The Bill 7 Award is a charitable trust that awards scholarships to gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, queer and two-spirit post-secondary students who are studying in Ontario. The Bill 7 Award scholarship is named after the 1986 legislation that extended the protection of the Ontario Human Rights Code to prohibit discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
In 2024, the Bill 7 Award Trust will be awarding 17 or more scholarships of $4,000 each.
How to Apply
- Eligibility
- Application
- Terms
The Bill 7 Award is a scholarship for individuals with demonstrated financial need after accessing available public financial supports. To be eligible to receive a Bill 7 Award scholarship, individuals must also meet ALL of the following three criteria:
- You are attending or accepted by a Post-Secondary Educational Institution in the Province of Ontario
- You are pursuing your FIRST post-secondary program of study
- You identify as lesbian, gay, bi-sexual, transgender, two-spirited or queer (LGBTQ)
In addition to a completed application form, applicants must submit:
- A copy of OSAP estimate (if applicable)
- Proof of registration / acceptance from the post-secondary institution. Acceptable proof could be a copy of the confirmation of your offer of acceptance; proof of registration in the program; proof of payment of tuition; a copy of your offer of admission. If you are selected as a recipient, you must provide proof of active enrolment in your program before payment is issued.
- Reference letter from a teacher, guidance counsellor, coach, employer, community or social worker, doctor, religious leader or similar professional who can support your application. The reference letter should indicate how long and in what context the writer knows you and explain why you would be a good candidate for the Award.
- A personal statement, 250 words or fewer, detailing why you should be selected as the recipient of the Bill 7 Award. You may wish to consider how your studies or future work will contribute to the improvement of the LGBTQ community and/or provide us with any other information you feel we should know about you that will make you a good candidate, such as children, family, relationships, disabilities, experiences of discrimination, living situation, geographic context, etc.
Email: info@bill7award.ca
Successful recipients will be notified in late September. The awards ceremony will take place on Monday November 4, 2024