Kathleen Blinkhorn Aboriginal Student Scholarship

Who is eligible?

Students must meet all of the following criteria:

• Identify as an Indigenous person.
• Be living in non-profit housing in Ontario during the school term.
• Be enrolled in a program at a recognized college, university, or private trade school for the 2026-2027 school year, or program equivalent.

*Non-profit organizations, including community groups, faith groups, and local governments (cities, towns, or counties), own and operate non-profit housing. People sometimes refer to non-profit housing as social housing, public housing, community housing, or subsidized housing. If students are unsure of whether they live in non-profit housing, they can ask their landlord or property manager.

Note: Individuals currently living on-reserve or in co-operative housing are not eligible for this scholarship.

2026 Scholarships

Applications for the 2026 scholarship are now open.

Scholarship terms and conditions & amount

Since 2010, ONPHA has awarded the Kathleen BlinkhornIndigenous Student Scholarship to deserving individuals. In 2026, we are excited to award up to five scholarships of $2,000 each.

Eligible uses

Eligible uses for the scholarship funds include: tuition, books, technology (laptop, etc.), and transportation.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for this scholarship, a student must meet all of the following criteria:

• must identify as an Indigenous person
• must be living in non-profit housing in Ontario during the school term
• must be enrolled in a program at a recognized college, university, or private trade school for the 2026-2027 school year, or program equivalent

*Non-profit housing is rental housing that is owned and operated by a non-profit organization, including community groups, faith groups, and local governments (cities, towns, or counties). Non-profit housing is sometimes referred to as social housing, public housing, community housing, or subsidized housing. If students are unsure of whether they live in non-profit housing, they can ask their landlord or property manager.

Note: Individuals currently living on-reserve are not eligible for this scholarship. Individuals living in co-operative housing are also not eligible for this scholarship.

Application evaluation criteria

Your application will be reviewed by a committee that includes representatives of Indigenous non-profit housing providers in Ontario. When they review your application, they will be scoring you based on:

• Demonstrated financial need
• Effort put into answering the application questions

Submitting your application

Eligible applicants must submit a completed application form and all supporting documents by email. See the last page of this document for instructions on how to submit your application. All applications must be received by 5 p.m. on Friday, May 1, 2026. Late submissions will not be considered.

Notification to applicants

ONPHA will notify both successful and unsuccessful applicants in August of 2026.

Acknowledgements

ONPHA will acknowledge scholarship recipients on the ONPHA website, on our blog, and with an announcement during the 2026 ONPHA Conference taking place in Toronto.