Did you know that UNBC (the University of Northern British Columbia) gave out $3.5 million in scholarships and bursaries last year? Yeah, that's right, 3.5 million dollars! In fact, at UNBC one in four students received some sort of scholarship or bursary.

Universities across the country give out millions of dollars in financial aid every year to deserving students of all types. Want to know how to take advantage of financial awards offered to post-secondary students?

Well, let's work through the steps together.

Step 1: Applying for school

The first step is to apply! You won't be eligible to apply for most scholarships from universities until you've submitted an application for admission. So, what are you waiting for? Apply to UNBC today!

Step 2: Applying for awards

Once you've applied, you can start applying for awards ASAP. Everything from GPA-based awards to leadership awards. There are even awards specific to academic programs! You can view awards online on university websites, and through ScholarshipsCanada's featured scholarship section.

Note that each university and scholarship may have different requirements. Some scholarships require specific grades and others may require you to answer questions or write an essay. Either way, it's worth it to take the time and apply!

Step 3: Check out your financial aid options

Don't stop there! There are so many scholarships offered locally, provincially and federally to students entering their first year. Check out UNBC's Financial Aid website to see a bunch of resources for non-UNBC awards. A quick Google search with the phrase 'scholarships in Canada' will also do the trick! Be mindful of deadlines, as they occur throughout the year.

And that's all it takes. Now, go get that bread!

HOT TIP: don't forget to continue to apply for scholarships once you've been accepted to university. There are specific in-course scholarships and bursaries that you're going to want to get in on! And new scholarships are announced all the time, so keep your eyes open for the latest awards.

If you have questions regarding UNBC specific awards and you've already applied to UNBC, feel free to reach out to our Awards office at awards@unbc.ca.