to be sure that you have all the required documents before beginning. Applications thatdo not include all required elements will not be considered.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS:

  • Must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (landed immigrant) at the time of writing the provincialexams.
  • Must be a BC resident.
  • Must be enrolled in or graduated from a BC Grade 12 graduation program and be eligible for aBritish Columbia Certificate of Graduation (Dogwood Diploma) by August 31st.

SELECTION CRITERIA. YOUR JOB APPLICATION WILL BE RATED ON THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA.

YOU MUST:

  • Be in your graduating year with graduation to occur by August 31 or sooner of the year in which you areapplying.
  • Have at least a B in your Language Arts 11 final mark and have at least a B average in the three Grade 11 final course marks that fulfill the graduation requirements of Science 11, Math 11 and Social Studies 11, with no more than one C+ final course mark. Please note: marks lower than C+ are not accepted.
  • Maintain a B average in all Grade 11 and Grade 12 final course marks required for graduation.
  • Complete a resume.
  • Provide two references, one from your community and one from your school.
  • Show evidence of your commitment to and aptitude for a teaching career by responding to a writtenresponsequestion.

Secondary School Apprenticeship

A $1,000 scholarship is available for students who are registered apprentices with the Industry Training Authority (ITA) and successfully complete 16 credits of Ministry-Developed SSA courses, which are based on 480 hours of paid workplace training.

For info go to www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/education-training/k-12/support/graduation/getting-credit-to-graduate/career-and-skills-training/apprenticeship-and-trades/secondary-school-apprenticeship-ssa. The SD43 contact is Brett McLean.

Student Loan Program - Student Aid BC

Information at

Apply on-line at

Apply late May or Early June for the following September.

B.C. Student Loans offer interest-free assistance to students enrolled in full-time study at post-secondary institutions. Payment of principal and interest start six months after the student ceases full-time studies. NOTE: If you will be living at home your family income may be a factor in the amount of money available to you. You may have to supplement with a Student Line of Credit. There is a complex assessment process. Start your research early.

Work/Study Programs

House of Commons Page Program

First-year university students are employed to provide a messenger service to Members of Parliament in the Chamber. Successful candidates (competitive entry) will be employed for a period of one year and earn $13,633 in 26 equal payments over a 12-month period. $1,200 is paid at completion.Schedules are planned to accommodate both the university and the House timetables (14 hrs/wk). Students must apply either to the U of Ottawa or Carleton University.

Senate Page Program

The Senate Page Program is similar to the Parliamentary Page Program, but with a few key differences: the program pays between $12,000-$20,000 (see website for salary details) and the position is renewable for a second year. There are only 15 Senate Page positions.

The Canadian Armed Forces Regular Officer Training Program (ROTP) is available to students who wish to attend either a Canadian civilian university or a Canadian military college and who might enjoy either a short-term or a career-length period of service as an officer in the Canadian Armed Forces.

Contact:Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre
620 Royal Avenue New Westminster
Vancouver, British ColumbiaV3M 1J2

Royal Canadian Military College:

Thinking of going to University outside of BC?

For schools in the rest of Canada:

  • Apply early to Eastern Universities. Deadlines vary. Ontario schools prefer out of province applications by mid-January.
  • For Ontario Universities apply online:
  • Become familiar with the school’s financial aid page.
  • Attend as many university information sessions/post-secondary events as you can.
  • They will be advertised in the Centennial Today—make sure you check it regularly.
  • Info sessions also posted in the Career Center.
  • Our BC Post-Secondary Institutions (BC PSI ) Day brings BC post-secondary institutions to Centennial This is scheduled for Oct. 16th.
  • Listen to announcements, read the Centennial Today and check the Career Centre website & Post Secondary page regularly!!

For American Universities and Colleges:

  • If you haven’t already, plan to write a SAT exam asap; visit more info, practice exams and to register.
  • Also write the ACT test info at
  • Generally the January SAT sitting is the latest date where post-secondary schools will receive the result to meet admission deadlines for the following Sept. Safer to take it by December. Some schools require SAT subject tests as well as the general SAT. These cannot be done at the same sitting!
  • Check the admission requirements of the school you plan to attend—they vary widely between schools!
  • Useful sites:
  • Official US source of info on higher education in the USA
  • booklet
  • a comprehensive search engine for US universities and colleges and what tests (SAT, ACT etc.) are required
  • NCAA Guide for Canadian students:

- Determine your eligibility, find out about SAT minimal requirements and review a list of which colleges/universities offer your sport of interest.

- Students should start early in the process, (grade 10 or 11), as applications and meeting athletic as well as academic requirements can be complicated and take a great deal of time.

STUDYING ABROAD

  • Financial aid for Canadians studying abroad is generally scarce, though it does exist.
  • Check eligibility rules for scholarships; some have restrictions on the location of schools the scholarship can be applied to; others have no restrictions.
  • Some useful websites:

Canadian Information Centre for International Credentials

Financial assistance for Post Secondary Education

Canadian Bureau for International Education

Thinking of taking a year off? Work, Volunteer and/or Travel Abroad:

Canada World Youth/Jeunesse Canada Monde (CWY)

CWY provides a variety of programs, in over 20 countries around the world, for youth between the ages of 15 and 35 looking to gain leadership experience through participation in community-driven development projects. Participants must raise some money from their home community towards their admission into CWY. Costs incurred during the program (food, lodging, transportation) are covered.

More websites:

site on exchanges.

Online Magazine for “travel with a purpose”

for profit program of the Canadian Federation ofStudents

program from Travel Cuts

charity specializing in global volunteering for 17-25 year olds.

company organizing study, internship, and work abroad programs

SCHOLARSHIP CHECKLIST AND TIMELINE

SEPTEMBER & OCTOBER

□Confirm you are taking the prerequisite courses for the BOTH the institution andtheprogram you wish to apply to.

□Ask your parents to check with their employers, unions and any organizations, to which they belong, as to whether there are any scholarships or bursaries available through them asap.

□Read all applications carefully, complete accurately; and get them in on time (watch internal and external deadlines)

□Start a Financial Aid/Post-Secondary file now - keep all information about post-secondary institutions and financial aid

Start with this booklet

Prepare a “brag sheet” or academic resume with all your awards, extracurricular activities,

sports, and other accomplishments. This should organized so thatyou can use it not only as a source document for your application essays but also as anoutline of your work for those writing your reference letters or for the school to use whenselectingscholarship nominees.

Check that you meet the criteria. Follow all instructions for application. If the application requires a letter, make sure the letter is neat, accurate and legible. use 8.5" x 11" white paper one -sided

  • include identity, academic standing, participation in school, community activities andyour plans for the future
  • be straightforward, concise and unemotional
  • check whether application may be typed or must be handwritten.
  • Keep copies of reference letters requested, if you are given access to them. (Make an appointment with Administrators if you would like a reference letter. Be sure to have a completed brag sheet when you meet her).

□If English is not your first language check English Proficiency (EPI) requirements at the post-secondary schools you are applying to.