Every time I scroll through the list of scholarships that UFV offers, I always wonder why it feels like there aren’t enough of them. I’ve brought it up with peers, and it appears that many in the student body feel the same. Also, no one I’ve spoken to seems bothered to apply either. I asked myself, why is that?
I understand that we may be far too busy to put in the extra effort, but who doesn’t love free money? When it comes to my finances, I’m willing to put in all the extra effort, so I ventured to the Financial Aid and Awards Department (FAAD), just down the hall from the Global Lounge in Building B to speak with FAAD Manager, Lorraine Bingert. I wanted to know what strides UFV has made to provide students with funding.
According to Bingert, in the 2022-23 academic year, 408 scholarships and over 452 bursaries were distributed. Out of over 14,000 students attending UFV, only 2,343 applications rolled in. I’ll admit, the numbers were larger than I anticipated, but it could have been higher. “What we have found,” said Bingert, “is that if the criteria award is too complicated or it’s requiring too much documentation, students just don’t apply or they don’t meet the criteria because it can be too complicated.”
I can agree that I’m less motivated to apply for funding if I’m required to sift through extraneous paperwork for specific documents to prove that I should receive it. Even though 24 awards went unclaimed in the 2022-23 year, Bingert attested that FAAD strives to release every ounce of funding they have for students. “Our focus in financial aid is to always meet the need,” said Bingert.
“We’ve been working with advancements, and that number of scholarships and bursaries that don’t go out — because of that complicated criteria — has gotten lower every year because [we’ve] been working with donors to make sure that when they’re setting up the awards, they’re more open and not so niche.”
The 2022-23 academic year saw a total of 860 students receive funding. That’s not including the emergency grants, Youth in Care, and government funding on offer. Last year, UFV distributed over $2 million to students in financial need, including nearly $800,000 in scholarships and $470,000 in bursaries. That number gets progressively higher each year, but streamlining the application process means more awards can be given out, which ultimately means even more money for students. That’s what I like to hear.
It seems that UFV is making progress in getting funding to students. Now they just need to get the word out, so I hope this article is the ticket. Applications for scholarship and leadership awards are open now, and I suggest you apply. Let’s make sure those extra 24 awards are given out this year. I know I’ll be giving it a go. If you’d like to apply, the deadline is May 10.
Veronica is a Staff Writer at The Cascade. She loves to travel and explore new places, no matter how big or small. She is in her second year at UFV, pursuing the study of Creative
Writing.
