Youth in Extended Society Care

If you grew up in the care of the Canadian Children’s Aid Society, you may be eligible for Western funding to cover your tuition at Western. For up to 20 students (5 students per year for 4 years), we offer to cover:

    • Tuition for up to 4 years of full-time studies at Western main campus.
    • Ancillary fees for up to 4 years.
    • Books & supplies for required courses for the module(s) the student is pursuing.
    • Funding is provided through a combination of scholarships, need-based awards, and bursaries.

Eligibility Criteria

  • You will or have expired out of extended society care without being publicly adopted.
  • You are applying to a first-entry program at Western University main campus.
  • You receive an offer of admission to Western main campus and meet the final admission conditions on your offer.
  • You are planning to enroll in full-time fall term studies and complete an undergraduate degree in four years.
  • You must be eligible to pay domestic tuition and fees.

Steps to Apply

Step 1: Apply to any undergraduate program at Western through the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre.

Step 2: Self-identify as a youth in extended society care by filling out our Extended Society Care Youth Form by April 30. 

Step 3: If you are an applicant from Ontario, complete an OSAP application for your academic year when it becomes available and submit all required supporting documents, including OSAP’s Verification of Status with Ontario Children’s Aid Society form. If you are applying from another province, complete that province’s grant/loan application and the relevant Children’s Aid form.

Retention and Renewal

To retain the funding offer in the first year, you must:

  • You must meet the admission conditions as specified in your offer package.
  • Register in an undergraduate degree program at the main campus and take a full time status (a minimum of 3.5 courses) during the Fall/Winter academic year (September to April).
  • If you enroll or reduce your course load to part-time (less than 3.5 courses) or withdraw from the academic year, you will not be eligible to keep your bursary. 
  • You must be eligible to pay domestic student tuition and fees.
  • The bursary offer cannot be deferred.

To renew the funding in the upper year, you must:

  • Demonstrate satisfactory academic progression and be registered full time (a minimum of 3.5 courses) during the previous Fall/Winter academic year (September to April).
  • Letter of permission: Courses taken during the academic year will not count toward the course load.
  • You must be eligible to pay domestic student tuition and fees.