The Jean Lumb Foundation's 28th annual scholarship program is open now for applications! Awards of $1,000 each are open to Canadian high school students — grades 9 through 12 — of Chinese heritage. Plus, new for 2025: an award for a current college or university athlete, and an award for a 4th-year student (or resident) in Family Medicine.

You can apply for one or more of the awards, but beware you'll need a separate application for each! Let's look at what's available this year from the Jean Lumb Foundation. But first, let's take a moment to learn about Jean herself.

The story of Jean Lumb

Jean Lumb (nee Wong), one of twelve children, was born in Nanaimo, B.C. She left school at the age of 12 to work and support her family. In 1935, she moved to Toronto and opened her own grocery store at the age of 18.

Jean Lumb was the first Chinese Canadian woman to receive the Order of Canada for her tireless community work. Most notably, she was recognized for her pivotal role in changing Canada's immigration laws that separated Chinese families and for her contribution in saving Chinatowns in Toronto and other cities.

This is a condensed version of Jean's many achievements: for the full story, visit the Jean Lumb website.

Jean Lumb Foundation scholarships for 2025

Here are the scholarship categories for this year. New for 2025, we've got a couple of awards for current college or university students, too.

Curious what these scholarship categories represent, exactly? Find a full breakdown, with definitions for each award, here on the Jean Lumb Foundation's page.

Bonus scholarship for a University of Toronto - Scarborough applicant

On top of the scholarships outlined above, a separate entrance award will automatically be offered to a Jean Lumb Foundation applicant who enrolls at the University of Toronto - Scarborough campus.

No application is required for this special entrance scholarship; if you apply for a Jean Lumb award, you'll be considered for the University of Toronto - Scarborough award too.

How to apply for a Jean Lumb Foundation scholarship

To be eligible for a Jean Lumb Foundation scholarship, you must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident, of Chinese heritage, attending high school in Canada, with plans to attend college or university. If you've already won a Jean Lumb Award in the past, you're no longer eligible (but you could always become a donor!).

International students in Canada on a study permit are not eligible to apply.

Eligible students are welcome to apply for more than one scholarship, but a separate application form submission is required for each award.

Jean Lumb Award application process

To apply, you'll need to fill out the online form. The deadline to submit your completed application is May 20, 2025!

Completing your Jean Lumb Award application

The application form itself is pretty simple. Here's what you'll need:

• A summary of your achievements in 500 words or less (mandatory) — this is often known as a "personal essay"
• A copy of your resumé (mandatory)
• A transcript of your courses and grades (for the Academics award only)
• At least two reference letters (mandatory). At least one reference letter should be from a staff member at your school
• Samples of artwork, news articles, and so on (optional)

Jean Lumb Awards 2025 deadline: May 20, 2025

Be sure to get your completed application, with supporting documents, submitted online by May 20, 2025, at 11:59 PM Eastern. Late applications will not be accepted.

So, if you're interested in a Jean Lumb Award, complete the application form before the May 20 deadline. If you've got questions about the scholarship program or its requirements, please visit the Jean Lumb Awards FAQ page, or send an email to [email protected].