Fondation Desjardins bursaries

The Fondation Desjardins is dedicated to providing financial support to young people throughout Quebec and members of caisses populaires in Ontario regions who are starting or pursuing university studies, a professional training or labour market access program.

The Fondation also supports business development, job creation and social commitment. Find out more about Fondation Desjardins.

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Fondation Desjardins bursary, applicants must be Canadian citizens or have permanent resident status and meet the following basic requirements:

  • have a primary residence in Quebec
  • have a primary residence in Ontario and be a member of a caisse populaire in Ontario

For Fondation university bursaries, applicants must be registered as full-time university students upon receiving their bursary, i.e. at the fall and winter sessions following their application.

To collect their bursary winners who are Quebec residents must be a member of a Desjardins caisse, or agree to become a member.

Ontario bursaries

Members of a caisse populaire in Ontario are eligible for research grants, career management bursaries and specific bursaries.

Quebec bursaries

Bursaries to pursue a university education
  • 150 academic scholarships of $1,250 each.
  • Awarded based on the financial needs, scholarly and social commitment and academic performance of applicants.
  • 12 master's bursaries of $7,500
  • 8 doctoral bursaries of $10,000.
  • To provide financial aid of $25,000 or $15,000 (depending on the case) spread over 2 years or $10,000 for 1 year to students already enrolled at the postgraduate level and whose research projects deal with the environment and society or cooperation.
  • They are awarded based on the student's academic excellence.
  • 2 achievement awards for young researchers of $5,000 each; 1 at the master's level and 1 at the doctoral level.
  • The $5,000 Desjardins Emeritas award is given to the top Quebec student completing an MBA.

Career management bursaries
  • 2 bachelor's in actuarial science bursaries of $5,000.
  • 3 bursaries: 1 of $10,000 bursary in mental health and 2 $5,000 bursaries in finance.
Exclusively for women:
  • 3 Back to School baccalaureate bursaries of $2,500
  • 2 Executive Women master's bursaries of $3,500 (offered exclusively to Desjardins Group's female employees and managers).
Fondation Desjardins awards training bursaries to employees of Desjardins Group:
  • 3 $2,500 bursaries for students at the bachelor's level
  • 2 $3,500 bursaries for students at the master's or doctoral level in a recognized university.
This prize is exclusively for Desjardins caisse elected officers under age 35 and:
  • young intern officers
  • elected officers

Other
This program is for young people ages 18 to 30 who wish to:
  • take technical, professional, art or refresher courses
  • take non-university courses
  • acquire equipment
  • carry out a personal project, particularly with a view to acquiring new skills; acquire international experience that provides benefits to Canada.
Achievement award for Secondary V students: the Fondation awards $1,000 grants to young researchers.

Since the inception of Fondation Desjardins, some 8,700 students have received more than $10 million in bursaries. Read the list of 2008 recipients (PDF, 156 KB) and 2009 recipients (in French only, PDF, 172 KB).


For more information
Mail By mail
Desjardins Annual Prizes
Fondation Desjardins
C.P. 7, succursale Desjardins,
Montréal (Québec)
H5B 1B2
Phone By phone
Montreal area: 514-281-7170
Elsewhere in Canada: 1-800-443-8611
E-mail By e-mail
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