RRC Polytechnic's Top 10 Tips for Applying to Awards, Scholarships, and Bursaries

Apply these top tips to your scholarship applications to increase your funding opportunities.

How will you fund your education? This is a common question every student must ask themselves. Luckily, scholarships, awards, and bursaries are great resources to help you minimize your tuition costs. Many scholarships will require you to submit an application, so Red River College Polytechnic has created the top 10 tips you’ll need when applying to scholarships:

1. Get started early

The best piece of advice we can offer is to get started early. Make sure you review the awards, bursaries, and scholarships to see which ones you qualify for and check the application requirements. By starting early, you’ll have plenty of time to collect all of the documents you need, write any essays, and contact your references.

2. Be accurate and complete

Your application should include as much detail as possible so you can ensure you’re eligible for the scholarships you apply to. A good practice is to double — or even triple — check your application to make sure you’ve filled out all of the information that’s required and that you’ve attached all of the documentation you need.

3. Be personal and specific

Applying to scholarships can be intimidating. How can you make the best impression on a committee who has never met you? Just remember to answer the questions to the best of your ability and be personal. Let your personality shine through your application to help the selection committee in their decision making.

4. Proofread your application

Don’t start off with a disadvantage. This is your shot to impress the selection committee, and that goes beyond what you say in your application. Make sure you pay attention to your spelling and grammar. Submitting an application with these errors can harm the committee’s perception of you as an applicant. Another thing to keep in mind is the word count limit. You don’t want to go over the word limit, but you also don’t want to extremely undershoot the limit either.

Also, keep copies of everything that you submit. You may need to resend a document or two, or you can base other scholarship applications on the answers you submitted for another one. Work smarter, not harder.

5. Choose your references carefully

Some scholarships may require you submit one or more references with your application. But, how do you choose the right person as a reference? You want someone who can speak to your personal skills and abilities and has worked closely with you for a decent amount of time. For example, a reference could be your teacher, employer, etc. Make sure you ask your reference in advance to get their approval, and provide them with the award criteria so they can cater their response to the scholarship.

6. Don’t miss the deadline

The last thing you want to do is put a lot of effort into a scholarship application just for the deadline to slip by you. This is why starting your application early is key. If you’re scrambling to get everything done, you may lose track of your time. It’s a good idea to check the scholarship deadline throughout the process of writing your application so you can stay on track and be aware of any changes to the deadline.

7. Ask for help

It’s never a bad idea to ask for help. Whether that’s simply having a friend proofread your application, or reaching out to the school with any questions you have, asking for help can only improve your application. If you need any assistance with RRC Polytechnic awards, feel free to drop into the Awards and Financial Aid Office or email financialaid@rrc.ca to set up an appointment.

8. Keep your contact information current

Always make sure the contact information you provide is current and checked often. You don’t want to provide an old email address as part of your application in case that’s how you’re notified if you won the award. At Red River College Polytechnic, you can update your personal information on HUB.

9. Follow up when you hear back

At Red River College Polytechnic, you’ll be notified through your student email account whether you have or have not received an award. If you’re offered an award, it’s nice to send a thank you — if your application is declined, you can ask for feedback so you can improve your application for future awards.

10. Continue trying

You never know which scholarship will be the one you receive. So, if at first you don’t succeed, try again. You can continue to improve your application by keeping up your grades, joining sports, demonstrating leadership, and participating in volunteer work.

Keep these tips in mind when you’re applying to scholarships, bursaries, and awards for a greater chance at success. For a full list of scholarship opportunities at Red River Polytechnic, check out the Awards, Bursaries, and Scholarships page. Good luck on your scholarship hunt!