There are athletic scholarships in Ontario, Canada for residents, other Canadian citizens, and international students designed to help student-athletes achieve their dream. This article brings these scholarships closer to your fingertips and you can apply for them right away if you meet the criteria and other eligibility requirements. Let’s get started.
Athletic scholarships in Ontario, Canada are scholarships awarded annually to student-athletes living in Ontario who demonstrate academic excellence and athletic ability in a certain sport. The scholarships are awarded to recognize students’ talent by funding their college education whilst they compete in a particular sport.
In several cases, athletic scholarship comes with other perks which may include free gym membership for a certain period, complete sports kit, ambassadorship, and more. There is also the recognition that comes with winning an athletic scholarship in Canada which can open you up to bigger and better opportunities. You could catch the eye of some coach or athlete in a top team of the same sports you play which could lead you to going pro after college.
Athletic scholarships in Ontario cut across the following sports:
- Basketball
- Hockey
- Cross country
- Swimming
- Cricket
- Volleyball
- Water polo
- Tennis
- Baseball
- Golf
- Rowing
- Skiing
If you compete in any of the sports above and want to continue competing at college level you could receive an athletic scholarship. However, the scholarships are not meant for new incoming students alone as continuing and returning students are also eligible for an athletic scholarship. However, there are certain requirements that one must meet to be eligible for an award.
New students are required to have at least an 80% overall average and be ready to compete in a varsity team to be eligible for an athletic scholarship, that is, the new student must join the school’s team in the sport they compete in. Also, the student must have been competing in his/her high school and provide proof of those competitions.
And if you are a returning student, you must maintain an average of 70%, be already on the school team, and participate in competitions. In Canada, there is a strong emphasis on academic excellence to win an athletic scholarship.
Athletic scholarships in Canada, Ontario included, are funded by universities, alumni, and athletic organizations like the Ontario University Athletics (OUA), NCAA, U Sports, etc., and are disbursed through the coaches of various varsity sports teams. Due to the huge influence that coaches have on who receives an award, which is usually based on their coaching philosophy and the amount of money allocated, so, it’s advisable to speak with your coach concerning an athletic scholarship.
Note that athletic financial awards in Canada do not exceed $4,500 per student-athlete and you can also apply for other scholarships, bursaries, and awards whose requirements you meet. For instance, new student-athletes can qualify for an athletic scholarship and an entrance scholarship at once. Even current student-athletes are not left out as they can also qualify for an athletic scholarship and other financial assistance programs for continuing students.
Table of Contents
Best Athletic Scholarships in Ontario
The athletic scholarships in Ontario are:
- The University of Toronto Varsity Blues Athletic Scholarships and Financial Aid
- Green and White Athletic Financial Awards
- Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) Athletic Scholarship Program
- Algoma University Athletic Financial Awards
- George Brown College Athletics Awards & Scholarships
- Loyalist Lancers Scholarship Program
- Ontario Tech University Athletic Scholarships
- Windsor University Athletic Scholarships
- Queen’s University Automatic Student Athlete Awards
- Brian Maxwell Memorial Scholarship
- OFSAA Character Athlete Award
- Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Scholarships
1. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues Athletic Scholarships and Financial Aid
There are 5 different athletic awards offered to incoming and current student-athletes who meet the specific requirements to win the awards. Some of them are presented only to a male and only to a female and some are presented to both male and female.
The athletic awards are offered annually and do not exceed $4,500 per student per academic year as per the regulation from U Sport and OUA.
2. Green and White Athletic Financial Awards
The above-named scholarship award is offered to new and current student-athletes of Trent University by respective team Head Coaches. The Green and White Athletic Financial Awards consists of scholarships, prizes, awards, and bursaries which are awarded each term to students who meet the requirements and eligibility criteria for the award.
Graduating high school seniors can also be eligible for this award but they must have been accepted into a degree program at Trent University and have an intent to join one of the teams and participate in competitions.
3. Ontario Player Development League (OPDL) Athletic Scholarship Program
This is one of the athletic scholarships in Ontario for student-athletes both new, current, and continuing students. The program was established in 2014 and has provided over $700,000 in grants to deserving athletes and families to offset the cost of participating in the OPDL program.
The value of the grant is between $500 to $1,500 per person. It is open to students and non-students as long as you are participating in the OPDL program you can be eligible for the grant.
4. Algoma University Athletic Financial Awards
Algoma University is a public university in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada offers a wide range of undergraduate and graduate degree programs to Ontario residents, other Canadian citizens and permanent residents, and international students.
Both new and returning students of Algoma University are open to multiple athletic awards but to be eligible for the awards, they must be participating on college teams and meet the requirements of the Canadian Interuniversity Sport (CIS) and OUA. Application is not required to win any of the awards, winners will be selected at the discretion of the Department of Athletics and the Scholarships & Awards Office.
5. George Brown College Athletics Awards & Scholarships
George Brown College is a public institution of applied arts and technology with three campuses across Toronto. The College supports the dream of student-athletes by providing them with a number of awards and scholarships but there are criteria to win the awards.
You must be enrolled in a full-time program at George Brown College and be an athlete of the institution to be eligible for the awards.
6. Loyalist Lancers Scholarship Program
Loyalist Lancers is the varsity team of Loyalist College and if you are on the team, you will be eligible to receive $1,500 per semester or up to $3,000 per season if you are on the basketball or volleyball team. The aim of this scholarship is to recognize students’ athletic talents and encourage them to strive for the best both in their academics and sportsmanship.
Only full-time students of Loyalist College who meet and maintain the academic requirements are committed to team practices and competitions, complete all fitness testing, and adhere to all the rules and policies of the athletic department can receive this award.
7. Ontario Tech University Athletic Scholarships
Ontario Tech University is a public research university in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. The institution joins others in Ontario to support the dreams of student-athletes by offering them scholarships. These athletic scholarships are only awarded to students – new and returning – who meet the requirements.
New students are required to have a minimum of 80% on their GPA while returning students must obtain a minimum of 2.7 GPA based on a full-time course load. The amounts and number of scholarships as well as the disbursement of the awards are at the discretion of the school and head coach of each team.
8. Windsor University Athletic Scholarships
Windsor University is a public research university with about 16,000 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs. The university supports the dream of student-athletes who are coming from secondary school. But they must have an 80% average to be eligible for the award. This athletic award can be won in addition to entrance scholarships.
9. Queen’s University Automatic Student Athlete Awards
Queen’s University is a research-intensive public school in Kingstone, Ontario, Canada. The university offers many generous athletic scholarships to students to support their athletic and academic aspirations. All the athletic awards at Queen’s University are based on grades and application is not required.
10. Brian Maxwell Memorial Scholarship
Brian Maxwell Memorial Scholarship is funded by the Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations (OFSAA). It is offered annually to three female and three male student-athletes enrolled in an accredited higher institution and on the varsity team. Applicants for this scholarship must be nominated by the head coach of that particular team.
The scholarship value is $5,000 and preference is given to students whose character is reflective of qualities that Brian Maxwell demonstrated while he was alive.
11. OFSAA Character Athlete Award
OFSAA Character Athlete Award is one of the athletic scholarships in Ontario awarded yearly to two male and female student-athletes who embody OFSAA’s values of leadership, commitment, equity, respect, and sportsmanship. This scholarship comes with less financial assistance but more perks that will bring you recognition across the nation.
12. Ontario Hockey League (OHL) Scholarships
The Ontario Hockey League offer scholarships every season to OHL player to cover the cost of their tuition, textbooks, and other fees for a full year. The recipient must already be enrolled in an accredited college in Canada or the enroll the next year.
Conclusion
To recap, the scholarships curated in this blog post are athletic scholarships in Ontario which means you have to be an athlete competing in any sport to be eligible to receive them, and that isn’t all. You also have to meet the academic requirement of 80% for incoming students and 70% for returning students.
Most of the athletic scholarships on this list are offered by universities in Ontario which means you must be a student of that particular school, be on one of the teams, and still meet the academic requirements above to be eligible for the awards.
All of the awards discussed here are offered annually, so, if you missed them this year you can check in again next year.
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