À¦°óSM

Financial Aid and Awards

Awards, Scholarships and Bursaries

Awards, Scholarships and Bursaries are funding that the student does not need to repay.  

Whether you are starting your very first semester or continuing your studies, a student award in the form of a scholarship or bursary can help you achieve your goals. Awards are available for full-time or part-time students in certificate, diploma or degree programs.

OC awards

Application information

 In order to apply for awards, you must have an À¦°óSM ID number.  You can view and apply for awards through your myOkanagan account.

How to apply for OC awards

  • Login to your  account and select the Student tab.
  • Go to Financial Aid under the Financial column
  • Select Web Application
  • Scroll down the page to select an application to apply to
  • Select either All Campus Entrance Awards or All Campus Returning Awards as well as Indigenous Awards (if applicable)

SECTION 1: PERSONAL INFORMATION

  • Complete the required fields
  • Save section to continue

SECTION 2: QUESTIONS AND RESPONSES

  • Provide as much detail as possible as the Awards Committee reviews this information when adjudicating on awards
  • Save section to continue

SECTION 3: PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

  • Click on any attributes relevant to your situation
  • Save section to continue

SECTION 4: INCOME/EXPENSES WORKSHEET

  • À¦°óSM now uses a regional average cost of living; itemized expenses are no longer required
  • Complete the worksheet based on your study period, NOT the entire year
  • Applications with $0 income are considered incomplete.  Please outline how you will be paying for your semester's tuition.  For example, student loan funding, RESP, parental contribution, savings, etc.
  • Save section to continue

SECTION 5: AWARDS TO APPLY FOR

  • Read through the criteria for each award and click on the box on the left-hand side if you feel you meet the criteria
  • Go to the bottom right area and under Per Page, use the drop-down arrow and select 100 to view all awards available
  • Save section to continue

FINAL STEPS:

  • Click Save All Sections
  • If you get a spinning wheel, you may have to exit and return to the application to complete
  • Click Mark Application as Complete
  • Select Yes for the Declaration Page
  • Click on Continue which will take you back to the main awards page

If you have any questions, please email Financial Aid & Awards: awards@okanagan.bc.ca

 

If additional documents are required, submit them by email to awards@okanagan.bc.ca in either a Word or PDF format. Please include your student ID number in your email. 

Note: You do not need to submit the same document for multiple awards requiring it (e.g., reference letters, statements.)

Application dates

For self-identified Indigenous students

Fall semester
July 1 to September 15

Winter semester
December 1 to February 15

Summer semester
March 1 to May 31

For Students Entering their First Semester of Post-secondary Study at À¦°óSM

High School entrance awards
December 1 - March 8 (award deadline) / March 15 (documentation deadline)

Fall semester
July 1 to September 15 - All Campuses, Kelowna, Penticton, Salmon Arm and Vernon

Winter semester
December 1 to February 15 - All Campuses, Kelowna, Penticton, Salmon Arm and Vernon

Summer semester
March 1 to May 31 - All Campuses and Kelowna

For students who have completed at least one semester of post-secondary study at À¦°óSM

Fall semester
July 1 to September 15 - All Campuses, Kelowna, Penticton, Salmon Arm and Vernon

 August 1 to September 15 - À¦°óSM Tuition Bursary

Winter semester
December 1 to February 15 - All Campuses, Kelowna, Penticton, Salmon Arm and Vernon, À¦°óSM Tuition Bursary

For students who have or will complete their studies at À¦°óSM by June of the current year

Winter semester
Mar 1 to May 31

For trades students who completed their studies between July 2023 to June 2024

Trades Completion
February 1 to March 31

À¦°óSM International Study Exchange Awards (up to 10 awards of $1,500 each) for students going on study exchange, activity and/or experience. 

Deadline:
Ongoing until all available funds are committed.

Derek Cook Memorial Award for Global Exchanges (One or more annual awards of $500 each)

Deadline:
May 31.

À¦°óSM Global Education Mobility Grant for Domestic Students (One or more awards from $1,000 to $10,000 each)

Deadline:
Ongoing until all available funds are committed.

Exchange award applications must be submitted prior to going on exchange. Applications submitted after the exchange may not be considered. 

See the External Awards section for more information on exchange awards through other organizations.

High school entrance awards

À¦°óSM President’s Entrance Scholarships

Selection criteria and award details are currently under review and will be finalized before applications open.

À¦°óSM Community Spirit Awards

Up to 40 awards of up to $1000 for students entering full time studies in any university studies, degree or diploma program or any full-time certificate in Trades, Health or Continuing Studies.  Students must be registered in a minimum 80% courseload.

À¦°óSM Board of Governors Entrance Awards

Three or more awards of $1000 for students entering full time studies in any university studies, degree or diploma program or any full-time certificate in Trades, Health or Continuing Studies.  Students must be registered in a minimum 80% courseload.

Rick and Yasmin Thorpe & Friends Scholarship for Secondary School Graduates

Up to four awards of $2500 each for students graduating from a secondary school located in Penticton or Summerland.  Students must be registered in a minimum 80% courseload.

À¦°óSM Penticton Campus High School Entrance Scholarships

Two awards of $1000 for students entering the first year of full-time study in any university studies, degree, diploma, certificate or Trades Foundation program at the Penticton campus.  Students must be registered in a minimum 60% courseload.

Johnstone Memorial Award

Two awards of $2400 for students entering full-time study in the social, physical, biological sciences, humanities or visual, practical or performing Arts at the Salmon Arm Campus.  Students must be registered in a minimum 80% courseload.

Tony Sellar Leadership Entrance Scholarship

One award of approximately $800 for students entering full time studies in any university studies, degree or diploma program or any full-time certificate in Trades, Health or Continuing Studies at the Vernon Campus.  Students must be registered in a minimum 80% courseload.

McGillivray Entrance Award for Business

One award of up to $5500 for student entering the Business Administration degree or diploma program at the Kelowna Campus.  Students must be registered in a full 100% courseload.

À¦°óSM Board of Governors Chairs' Entrance Award

One or more awards of $500 for students entering full time studies in any university studies, degree or diploma program or any full-time certificate in Trades, Health or Continuing Studies.  Students must be registered in a minimum 80% courseload.

Highstreet Skilled Trades Fund

Up to four awards of $6500 each for students entering a full time eligible foundation construction trades program and who have graduated from a BC Secondary School in the last 18 months.  Students must be registered in a minimum 60% courseload.

Fall 2025 High School entrance awards application:  December 1, 2024 - March 8, 2025

**additional documentation will be accepted no later than March 15, 2025**

To apply for awards you will need apply through your myOkanagan portal.  Login using your OC student email address (typically firstname.lastname@myokanagan.bc.ca) and password.

Prior to logging in you may need to setup the following: 

  • Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA) on your mobile device to access your account.  MFA information can be found here
  • Once you have MFA set up, you should receive a prompt to create a new password.  If you encounter any difficulties, contact the IT Password Hotline at 250-862-5444 to secure your account, if you have not already done so.  
  • If you are having problems logging into your account, contact awards@okanagan.bc.ca for assistance. 

Awards requirements (as soon as available or no later than the documentation deadline): 

  • an interim transcript to be sent directly to the Financial Aid & Awards department  
  • at least one reference letter from their school  
  • additional references from community/extracurricular/leadership involvement may also be beneficial   
  • email all additional documentation to awards@okanagan.bc.ca 

Please see individual award criteria for specific course load requirements. 

Thank you matters

If you receive an award, we ask that you acknowledge the generosity of the donor(s) by writing a thank you letter. You can inform the donor of how their donation has made an impact on you, about your aspirations, activities and future plans.

To help students we have prepared a thank you letter template (Word Document). This is only a guide to help you compose your letter, your letter does not have to follow this format.

If you are a recipient of multiple awards, please write a letter for each donor contact (these details will be provided in your confirmation of award).

If you are attending an award presentation, please bring your Letter of Thanks with you.

External awards

External awards

External awards are administered by organizations and agencies outside of OC. You can find additional award information below. 

Lieutenant Governor’s Medal

The Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Inclusion, Democracy and Reconciliation was created to recognize students who excel in their studies and contribute to the life of their institution or community by promoting inclusion, democracy and/or reconciliation.

Eligible students include BC residents, out-of-province and international students enrolled in an eligible program of study at À¦°óSM and will be graduating this academic year.

Awards are made possible thanks to generous community donors.