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Community Leadership Entrance Award

As of 2024, the Scholarships and Student Aid office is introducing a new entrance award to acknowledge and celebrate non-academic achievements such as leadership in, and active dedication to social justice, racial justice, and/or inclusion and community-building initiatives. This award seeks to reward Quebec students who have demonstrated values such as empathy, integrity, determination, and respect for others.

This award reflects the University’s commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion and is aligned with other McGill initiatives such as the Strategic Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategic Plan, the Action Plan to Address Anti-Black Racism, the 52 Calls to Action established by Provost Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education.

Goals of the Program

The program intends to:

  • Support new McGill students from underrepresented and underserved communities in Quebec.
  • Introduce an award to celebrate non-academic achievements.
  • Contribute to creating a sense of belonging and achievement for underrepresented students.
  • Celebrate the contribution of youth in fostering community development initiatives and dialogue between different groups in Quebec society.

Award Amount and Perks:

The Community Leadership Entrance Award amount is $5,000, non-renewable.

In addition to the $5,000 award, recipients will receive priority access to budgeting and financial planning with a financial aid counselor if desired. Additionally, recipients will have access to a special Career planning and Advising program crafted specifically for them.

This award is designed to be complementary to the existing merit-based Entrance Scholarship and need-based Entrance Bursary Programs and will not preclude applicants from also applying for consideration to these or other types of McGill financial aid.

Eligibility

The Community Leadership Entrance Award is restricted to students coming from the Quebec school system (CEGEP and Quebec high schools).

Eligibility criteria:

  • Canadian, permanent resident and refugee students coming from the Quebec school system (CEGEP and Quebec High School).
  • Newly admitted first-degree students (mature, transfer and returning students not eligible).
  • There is no academic requirements: Quebec students who have received an offer of admission to any on-campus Bachelor’s degree program are eligible (Law, Medicine, Dentistry not eligible). Attention: Do not wait until after you have received an offer of admission to apply for the Community Leadership Entrance Award.

Preference will be given to historically underserved and underrepresented communities in Quebec including applicants who self-identify as members of the following groups/communities (in no specific order):

  • Black, Indigenous, and People of Color
  • Youth from Care/former Youth from Care
  • Persons with disabilities
  • 2S&LGBTQ+ persons
  • Refugees and protected persons

Applicants who do not self-identify as part of those groups but have demonstrated exceptional commitment and/or leadership to social justice, racial justice, inclusion, or equity initiatives in their communities are encouraged to apply.

How to apply

All steps of the application and selection process are available in both French and English.

Applicants may select their preferred language of communication.

  • Deadline: March 22nd, 2024.
  • Submit the completed Community Leadership Entrance Award Application Form (form not available) by email to scholarships [at] mcgill.ca.
  • Students will be asked to provide verifiers contact information for their activities/achievements.
  • Pre-selection based on written application followed by one interview and final selection.
  • All applicants will be contacted by email before May 1st, 2024 to announce the results.
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