Scholarships and Bursaries

Apprenticeship Awards are available to Keyano College students currently enrolled in apprenticeship training in the School of Trades and Heavy Industrial.

Applications

Open until June 30, 2025

Browse Apprentice Awards   Apply for Apprentice Awards 

Entrance awards are awarded to a student entering first year, full-time studies in select programs. 

Browse Entrance Awards 

Excellence Awards

Excellence Awards are awarded to students who are entering Keyano College in 2025-2026 from secondary schools within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. They honour students with demonstrated academic success during their high school studies.

Award Value

Maximum tuition amount of one year (Fall & Winter semesters only) of domestic university studies (approx. $5244 for 2025-2026).

Applications

No application is required.

All secondary school diploma exams must be written by the end of August. Eligibility is reviewed on an ongoing basis.

Criteria

To be eligible for the Excellence Tuition Waiver, you must:

• Graduate from a high school within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in 2025.
• Achieve an overall average of 80% or higher in the following five 30 level courses, with no individual mark lower than 70%:
  • English
  • Math
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • One other 30 level course
• Students must be registered full-time by the last day to add/drop for your program. Please view our Academic Schedule here.

Additional Details

• Students are responsible to pay all associated fees.
• Award recipients must be in good academic standing in the Fall 2025 term and remain registered as a full-time student to receive the Winter 2026 portion of the scholarship.
• These awards will be applied to student accounts 

Exiting Awards are awarded to full-time Keyano College students who have graduated or are continuing their program at another institution.

Browse Exiting Awards 

Keyano College has $425,000 in financial support available to registered students. Scholarships, awards and bursaries are granted to eligible students on the basis of academic achievement, financial need and/or community involvement.

Award Value

Varies depending on the award. View the complete list. 

Applications

Applications open: TBD

Applications close: TBD

Complete the Award application form and submit it, along with any supporting documentation.

Supporting documentation may include:

• Proof of Canadian Indigenous ancestry
• Proof of disability
• Letters of reference for volunteer activities
• Proof of income and expenses to determine financial need

Please refer to the instructions for each award.

Criteria

In order to be eligible for the Keyano College Awards Program, you must meet these criteria:

• Enrolled in at least nine credits, or 40% of the program load for students with a permanent disability.
• Have a 1.70 GPA or higher in the preceding year of studies.

Canadian Indigenous Ancestry

Some awards are granted only to students who are Status Indian/First Nations, Non-Status Indian/First Nations, Metis, or Inuit. You must provide proof of your Canadian Indigenous ancestry before your eligibility is determined.

Acceptable forms of proof include one of the following:

• Certificate of Indian Status, a status card or a valid band membership card
• Letter from your band verifying your status
• Metis membership card or letter issued by the Metis Settlements General Council
• A certified copy of a Nunavut Trust Certificate card or Inuit beneficiary card
• Letter of support from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) or Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated
• For a non-status person, a letter of support from an FNMI organization

You may not use previous declaration or non-declaration of Canadian Indigenous ancestry as a basis to determine eligibility.

Ratings Guide

Awards are judged using the following three categories. A rating scale of 1 – 10 is used to assess applications.

Keyano College has been gifted $500,000 from the Métis Nation of Alberta’s Métis Education Foundation and the Rupertsland Institute. Keyano has matched to establish a $ 1-million-dollar Metis Education Endowment Fund. The fund will provide financial aid to qualified Métis students to reduce the overall cost of education and the financial burden it can have. in 2024, the Métis Education Foundation donated an additional $125,000 to the Fund.

Number of Awards: The number of Métis Scholar Awards will vary from year to year and will be at the discretion of the Selection Committee which will meet annually.

Value of Awards: Métis Scholar Awards for Undergraduates will range between $1,500 - $10,000.

Eligibility: To be eligible for an award a student must:

• Be enrolled full-time time in any undergraduate or graduate program

• Demonstrate or explain financial need

• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better

• Be a Canadian citizen

Applications will also be assessed on the following Métis Education Foundation criteria:

1. The student cannot be receiving funding from any program at the Rupertsland Institute
2. The student must show proof of Métis ancestry by submitting one of the following documents:
   a. A current citizenship card from the Métis Nation of Alberta or; A certificate from the Métis Nation of Alberta
3. The student must be enrolled and confirmed in the Otipemisiwak Métis Student and Alumni Association.
4. The student must declare that their name will not appear on Canada’s Indian Registry or a Band list pursuant to the Indian Act, and is not an Inuk, or a non-Status Indian.
5. The applicant must declare that he/she is residing in the province of Alberta during their study period.
6. The applicant must declare all sources of student funding that the applicant is receiving including any financial support from a governing member of the Métis National Council, or Manitoba Métis Federation, or Alberta Métis Settlements.
7. An applicant must demonstrate current or recent involvement in the Métis community.
8. An applicant may supplement an application with information outlining the reasons for the chosen field of study, and how a Métis Scholar Award will impact the journey towards the completion of studies and career objectives.
9. An applicant who receives a Métis Scholar Award in one academic year may continue to apply for Métis Scholar Awards while continuing studies until graduation.

Selection Committee/Process: The awards will be determined by a Keyano College Selection Committee.

Apply for Métis Scholar Award

The Students’ Association of Keyano College (SAKC) is dedicated to supporting and encouraging student endeavours and pursuits. This is done by conferring a variety of awards and scholarships at the Students’ Association Awards Ceremony. The awards are funded through our operations account and casino funds. All student members of the SAKC are eligible for these awards, except members of the Executive Council.

Check back soon for information and application for 2024-2025 SAKC Awards! 

The Alberta Athletic Award recognizes and rewards athletic participation at universities, colleges, and technical institutions in Alberta.

Value

$1800

Eligibility Criteria

Applicant must:

• be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident or Protected Person (visa students are not eligible),
• be an Alberta resident, and to be considered an Alberta resident one of the following conditions must apply:
  • one parent, or legal guardian has maintained permanent residence in Canada for at least twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies and be residing in Alberta, or
  • Alberta is the last place the student has lived for twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies, or
  • the student was enrolled full-time at a designated post-secondary institution for two consecutive terms during an academic year, or
  • the student’s spouse/partner has maintained permanent residence in Alberta for 12 consecutive months prior to the person attending post-secondary.
    
    
• be enrolled in the second or subsequent term of an undergraduate or professional program at a publicly funded institution in Alberta in the current academic year.
  
  
• be enrolled in at least 60% of a full course load for the term. Institutions may determine what constitutes a full-time course load in each of its programs.
  
  
• be registered in the required course load in the fall and/or winter term. A term is defined as a study period of up to 17 weeks in length.
  
  
• have a minimum GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Students in upgrading or college preparation programs may be eligible after completing one term of upgrading but are only eligible for the award for a maximum of one year, provided they meet the athletic requirements. Students must participate on a sport team designated by the Alberta College Athletic Conference (ACAC) or the Alberta University Athletic Association (AUAA).

Apprenticeship students may be eligible after completing one period of an apprenticeship program. The student must show progress in their apprenticeship program.

Application Process

Submit your application to your post-secondary school team coach.

Selection Process

Athletic departments at your school will select eligible athletes for this award. Equal selection of male and female athletes is to be maintained where possible. All selections are confirmed by the Financial Aide Coordinator, who then applies the awards to the students' accounts.

Dr. Gary McPherson was an extraordinary Albertan who sought to improve the conditions and lives of people through his outstanding leadership ability. Despite being paralyzed due to polio, McPherson was a sports enthusiast throughout his life and helped to transform wheelchair sports into a worldwide sporting movement known as the Paralympics.

McPherson was also a leader and advocate for the disabled community serving as Chair of the Premier’s Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities and Vice-Chair of the Alberta Paraplegic Foundation. Gary received significant recognition and awards for his achievements including the prestigious Order of Canada, the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, the Alberta Order of Excellence, and both the Edmonton and Alberta Sports Halls of Fame.

Above all, Gary dedicated his life to his family and to activities that promoted community development and support for young people. Gary passed away on Saturday, May 8, 2010.

Value

$2000

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident or Protected Person (visa students are not eligible),
• be an Alberta resident, and to be considered an Alberta resident one of the following conditions must apply:
  • one parent, or legal guardian has maintained permanent residence in Canada for at least twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies and be residing in Alberta, or
  • Alberta is the last place the student has lived for twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies, or
  • the student’s spouse/partner has maintained permanent residence in Alberta for 12 consecutive months prior to the person attending post-secondary
• be enrolled full-time in a post-secondary program: undergraduate, professional, graduate, apprenticeship, diploma or certificate program at a publicly-funded institution in Alberta in the current academic year, and
• have shown outstanding leadership, especially in the area of disability, and/or initiative to improve the lives of other people while attending a publicly-funded post-secondary institution in Alberta, and
• be in satisfactory academic standing as determined by the post-secondary institution.

Selection Process

Selection will be made on the basis of the role and contribution each student has made to their school as well as the documentation provided with the application. There are a limited number of scholarships available to each school and application deadlines vary by school.

Application Process

Applicants must include with their application the following:

• a resumé highlighting your leadership involvement and extra-curricular activities related to improving the lives of other people
• an essay of up to a maximum of 1,000 words - please refer to page 2 of the application for details.

Collaborative degree students must apply to the institution confirming their degree

• University of Alberta
  • Bachelor of Education, years 3 & 4
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing, year 4
  • Northern Alberta Institute of Technology

You must have a GPA of at least 1.70 or higher in the preceding year of studies.

In the event that there are more applicants than awards, GPA will be a contributing factor in selection of the recipients.

Application Deadline

February 10, 2025

Download the Application.

Completed applications are to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar.

The Indigenous Careers Award encourages a larger proportion of Indigenous Albertans (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit) to pursue and complete post-secondary studies in certificate, diploma, applied degree, and bachelor’s degree programs.

Students must be enrolled in a certificate, diploma, applied or bachelor’s degree program. Students enrolled in apprenticeship technical training, integrated training, pre-employment or non-credential programs are not eligible.

All program bands are eligible for the Indigenous Careers Award.

Students in Collaborative degree programs must apply through the institution confirming their degree, including:

• University of Alberta
• Bachelor of Education (Years 3 & 4)
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (Year 4)
• NAIT
• Bachelor of Business Administration (Years 3 & 4)

Value

Students enrolled in full-time studies in both the Fall and Winter terms are eligible for $2,000 per term for a total of $4000 for the 2023-2024 academic year.  Students enrolled in full-time studies in the Fall term only or the Winter term only are eligible for $2,000.

Applications

Fall application deadline: October 11, 2024

Winter application deadline: January 31, 2025

Indigenous Careers Award Application 

Completed applications are to be emailed to FinancialAide@keyano.ca

Eligibility Criteria

In the event that there are more applicants than awards, preference will be given to students with the highest GPA and/or have not received this award in the past. 

Co-op students, students in brokered programs, and students who are participating in an official exchange are eligible.  Students must apply through the institution that will issue the post-secondary credential.

Eligible Keyano programs

The program eligibility criteria has been expanded to include all certificate, diploma, applied or bachelor’s degree programs.

Students enrolled in apprenticeship technical training, integrated training, pre-employment or non-credential programs are not eligible.

The scholarship recognizes and rewards Alberta post-secondary students for their academic achievements and encourages them to continue in their undergraduate or professional program of study.

Value

$1,000

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible an applicant must:

• Be a Canadian Citizen, Permanent Resident, or Protected Person (visa students are not eligible),
  
  
• Be an Alberta resident and to be considered an Alberta resident one of the following conditions must apply:
  • one parent, or legal guardian has maintained permanent residence in Canada for at least 12 consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies and be residing in Alberta, or
  • Alberta is the last place the student has lived for 12 consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies, or
  • the student’s spouse/partner has maintained permanent residence in Alberta for 12 consecutive months prior to the person attending post-secondary.
    
    
• Be enrolled full-time in the second or subsequent year of an undergraduate program at a publicly funded post-secondary institution in Alberta,
  
  
• Have achieved a minimum Grade Point Average of 3.2 on a 4.0 point scale based on an 80% full course load in the previous fall and winter terms.

Note: A term is defined as a study period of up to 17 weeks in length. Co-op work terms, internships or exchange programs may be eligible as long as these programs are a mandatory component of the undergraduate or professional program.

Students are not eligible for a Jason Lang Scholarship if they:

• Are enrolled in a one year certificate program,
• Do not return to a publicly funded post-secondary institution in the fall or winter terms of the next academic year,
• Are recipients of a Louise McKinney Scholarship for the same period of study, or
• Have received the lifetime maximum of three Jason Lang Scholarships.

Selection Process

Students who meet the eligibility criteria are nominated by the Student Awards Office at the Alberta post-secondary institution where they currently attend. If the student has transferred from another publicly funded post-secondary institution, the institution they currently attend will confirm the previous year’s eligibility criteria.

Eligible students will be contacted by the Financial Aide Coordinator by October 31, 2024 and January 31, 2025.

Value

$1000

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident or Protected Person (visa students are not eligible),
• be an Alberta resident, and to be considered an Alberta resident one of the following conditions must apply:
• one parent, or legal guardian has maintained permanent residence in Canada for at least twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies and be residing in Alberta, or
• Alberta is the last place the student has lived for twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies, or
• the student’s spouse/partner has maintained permanent residence in Alberta for 12 consecutive months prior to the person attending post-secondary
  • be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate program at a publicly-funded post-secondary institution in Alberta,
  • be involved in either student government or student societies, clubs or organizations, or involved in student organizations
  • at the provincial or national level or in non-profit community organizations,
  • be in satisfactory academic standing as determined by the post-secondary institution. 

Selection Process

Selection will be made on the basis of involvement and accomplishments in student government or student societies, clubs or organizations, or student organizations at the provincial or national level, or in non-profit community organizations, and a letter of reference. There are a limited number of scholarships available to each school and application deadlines vary by school.

Application Process

Applicants must include with their application the following:

1. A detailed description of your involvement and accomplishments in student government or student societies, clubs or organizations, or student organizations at the provincial or national level or in non-profit community organizations, and

2. A related letter of reference.

Collaborative degree students must apply to the institution confirming their degree

• University of Alberta
  • Bachelor of Education, years 3 & 4
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing, year 4
  • Northern Alberta Institute of Technology

You must have a GPA of at least 1.70 or higher in the preceding year of studies.

In the event that there are more applicants than awards, GPA will be a contributing factor in selection of the recipients.

Application Deadline:

February 10, 2025

Download the Application

Completed applications are to be submitted to the Office of the Registrar FinancialAide@keyano.ca .

The Louise McKinney Post-Secondary Scholarship recognizes and rewards students for their academic achievements and encourages them to continue in their undergraduate or professional program of study.

Value

$2500

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must:

• be a Canadian citizen, Permanent Resident or Protected Person (visa students are not eligible),
• be an Alberta resident, and to be considered an Alberta resident one of the following conditions must apply:
• one parent, or legal guardian has maintained permanent residence in Canada for at least twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies and be residing in Alberta, or
• Alberta is the last place the student has lived for twelve (12) consecutive months immediately prior to commencing post-secondary studies, or
• the student’s spouse/partner has maintained permanent residence in Alberta for 12 consecutive months prior to the person attending post-secondary
  • be enrolled full time in the second or subsequent year of an undergraduate or professional program at a publicly-funded post-secondary institution in Alberta,
  • be in satisfactory academic standing as determined by the post-secondary institution.

Students are not eligible for a Louise McKinney Scholarship if they:

• have been nominated for a Jason Lang Scholarship in the same academic year,
• are in a graduate program,
• are an apprentice, or
• are upgrading. 

Selection Process

Selection will be made on the basis of the role and contribution each student has made to their school as well as the documentation provided with the application. There are a limited number of scholarships available to each school and application deadlines vary by school.

Application Process

Collaborative degree students must apply to the institution confirming their degree

• University of Alberta
  • Bachelor of Education, years 3 & 4
  • Bachelor of Science in Nursing, year 4
  • Northern Alberta Institute of Technology

You must have a GPA of at least 3.20 or higher in the preceding year of studies.

In the event that there are more applicants than awards, GPA will be a contributing factor in selection of the recipients.

Eligible students will be contacted by the Financial Aide Coordinator.