Aird Scholarship

2008-2009 Aird Scholarship

Application Deadline:  April 25, 2008

Complete 2008-2009 Aird Scholarship Information, Instructions, and Application package.  

(The application package is available in an Adobe Acrobat format.  For information about viewing or printing an Adobe Acrobat file click here.)

General Information

In 1985 the Government of Ontario created the Aird Scholarship in honour of the Honourable John Black Aird on his retirement as Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario.

The scholarship is intended to help students with physical disabilities to study full time at a recognized Ontario postsecondary institution. It is hoped that the award will encourage a special talent or lifelong interest.

The scholarship is granted each year to two applicants who demonstrate outstanding scholastic achievement, motivation, and initiative. Each successful applicant receives $2,500.

Eligibility

To be eligible you must:

• have a physical disability that is a major, longterm impairment that severely restricts your activities;
• be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, protected person;
• be an Ontario resident. You are considered an Ontario resident if you have lived in Ontario for at least twelve consecutive months immediately preceding your registration in a postsecondary program in September 2008. This period may include time spent at an educational institution outside Ontario;
• plan to register in September 2008 in the first year of either an undergraduate degree program at a recognized Ontario university or a two- or three-year certificate program at a college of applied arts and technology or private postsecondary institution in Ontario;
• not have previously received an Aird Scholarship.

Application Procedure

Application Deadline

The application form and all supporting documentation must be submitted by April 25, 2008, to:

Aird Scholarship Selection Committee
Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities
Student Support Branch
PO Box 4500
189 Red River Road, 4th Floor
Thunder Bay ON P7B 6G9
Telephone: 1-800-465-3957 (toll-free)
or (807) 343-7257
Telephone Device for the Deaf: 1-800-465-3958

Supporting Documentation

You must submit the following documentation with your completed application form:

• a photocopy of proof of citizenship. Acceptable proof is a Canadian birth certificate, a certificate of Canadian citizenship, a Canadian Immigration Record, a protected person status document;
• a photocopy of your Social Insurance Number card;
• a copy of your secondary and, if applicable, postsecondary transcripts;
• any interim marks that are available before the deadline date. To be considered valid, interim marks must be submitted on school letterhead and authorized by a school official;
• a typed, one-page letter from you in which you have outlined your qualifications for the award, including scholastic achievement, motivation, and initiative.

In addition, you must ensure that the following references are submitted by the deadline date:

• Report 1 (see form attached) – an academic reference from your secondary school principal or postsecondary institution professor;
• Report 2 (see form attached) – a personal reference from an individual who is familiar with your extracurricular activities and outstanding characteristics;
• Report 3 (see form attached) – a medical assessment from a qualified medical doctor in which your ability to undertake the proposed study program is indicated.

Note: Under the Ontario Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, the use of Reports 1, 2, and 3 is mandatory. Other forms or letters will not be accepted as substitutes.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all documents, including Reports 1, 2, and 3, are submitted to the ministry by the deadline date. The ministry is not responsible for lost or incomplete applications.

Applications with incomplete supporting documentation will not be considered.

Selection Procedure

A selection committee consisting of at least three people from the academic community and social services sector will meet in June 2008 to choose the successful applicants. Each applicant’s motivation and academic potential will be assessed. You will be informed in July 2008 about the success of your application.