A Call to Action for Organizations Everywhere

My oldest daughter was just early accepted into her highly competitive program with co-op, and while the reality of upcoming costs and the fact she’s leaving the nest is setting in, we are over the moon. But we’re also aware that other families have very different realities and experiences during this time.

The cost of higher education is skyrocketing, and grants and bursaries could be life-changing for students—if they knew about them. Sadly, many of these opportunities remain hidden, poorly marketed, or underutilized.

Here’s a shocking example: during a university engineering faculty tour my daughter attended (where she was the only female student in attendance but that’s a post for another day), we learned about a Women in STEM bursary that went to a male student—not because women weren’t eligible, but because no female student applied. Whether this happened because no women were in the faculty or simply because no one knew about the bursary, it’s clear there’s a major disconnect.

This is how systemic barriers remain so pervasive. Underrepresented and minority communities often don’t have the same access to resources and information as others. If we make these resources more accessible to everyone, we can create more equitable and inclusive practices across the board for all students.

Organizations, schools, and institutions: Please do a better job of highlighting the grants and bursaries you offer. Make them visible. Promote them widely. These funds can make education more accessible and open doors for students who might not otherwise have a chance to excel.

Parents: By promoting these grants and bursaries more openly, we’re not taking them away from your children. We’re just asking that the same opportunity to apply for them be provided to all equity-deserving students so that anyone who is eligible gets a shot. In fact, you may learn of other grants and bursaries that your child is eligible for through this process!

If we want to see the next generation thrive, and we need them for the sustainable growth of our workplaces tomorrow, we need to ensure EVERYONE has every opportunity to succeed.

So if your company offers grants, bursaries and scholarship opportunities to students, drop the link in the comments below. I’m sure there are many grateful parents and students on here that will be interested in that information!