Scholarships

Scholarships

Internal Awards:

The Voices Scholarship Program consists of five awards: The Voices Bursary, the Marie Christian Award, the Reaching for the Stars Scholarship, the Honouring Our Youth Scholarship, and the Kiwiytin Scholarship:

The Voices Bursary is made possible through the fundraising efforts of Voices members and staff, and donations from the public.  Administered by The Winnipeg Foundation, this award of $1000 is given to a youth in or from care from any community in Manitoba, in recognition and celebration of how far you’ve come, and where you’re headed.

The Marie Christian Award (also known as the Lemonade Award) is a $1000 award is given to youth in or from care who embody leadership qualities including integrity, compassion, kindness, and bold audacity. Additional consideration will be given to youth who exhibit a positive attitude and determination to take sour circumstances and create delicious opportunities.

The Reaching for the Stars Scholarship, valued at $500, will be awarded to one female recipient in or from care in Manitoba who is attending post-secondary education, to help that young woman reach for the stars and obtain her highest aspirations.  The scholarship is sponsored by Chapter H of the Philanthropic Educational Organization (P.E.O.) of Winnipeg, Manitoba.

The Honouring Our Youth Scholarship, valued at $1000, is sponsored by the Child and Youth Care Workers Association of Manitoba (CYCWAM), a non-profit, volunteer association of child and youth care workers in the province of Manitoba.

The Kiwiytin Scholarship, is valued at $4000. This award is given to students in or from care who have a clear sense of their Kiwiytin (their North Star) and are taking steps in the right direction towards achieving their dreams.

The 2024-2025 Scholarship application will be available in May/June 2024.

Remember to save your copy to your device before filling it in. If you would prefer a paper copy be mailed to you, send us an email at ask@voices.mb.ca.

Other financial supports for pursuing post-secondary:

Provincial

The Keith Cooper Scholarship is available to young people who have been cared for by any of the four Manitoba Child and Family Services Authorities. The scholarship committee awards ten scholarships valued at $1000 each.  Recipients may reapply for the scholarship for an additional three years so that a student might complete a four-year university, technical or vocational program.  There is no age limit, but applicants must be pursuing their first degree or diploma. The 2023-2024 Keith Cooper Scholarship application is now closed.

The Marymound Bursary Program is open to young people who have received Marymound services for at least 6 months.  The application is due May 1st and October 1st of every year, and applicants must be under 30 years of age. Please visit the Marymound website for more information.

Futures Forward is a collaboration of agencies that work together to provide wrap-around services to youth in and from care, ages 15-29.  They are now responsible for accepting applications for the Tuition Waivers offered by post-secondary institutions here in MB.  They also distribute the Scholarship Guide (initially written by Shirley Delorme-Russell, alumni of care and scholarship queen), which is a great resource for all youth in and from care who are looking for financial support to pursue post-secondary education.

The following post-secondary institutions in Manitoba offer tuition waivers for youth in and from care. Tuition waivers (or Youth in Care Grants) cover varying educational expenses from school to school, but at the very least, the cost of your tuition is covered. Tuition waiver information are available on the Futures Forward website. The application deadline for tuition waivers is March 31st, 2024.

The Advancing Futures Bursary is available to all youth in and from care in Manitoba who are currently enrolled in a post-secondary program.  Awards range in value, up to $10,000.00 per award.  And there are a lot of them, so don’t be afraid to spread the word.  The 2023 Advancing Futures Bursary application is now closed.

National

Children’s Aid Foundation scholarships are awarded to youth in and from care up to their 30th birthday.  You must be attending post-secondary studies at a university, college, or trades program.  The 2023 deadline has passed.

The Storwell Bursary is an annual bursary of $2,000 in support of foster children to help them attend post-secondary schools and to offer a hand up as they make their way forward in life.  The 2023 applications are now open.