Automatic entrance scholarships first. Most Canadian universities automatically award entrance scholarships based on your admission average — no application needed. They typically start around an 80–85 average and scale up. Because they're automatic, the only action is knowing the thresholds and protecting your average: a point or two can mean thousands of dollars. OSAP is not a loan to fear. OSAP (Ontario Student Assistance Program) combines a loan with a grant portion you never repay, and the grant part is larger for lower-income families. It's not a mark of desperation — it's the standard way most Ontario students fund university, and the application is a single online form in the spring. Students who skip it out of fear often leave free grant money unclaimed. The application-based awards worth your time. Provincial and university awards with applications (essays, references) get far fewer applicants than students assume, because most never apply. Target a small number that fit you — your faculty, your community, your background — and write them well rather than spraying generic applications everywhere. The essay guidance in the writing guide applies directly here. The timing trap. Entrance scholarship deadlines are tied to your offer and usually require nothing but your marks. Application-based awards have deadlines in the winter of Grade 12 — which means the writing and references happen at the same time as your supplementary applications. Plan the calendar in the fall so the two don't collide.