FAQ

About the Program

1. How many scholarships are available and what is their value?
2. What is the deadline for applications?
3. What are the eligibility requirements?
4. What does CEGEP stand for
5. Who do you consider to be a "new Canadian"?
6. I'm still waiting for my permanent Canadian resident status to be approved – am I still eligible to apply?
7. I attend a high school outside of Canada, but I am a Canadian citizen or permanent resident – am I still eligible to apply?
8. I graduated from high school, but returned for extra courses – am I still eligible to apply?
9. I plan on attending a post-secondary school outside of Canada – am I still eligible to apply?
10. I'm planning to take a year off after graduation – am I still eligible to apply?
11. How will my application be judged?
12. Who will be judging my application?
13. Will the information I submit be verified?
14. When will the winners be notified?
15. Is the information I submit confidential?
16. If I'm selected as a winner, when will I receive the Scholarship?
17. I'm having trouble viewing the website, what can I do to fix the problem?

A total of $42,000 will be distributed to twelve winners across Canada. One winner will be selected from Atlantic Canada, two winners will be selected from Quebec, four winners will be selected from Ontario, two winners will be selected from the Prairie Provinces and three winners will be selected from British Columbia.

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Online applications must be submitted before Monday, February 1, 2010, 6:00 p.m. EST.

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To be eligible for an RBC Royal Bank Scholarship for New Canadians, you must meet the following criteria:

• Be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada, who has immigrated to Canada on or after January 1, 1999
• Be in your graduating year of a Canadian high school or CEGEP
• Be entering or enrolling in a publicly funded Canadian college or university as a full-time student in the following academic year, Fall 2010
• Have achieved at least a 70% average in your previous year of study

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CEGEP stands for Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel or College of General and Vocational Education and only applies to students in Quebec. In Quebec, high schools generally offer education only up to grade eleven. Most students then enter a CEGEP to continue their education, choosing either a general program to prepare for university or a vocational program to train for a specialized career.

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In the context of this awards program, a "new Canadian" is defined as an individual who has immigrated to Canada on or after January 1, 1999, but currently lives in Canada, and holds Canadian citizenship or Canadian permanent resident status. Please visit Citizenship and Immigration Canada for more details.

Please note that all finalists will be required to provide proof of Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status. Proof of immigration on or after January 1, 1999 is also required.

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Yes. However, you must ensure your permanent residence status has been approved and finalized at the time the scholarships are awarded.

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No. You must be attending an accredited Canadian high school or CEGEP to be eligible to apply.

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Yes. Graduated students who are currently attending high school for extra courses or upgrades are eligible to apply, provided all the other eligibility criteria have been met.

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No. Award winners must be enrolled and planning to attend a publicly funded Canadian college or university. Students planning to pursue post-secondary studies outside of Canada are not eligible to apply.

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No. If you intend to take the year off after you submit your application, you are not eligible to apply. You must be entering a publicly funded Canadian college or university as a full-time student in the following academic year once you graduate.

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Your entries will be evaluated using a variety of different criteria, including: relevance to the topic in question and clarity of the ideas presented. We recommend you be direct and succinct in order to answer the questions within the maximum word count allowed. Also, be sure to use examples from your personal history, and be clear and concise with your answers.

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A judging panel comprised of school educators, industry experts, RBC Royal Bank employees, and our scholarship administrator, Studentawards Inc., will be responsible for evaluating the entries.

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Our scholarship administrator, Studentawards Inc., may verify the information you provide about your academic history and your participation in extracurricular activities. Additionally, all finalists will be required to provide proof of the following:

• Canadian citizenship or permanent resident status
• Immigration to Canada on or after January 1, 1999
• Full-time post-secondary school enrolment for the Fall 2010 academic term

If the documentation is not submitted to the scholarship administrator, Studentawards Inc., within the specified timeframe, the application may be subject to disqualification.

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Finalists of the RBC Royal Bank Scholarship for New Canadians will be notified in March 2010. Information submitted by finalists will be verified between February and March 2010.

Final winners will be selected and notified in April 2010.

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Yes.^** The information you provide will be used by RBC Royal Bank, Studentawards Inc., and their respective employees and agents and those of their affiliates on a need to know basis to process, judge and verify your application(s) on a confidential basis and to operate your online account(s). However, the information you supply in your application(s) may be used or published in aggregate by RBC Royal Bank in order to define and understand patterns and trends. Any contact information you provide in your application(s) will only be used to contact you regarding the status of your application(s) or to contact your friend if you have provided us with your friend’s contact information, except as otherwise agreed to in the application form or in the Legal Terms and Conditions.

^**In the event that you are a scholarship winner, RBC Royal Bank reserves the right to use your name, likeness, city and province of residence, university name and any direct quotes for publicity purposes.

Confidentiality and privacy are of the utmost importance at RBC Royal Bank and Studentawards Inc. For more details, please see the RBC Royal Bank Privacy & Security website and/or the Studentawards privacy website.

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The scholarship will be deposited into your student account at your enrolled post secondary school for the Fall 2010 academic term pending winner proof of enrolment in August 2010.

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Here are some suggestions to fix any potential issues in viewing the website. If problems persist, Please contact our Student Support Centre and inform them of the issue.