Students of Colour Scholarship

The National Union is different from most unions; it has a federated structure – in effect, it’s a union of unions. Individuals are members of the National Union through their membership in one of our components. The Triennial Convention, with delegates from all components, is the supreme governing body. Between conventions, the National Union’s governing body is the National Executive Board, which comes from the leadership of all the components.

General eligibility requirements

To apply for a scholarship you must meet all of the following requirements:

1. You must be a child or grandchild (including a stepchild, foster child, step-grandchild, or foster grandchild) or a legal ward of a current or retired member of a NUPGE Component or a Component’s affiliate.
2. You must be planning to enter the 1st year of a public, post-secondary education institution, full-time or part-time, in the coming year.
3. The university or college that you are planning on attending must be located in Canada.
4. You must write and submit an original 750-to-1,000-word essay on this year’s essay topic for your scholarship.
5. You must use the online application form to submit your essay.
6. The contest results will be publicized on the social media and websites of NUPGE, its Components, and Component’s affiliates. So, you must agree to the publicity conditions.

Most NUPGE scholarships have additional requirements. See details on each scholarship below.

*Please note, the Young Workers Scholarship is also open to members of NUPGE Components or a Component’s affiliates. Applicants for this scholarship do not have to be first-year students, but must be under the age of 35.

Each scholarship winner will be determined based on a 750-to-1,000-word essay on this year’s topics. Marks are allocated for content, presentation and adherence to the topic.

You may apply for this scholarship if:

• you meet the General Eligibility Requirements listed above and
• you self-identify as a Person of Colour.

The winner will be determined based on a 750-to-1,000-word essay on this year’s topic. The 2026 essay for this scholarship is:

• The importance of public services in enhancing the quality of life of people of colour.