Scholarship application deadline is Feb. 19, 2015
TORONTO, Dec. 9, 2014 /CNW/ - An opportunity to make a real community
difference, an "eye-opening" chance to volunteer abroad and important
help with the financial burden of tuition - these are among the
benefits cited by past winners of the RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship as RBC begins to accept this year's applications.
The program provides $150,000 in scholarships to 15 of Canada's most
civic-minded students in three categories: Graduating High School or
CEGEP, First Undergraduate Degree or Diploma, and Second Degree or
Diploma.
Applications are now open and available online.
"Today's students aspire to make a difference in their communities and
in the world. We want to help students focus on what matters to them,
encouraging their civic spirit and academic goals, without having to
worry as much about paying for the increasing costs of school," said
Melissa Jarman, director, Student Banking, RBC.
According to Statistics Canada, full-time undergraduate students paid on
average $5,959 in tuition fees in 2014/2015, up 3.3 per cent from last
year.
In addition to the monetary scholarships, six Me to We Trips will be awarded to student applicants. To help students gain valuable
hands-on experience, RBC is offering students an opportunity to
volunteer in a Free The Children initiative abroad, working to help
build, support and teach within the communities.
Lauren Wilson had never traveled outside North America before her Me to
We trip in May 2014. Describing her experience as "eye-opening", the
Queen's University biology student said her volunteer work with a
health clinic in Kenya has reinforced her passion to pursue a career in
medicine and public health.
"I was exposed to a whole new culture and lifestyle that vastly differs
from the Western lifestyle. I learned aspects of life that we take for
granted, such as clean water and an abundance of food. I learned about
myself, my fears, and my passions," she said.
"Every day, young people across Canada are turning their passion into
action, and my brother Marc and I are thrilled that once again RBC
Students Leading Change Scholarships are celebrating the power that
these young people have to change the world," said Craig Kielburger,
co-founder of Free The Children. "As part of the scholarship,
recipients will have the unique opportunity to not only make a
difference in the world, but to also grow as a leader of social change
by learning from a new culture and connecting with a new community."
Brianna Desveaux is in the middle of her first year as a double major in
chemistry and mathematics at Cape Breton University. She offers three
hints when filling out the Students Leading Change scholarship
application:
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Talk about what you're passionate about.
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Include everything you've participated in. Nothing is ever too small.
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Be yourself. Don't try to sound like someone you're not.
To qualify for a scholarship, all applicants must be Canadian Citizens
or Permanent Residents with a minimum 70 percent average in their last
completed year of study. Students with a disability who attend or are
planning to attend post-secondary school on a part-time basis are also
eligible. Please see terms and conditions for full details. Scholarship recipients are selected for their
excellence in academics, but there is also a strong emphasis on civic
and volunteer engagement.
The RBC Students Leading Change Scholarship application may be
downloaded from rbc.com/scholarships. The deadline to apply is 3 p.m. EST on February 19, 2015.
About RBC Student Scholarships
Each year, RBC provides over $550,000 in scholarships (this includes the
RBC Students Leading Change Scholarships, RBC Aboriginal Student Awards
Program and Scholarship Program for the Children of RBC Employees).
RBC supports a broad range of community initiatives through donations,
sponsorships and employee volunteer activities. In 2013, we contributed
more than $104 million to causes worldwide, including donations and
community investments of more than $69 million and $35 million in
sponsorships.
SOURCE RBC
