Released on December 3, 2014
This fall, the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship has been awarded to more than 12,000 students attending post-secondary education in Saskatchewan, totalling nearly $6 million in funding from the Government of Saskatchewan.
“We introduced the Saskatchewan Advantage scholarship program to help make post-secondary education more accessible and affordable for Saskatchewan students,” Advanced Education Minister Kevin Doherty said. “This support is an investment in our future and these students will help to keep our province strong.”
The Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship was introduced in 2012 to provide all new grade 12 graduates $500 per year to a lifetime maximum of $2,000 to be applied to their tuition costs at a Saskatchewan post-secondary institution. Since this program began, nearly 26,000 scholarships worth approximately $13 million have been awarded to support more than 16,000 students.
Students are eligible for the scholarship if they have:
- Successfully graduated from grade 12 in Saskatchewan, including Adult Basic Education and General Educational Development on or after January 1, 2012; and
- Are enrolled at a Saskatchewan post-secondary institution in a program that is recognized for Canada-Saskatchewan student loans (certificate, diploma, and degree programs) or an apprenticeship program with an April 1, 2012 or later start date.
Eligible post-secondary institutions apply for the scholarship on behalf of students. Students have up to 10 years after graduation to use the benefit.
"The Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship is another compelling reason to study in Saskatchewan,” University of Regina Students’ Union President Devon Peters said. “We know that our students love the program and we look forward to continuing working together with the provincial government in the future to make post-secondary education more accessible to students.”
“Students appreciate the provincial government’s investment in post-secondary education institutions across the province,” University of Saskatchewan Students’ Union President Max FineDay said. “But even more so, students appreciate the government investing in them directly with the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship.”
“The Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship helped lower the costs for my first year at the University of Regina,” University of Regina Student Braden Christopherson said. “This money, in addition to my other scholarships, helped me make the transition to post-secondary education.”
Since 2008, the Government of Saskatchewan has invested $5.5 billion in post-secondary institutions and students. In addition to the Saskatchewan Advantage Scholarship, this amount includes the Graduate Retention Program which provides up to a $20,000 refundable and non-refundable tax credit for graduates who live in Saskatchewan.
More information on the scholarship is available on the Ministry of Advanced Education's website at www.saskatchewan.ca/live.
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For more information, contact:
Aimee Pascua
Advanced Education
Regina
Phone: 306-798-3170