Refugee Scholarship Application

What Is It?

An annual scholarship providing financial assistance to refugees or refugee claimants, and who are pursuing post-secondary education. The scholarship amount may be $1,000 (but depends on the number of scholarships awarded in a particular year). Since it started in 2017, this scholarship has distributed $36,500 amongst 24 recipients.

Scholarships

Who Is Eligible?*

  • Individuals who either were granted permanent residence in Canada as refugees or are current refugee claimants,
  • AND reside in or have an immediate family connection to the Kitchener-Waterloo area
  • AND will be enrolled in a post-secondary institution in the 2025/2026 academic year
  • Note: Depending on the number of applications received for this scholarship year, the scholarship may be limited to a maximum of one person per household/family.

Applicants will be selected based upon evidence of:

  • Career aspirations — Why are you pursuing post-secondary education and what field are you interested in?
  • Community involvement — How are you involved in and giving in your community?
  • Financial need — Sharing your financial need for this scholarship in order to pursue post-secondary education.

*We recognize that some newcomers in Waterloo Region may be fleeing war and persecution but do not have formal refugee status, such as people fleeing the war in Ukraine or undocumented refugees. If you wish to apply for the Elevation Refugee scholarship and want to request consideration such as this, please email journey@elevationwaterloo.org to ask for more information.

Timelines

Applications opened: May 2, 2025

Application deadline: June 2, 2025

Scholarship selections announced: June 16, 2025

Scholarship funds disbursed: August 2025, or when confirmation of enrolment documentation is received in September 2025

How To Apply

To apply, you must complete our Scholarship Application Form, which includes:

  • A proof of enrolment document from your institution for the 2025/2026 school year. If you are starting a new program in September and this is not available to you yet, you can provide an acceptance letter or tuition invoice/receipt. Before scholarship funds can be disbursed, you will need to provide an official proof of enrolment document that you can download from your institution in September 2025.
  • A personal statement (maximum 3 pages written, or maximum 5 minute video) telling us about yourself and your educational journey, why you want to be considered for this scholarship, and the impact that receiving this scholarship would have on your life.
  • The names of two people that will provide a letter of recommendation for you. References should be people who know you. They would ideally include:
    1. an academic or professional reference, and
    2. a character reference – someone who can speak to your character.

    They could be people such as a teacher/professor, pastor/faith leader, social worker or community worker, or member of your sponsorship group. However, references should not be members of your immediate family or close friends; if this isn’t possible, provide the names of your two references and then explain why in your personal statement.

Recommendation Letters

Once you have submitted your Scholarship Application Form, please ask your two references to complete the Recommendation Letter Form.

Questions?

If you have any questions, please email: journey@elevationwaterloo.org.