Our emergency grant is for unexpected financial obligations that impact you directly and prevent you from attending school. The grant is not for tuition and fees.
The grant maximum is $1,000 CAD for the majority of expenses, and $500 CAD for food.
Processing times may take longer during surges and in cases where documentation or payment information is missing.
* Course schedule must include student name, school name, courses and credit hours for each course.
** Eligible expenses must have been incurred within thirty (30) days of application submission to be considered for reimbursement. Expenses are for one–time emergency need situations and not meant to address long standing challenges. Students may select only one eligible expense category on the application. Acceptable documentation for eligible expense includes bills, invoices, and receipts. Documentation must include student name, third party name, address and phone number, itemized list of expense(s) and total expense.
The program will open on or after January 22, 2024, and the application deadline is May 15, 2024, or until all cycle funds have been disbursed; whichever occurs first.
If your expense is covered, apply now. If not, keep scrolling for a list of resources that might be able to help.
Because we can only accept one application per grant cycle, we recommend you submit your largest eligible expense.
This will take 10 minutes and a few specific items.
It’s more likely that we’ll be able to approve your request if you explain your emergency in detail. For example, “My car broke down” isn’t enough information. Instead say, “My car broke down and I’m not able to drive to work.”
Out of respect for your situation, we make the process as fast and simple as possible.
This is a rolling application, so apply quickly, because funds can (and do) run out.
We’ll let you know if your request was approved within one business day. You will be required to provide your SIN.
If your request was approved, you’ll receive the funds within three business days.
Still have questions? Here are the ones we get asked most often.
Grants will be sent to your home address via an overnighted check. If you request if approved, you will receive an email with an approval memo and instructions on how to send your SIN.
No problem there. In the application, you will be asked to provide a short description of your emergency. Use this space to explain why the bill is in your parent’s name (e.g. you’re living at home or it’s a shared account).
Unfortunately, no. The 30-day timeframe ensures that we’re prioritizing students in immediate emergency situations.
You have two weeks from when you submitted the application to provide the information needed to complete your application. If we do not receive the information in time, your application will be closed, and you will need to wait until the next cycle to submit another application.
If approved, the grant can be used to pay 50% of a bundled bill.
Emergency grants are designed to address short-term emergencies and cover grocery needs up to $500.
Contact us at the email at the bottom of this page and you will receive instructions for how to submit your application without a student ID number.
Here are some acceptable forms of proof of student enrollment:
Applicants will standardly receive first contact and/or approval within one (1) business day of submitting an application. However, we often experience surges that may require additional time. Just know that we do our best to review all applications as quickly as possible, and you will be notified via email as soon as a decision is made.
Grants may be considered taxable income. Scholarship America will be sending a T4A slip. Work with a tax advisor to determine if your grant is taxable
At Scholarship America, we have one passion—every student. That includes students who have to choose between paying a bill and staying in school.
We don’t believe any student should have that weight put on their shoulders. And that’s why we provide financial support, thanks to the partnerships we have with our donors and other passionate organizations.