Top 10 Canadian Scholarships for High Schoolers in 2026

A college scholarship can make a huge difference in supporting a student through college. This post covers the top 10 Canadian scholarships for high schoolers.

For clarity, the dollar amounts ($) for these Canadian scholarships are in Canadian dollars.

1. The Loran Award

• Description: one of the most prestigious and well-known undergraduate Canadian scholarships. It awards a $10,000 annual stipend, summer internship opportunities, and a mentor to support the student across four years of undergraduate study at a public institution.
• Eligibility: high school senior with a minimum cumulative average of 85%, holding Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status, at least 16 years of age.
• Amount: valued at more than $100,000 across four years.
• Deadline: around late October to early November each year.

2. TD Scholarships for Community Leadership

• Description: sponsored by TD Bank, this scholarship is highly competitive and prestigious. It supports students who have shown outstanding commitment to community leadership. Recipients receive summer employment opportunities, peer networking, and mentorship.
• Eligibility: high school senior with a minimum cumulative average of 75%, Canadian resident.
• Amount: up to $70,000 across four years.
• Deadline: around mid-November each year.

3. Horatio Alger Undergraduate Scholarships

• Description: these Canadian scholarships are for promising students with critical financial need who demonstrate integrity and perseverance in overcoming obstacles in their lives.
• Eligibility: grade 11 student in Canada, annual net family income under $65k, minimum grade of 70%, involvement in co-curricular and community service activities, Canadian citizen.
• Amount: $5,000.
• Deadline: around mid-March each year.

4. Terry Fox Humanitarian Award

• Description: established in honor of Terry Fox, this competitive program recognizes students who exemplify his humanitarian ideals through volunteering and giving back to their communities.
• Eligibility: graduating from high school, completing first year of CÉGEP, or having completed high school; in good academic standing; involved in voluntary humanitarian activities; Canadian citizen or landed immigrant.
• Amount: up to $28,000 over four years.
• Deadline: around December each year.

5. Schulich Leaders Scholarship

• Description: one of Canada’s most prestigious scholarships, Schulich grants full-ride scholarships at partner universities to students pursuing STEM.
• Eligibility: high school senior, demonstrated academic excellence, entrepreneurial-minded, pursuing an eligible STEM program at a partner university, nominated by their school, and a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
  • Special note: the program does not consider students focusing on activism, or those who intend to become a practicing physician or a professor doing theoretical research. See the program’s rules here.
• Amount: $120,000 for an engineering degree, $100,000 for a science, technology, or math degree.
• Deadline: late January for schools submitting nominees, late February for the scholarship application.

6. RBC Royal Bank Scholarships

• Description: the Royal Bank of Canada offers a variety of scholarship programs to students in Canada, from high schoolers to those enrolled in college.
• Eligibility: varies across programs, but all are open to Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
• Amount: up to $10,000 per year.
• Deadline: varies across programs.

7. Future Leaders in Technology & Business Scholarship

• Description: sponsored by the Lumine Group, this scholarship supports Canadian students from marginalized groups in their post-secondary education.
• Eligibility: proof of registration in an accredited finance or business post-secondary or post-graduate program for the application year’s fall semester, and self-identify as BIPOC, a person with a disability, a woman, or a member of the LGBTQ2S+ community.
• Amount: $3,000.
• Deadline: early June each year.

8. National Essay Contest

• Description: this program provides bursaries to high schoolers in Canada toward their post-secondary education at partnering institutions. Students submit an original 750-word essay written in French in response to the year’s prompt.
• Eligibility: in grades 10-12, enrolled in a French program of study, Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
• Amount: $1,000 to $20,000.
• Deadline: mid-December each year.

9. The Louise Joanne Twerdy Leadership Bursary

• Description: this program was created to honor Louise Joanne Twerdy, a compassionate voice for victims and survivors of impaired driving.
• Eligibility: Canadian citizens who have been severely injured, or who have had a parent, legal guardian, or sibling killed or severely injured in an impaired driving crash. Proof of injury and the relation to impaired driving is required. Must be enrolled in a full-time post-secondary program.
• Amount: $10,000.
• Deadline: May 31st of each calendar year.

10. AbbVie IBD Scholarship

• Description: sponsored by Crohn’s and Colitis Canada, this program supports students in reaching their academic goals while making an impact in their communities.
• Eligibility: diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, Canadian citizen or permanent resident, enrolled in or awaiting acceptance from a Canadian post-secondary institution for the upcoming fall semester.
• Amount: $5,000.
• Deadline: late May each year.

Conclusion

This post gives you a list of the current top Canadian scholarships to aid your search. Finding scholarships is one thing, though; actually winning them is another. We’ve prepared the ultimate guide to crafting a winning application for any scholarship to help support your education.