Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships, Awards & Bursaries
Application 101 - Scholarships and Awards Information Session
The deadline to apply for Scholarships and Awards is March 1 and April 1, don't miss out!
General Requirements
Undergraduate entrance scholarships and awards are available to applicants who:
- are Canadian citizens or permanent residents, and
- are being admitted to a campus diploma or baccalaureate degree program, and
- have never enrolled in and attended TRU academic undergraduate courses with the exception of having completed up to 12 transferable university credits on a part-time basis.
Individual scholarships, awards and bursaries have further requirements. A final admission decision is not required to apply - you may submit your application while a program admission decision is still pending. Additionally, no transcripts are needed with these applications.
To Apply
All applications for 2024 will be submitted through myTRU.
myTRU
For scholarships and awards, submit only two references emailed separately as PDF to entrance@tru.ca by the deadline. We strongly suggest using the fillable PDF form below, which will provide us with the best information for adjudication. Handwritten reference letters will not be accepted. References may be emailed either directly from the referee or from the applicant.
All scholarships and awards are applied for through a single general application, and applicants are automatically considered for all possible scholarships and awards. All scholarship applications must be received and submitted within myTRU by the deadline (applications received after March 1 are only considered for awards). Bursary applications are opened by request, see below for more information and deadlines.
All successful scholarship applicants will be notified via email by April 15 at the latest. Only those with scholarship offers will be contacted directly. The status of your application can be viewed in your myTRU student portal at any time.
All successful award applicants will be notified via email by May 15 at the latest. Only those with award offers will be contacted directly. The status of your application can be viewed in your myTRU student portal at any time.
Writing Your Essay
All scholarship and award applications require an essay submission except for the President’s Entrance Scholarship. (Applications missing an essay or references will still be considered for President's Entrance.)
We strongly recommend writing your essay in Notepad or in a .txt document format (not MS Word) and adding it to your application through myTRU. Paste the finished essay into the application essay question section and review the pasted results before submitting the application to ensure correct punctuation, formatting, and that all your essay has been included.
Describe and elaborate on any areas of past leadership, service, and accomplishments such as positions or roles in student government, community and religious organizations, sports and athletics, music and art, clubs, and travel. Where applicable, explain how your development of grit in overcoming obstacles has helped you achieve your goals, and how your interactions with others in these activities are in alignment with TRU’s values of:
- inclusivity and openness
- community-minded interconnectivity
- a curiosity that embraces new ideas and risks change
- a sustainable approach to living
For more on TRU’s values and vision visit tru.ca/envision.
We are looking for both accomplishment and/or altruism. Please describe the nature and duration of each involvement. You do not need to explain or define familiar ongoing programs such as LINK and Leadership class other than noting your level of involvement.
Essays should be in the range of one to two pages (600 – 1200 words).
For helpful resources and tips for writing your essay, visit the Writing Centre's Resources page (under the "Undergraduate" tab).
TRU Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships
Application period: Dec 1 - Mar 1
TRU Undergraduate Entrance Awards
Application period: Dec 1 - Apr 1
TRU Undergraduate Entrance Bursaries
Application period: Apr 1 - May 31
TRU Assurance Bursary
Application period: Apr 1 - May 31
View all TRU Entrance Awards
TRU Undergraduate Entrance Scholarships
Eligibility
To be eligible, in addition to the general requirements above, you must:
- demonstrate a history of activities and/or accomplishments promoting strong to exemplary leadership, service, goal orientation, and the development of grit in overcoming obstacles (see Writing your Essay for details).
- have not previously attended any academic post-secondary with the exception of having completed up to 12 transferable university credits on a part-time basis.
- ensure two references are submitted by the application deadline (except President's Entrance).
- meet the minimum academic requirement of an 80% average based on grades in the best four academic Grade 11 courses including English 11. (Grade 12 fall semester courses may be substituted where appropriate in individual cases.)
Eligible applications are ranked based on essay and references; grades will be used only to determine eligibility and to differentiate closely ranked applications.
Deadline: March 1 (for scholarships only)
Only one application is required to be considered for the following five scholarships:
Alvin & Lydia Grunert Entrance Scholarship
1 scholarship valued at $30,000 (over four years, renewable) is offered
TRU Ambassador's Entrance Scholarship
Minimum of 6 scholarships of up to $24,000 (equates to a four year degree of tuition & fees) are offered
TRU Leadership Entrance Scholarship
Minimum of 15 scholarships of $5,000 each (applied to two semesters of tuition & fees) are offered
TRU Relocation Top-up Scholarship
15 scholarships valued at $500 each are offered
These scholarships will be awarded to entrance scholarship recipients who live a significant distance from Kamloops and must re-locate in order to attend TRU.
TRU President's Entrance Scholarship
Between 10 and 20 scholarships from $3,000 to $4,000 each (applied to two semesters of tuition & fees) are offered
The TRU President's Entrance Scholarship recognizes applicants who demonstrate academic excellence based on admission averages of at least 92% in the top four Grade 11 academic courses, including an academic English. (Grade 12 fall semester courses may be substituted where appropriate in individual cases.)
TRU Undergraduate Entrance Awards
Over 40 awards of $2,000 to $4,000 each (applied to two semesters of tuition & fees) are offered
Eligibility
To be eligible, in addition to the general requirements above, you must:
- demonstrate a history of activities and/or accomplishments promoting leadership, service, goal orientation, and the development of grit in overcoming obstacles (see Writing your Essay for details).
- not possess a post-secondary credential, but may have completed and be transferring prior post-secondary credit.
- ensure two references are submitted by the application deadline.
- meet the minimum academic requirement of a 70% average in Grade 11 courses (all courses included). Where prior post-secondary has been completed, a 3.00 GPA (on the 4.33 scale) or equivalent is required.
Eligible applications are ranked based on essay and references; grades will be used only to determine eligibility and to differentiate closely ranked applications.
Deadline: April 1
Preference will be given to applicants who are the first person in their family to attend university (first generation student).
Ten of these awards are regional and only available to students who have graduated from secondary schools within the TRU region,** but outside the city of Kamloops.
**The region will (approximately) be bordered by Hope, Lytton, Williams Lake, Valemount, Golden and Vernon, but excludes secondary schools in the city of Kamloops.
CIBC Entrance Awards
10 awards of $4,000 each (applied to two semesters) are offered
For students entering a degree program in Computer Science, Software Engineering or Business Administration, these awards will improve access for equity deserving students by overcoming barriers to success. If you believe you qualify, please clearly identify in your essay any barriers you face to pursuing a degree (including financial) and if you identify as Indigenous, Black, or living with disabilities.
TRU Undergraduate Entrance Bursaries
Application period: Apr 1 - May 31
Amounts range from $500 to $4,000
TRU has a very limited number of entrance bursaries available for resilient students entering a campus based undergraduate first credential who:
- will study full-time (minimum 9 undergraduate credits per term), but
- will face financial hardship even after accessing full-time government student loans & grants.
If you fit that profile, email entrance@tru.ca to request an application to be opened for you. Once we have opened an application, you can access the application using myTRU.
All Assurance Bursary applications will be automatically considered for other Entrance Bursaries, so only an Assurance Bursary application is necessary for degree program students wishing to be considered for all.
The Kaplash Family Bursary for Nursing
2 bursaries valued at $25,000 (over 4 years, renewable) are offered
For full-time students entering the Bachelor of Nursing program who are Canadian citizens of Indian descent (parent/grandparent emigrated from India) and demonstrate financial need. Preference to students with a B average or 3.0 GPA. Bursary is renewable throughout the 4 year program as long as the student remains in good academic standing.
If you fit that profile, email entrance@tru.ca to request an application to be opened for you. Once we have opened an application, you can access the application using myTRU.
TRU Entrance Awards
For a complete listing of all TRU entrance awards, including those applied for through SD#73 high schools, see the TRU Awards Guide. Select "Entrance Awards" in the "when the award is available" drop-down and then click the Continue button.
