The George and Helen Vari Foundation Education Bursary Program

Support Our Troops administers and distributes the education bursaries from the annual interest generated from the George and Helen Vari Canadian Armed Forces Education Fund.
 
The George and Helen Vari Foundation Education Bursaries offers bursaries* every fall to eligible applicants in the following amounts:

• A number of bursaries of up to 50% of the tuition cost to a maximum amount of $1000 will be available to active members of the Primary Reserves and/or Canadian Rangers of the Canadian Armed Forces who meet eligibility criteria. 

*A bursary is a monetary award that is granted and does not have to be repaid, but is considered as income.  To this end, all bursary recipients will receive a T4A or RL1 Slip (QC).

Primary Reserve Force members and/or Canadian Rangers that are:

• Actively serving in the Canadian Armed Forces at the time of application; and

• Completed a course(s) in an undergraduate, graduate, or vocational program, at an accredited Canadian college or university, leading to a degree, diploma, or certificate on a part-time or full-time basis between 1 September 2023 and 31 August 2024.

Complete and submit the application form to be considered for a bursary.  Applications must include the following:

• Copy of your Member’s Personnel Record Resume (MPRR) (indicating that the member is still serving)

• Proof of course completion from the academic institution (transcript)

• Tuition Invoice

• Essay Submission

Proof of Course Completion
Your proof of course completion from the academic institution can be an official or unofficial transcript. If taken from an online student portal, your transcript must include:

• Institution name;

• Student name;

• Course name;

• Course start date and completion date; and

• Final grade.

Applicants are to submit their most recent academic document for evaluation.
 
Tuition Invoice
Your tuition invoice must include the following:

• Institution name;

• Student name;

• Course name; and

• Tuition Fees.

Instructions for Essay Submission
 Please provide an essay that answers each of the following questions. Each question response should not exceed 200 words, for a total word count of no more than 400 words. All answers must be typed and submitted in a PDF or MS Word.
 
Question 1:  What are your academic and/or career goals? (maximum 200 words)
Question 2:  How would receiving this bursary make a difference for you? (maximum 200 words)
 
The Bursary Selection Committee will assess eligible applicants and select recipients.  Where the number of applications outweighs the amount of available funding, the Bursary Selection Committee will score and rank eligible applicants.  Support Our Troops will then process the applications and contact the successful bursary recipients.  Support Our Troops will distribute the bursaries to the chosen recipients in October.

Students applying for a scholarship are ineligible if they are studying outside of Canada, with the exception of students participating in an exchange program through a Canadian academic institution.
 
Currently serving Regular Force CAF members and Veterans are not eligible. There may be additional scholarships and bursaries opportunities available to qualifying serving and former CAF members that are not administered by Support Our Troops.

Regular Force CAF:
https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/services/benefits-military/education-training/reimbursements-allowances/education.html​

Veterans: 
https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/education-and-jobs/go-back-school/education-and-training-benefit/education-and-training-benefit-applicant-guide

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the application or the process, please contact the Scholarship Coordinator at: scholarships@cfmws.com.