BURSARY
 

When a student submits an application for a bursary, gross family income, student income/assets, number of dependants at home and/or attending a post secondary school of education, if a student is living at home or in residence, etc, are all taken into account.

To be eligible for a bursary, a student must be enrolled at a post secondary school and:

• be a war veteran, or the child or grandchild of a war veteran, or
• be an Ordinary or Life Member of a branch of The Royal Canadian Legion, or be the child or grandchild of an Ordinary or Life Member of a branch of The Royal Canadian Legion, or
  
• be an Associate Member of a branch of The Royal Canadian Legion, or be the child of an Associate Member of a branch of The Royal Canadian Legion, or
• be a member of the Ladies' Auxiliary of a branch of The Royal Canadian Legion, or the child or grandchild of a member of the Ladies' Auxiliary of a branch of The Royal Canadian Legion

OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program)

Students are required to make an application to OSAP in order to be eligible for financial consideration under the Bursary Program. In order for a student to be eligible to apply for financial assistance through OSAP, the instituition to which he or she plans to attend must be designated by the Province of Ontario for OSAP purposes. If ineligible under OSAP, a letter from OSAP, confirming ineligibility must be attached to the application. A copy of the OSAP Notice of Assessment must be attached to the application, otherwise the application shall be considered to be null and void. The bank letter respecting the bursary is not acceptable.

How to Apply

Legion Bursary Application Forms are available at most secondary school guidance offices, and at the financial aid offices of most post secondary education instituitions. If you have difficulty locating an application form, contact the Legion branch nearest you. The responsibility for the completed application form rests with the applicant. If the application is mailed directly to the Ontario Command office without the proper information, endorsements, and/or documents, no consideration will be given to it.

• the applicant must apply for OSAP (see above)
  
• make sure you have the most recent version of the application (December 2007)
• the Royal Canadian Legion reserves the right to authenticate information prior to any decision made
  

  What to send in support of the application

• a copy of the Summary of your Full OSAP Application (7-9 pgs)
• proof of eligibility if application has no branch signature
• complete all information areas required  
• proof of income for the parents/guardians of the applicant
• faxed application is not accepted

The Process

The Ontario Command office reviews the application, ensuring that the applicant meets all criteria.

The application is then distributed to the District Committee Chairman as follows:

• If the applicant, his parent or grandparent is a member, the application is sent to the District Chairman of the District in which the branch denoted on the application form is located.
• If the parent or grandparent in question is deceased, the application is sent to the District Chairman for the district in which the applicant resides.
• If the parent or grandparent in question is not a member, the application is sent to the District Chairman for the district in which the parent or grandparent resides

Awards and allocations of funds

 

The maximum award to a student in each Academic/Scholastic year (September 1 to August 31 of the following year) will be $500, but the District Selection Committee may recommend a lesser amount. The committee will, in all cases recommend a dollar value for each bursary to be awarded. The decision of the District Committee is final.

Appoved Applications

Applicants, for whom assistance has been approved, will be notified by the Command Office upon receipt of the recommendation from the District Committee. Cheques will be mailed to successful applicants commencing in January, contingent upon confirmation by letter from the educational institution to the Ontario Command office, that the student in question has returned to school for their second semester. Students who fail to return to school for their second semester will not be eligible to receive an award.

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified by the District Committee if their application has been declined.