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Bursaries and scholarships

AUPE has bursary money available for members to apply for as well as annual scholarship opportunities.

Bursary opportunities

AUPE maintains a Members' Education Assistance Fund, which is the responsibility of the Education Sub-Committee of the Members’ Benefits Committee.

Part-time bursaries

To be considered, you must be:

  • attending part-time studies as defined by the educational institution.
  • an AUPE member with one consecutive year of service at the date of application.
  • taking an accredited course that could be used toward a degree, diploma, or certificate
  • past member who enrolls part-time in an educational institution within the first twelve (12) months of job elimination through layoff or abolishment.

How to apply: Applications for Fall 2023 will be available in May
 

Full-time bursaries

Bursary Type I (based on financial need)

To be considered, you must be:

  • attending full-time studies as defined by the institution.
  • members of AUPE with two (2) consecutive years service at the application deadline date and/or their spouse, and/or their financial dependents; and/or dependents of retired or deceased members for a period of one year.
  • there is no age limit for members, but dependents of members must be under 25 years of age at the time of the application deadline date.
  • past members who enroll full-time within the first year of job elimination

AUPE Local donations will be distributed as per the Type 1 Bursary guidelines.

How to apply: Applications for Fall 2023 will be available in May

Scholarship opportunities

Two (2) Brent Gawne Memorial Scholarships, $2,500

One $2,500 scholarship is awarded to a high school student entering their first year of post-secondary studies, and another $2,500 scholarship is awarded to a post-secondary student.

To be considered, you must be:

  • attending full-time studies as defined by the institution.
  • a member of AUPE with two (2) consecutive years’ service at the time of application deadline date, and or their spouse or financial dependents; and or  dependents of retired or deceased members for a period of one year.
  • there is no age limit for members, but dependents of members applying must be under 25 years of age at the time of the application deadline date.
  • past members who enroll full-time within the first year of job elimination.

How to apply: Applications for Fall 2023 will be available in May
 

2022 Brent Gawne Memorial Scholarship winners

We are pleased to share the winning essays for the 2022 Brent Gawne Memorial Scholarship.

The essay topic was:

Challenges Facing Alberta's Public Sector

In the last few years, Alberta's public sector has borne the brunt of cutbacks, privatization and contracting out, and there is every indication that these will continue for the next year or two. You are asked to examine some of the issues that are raised; e.g., "What do we mean by 'public sector?' Where have (i) cutbacks, (ii) privatization, and (iii) contracting-out taken place in Alberta in the last while? What justification has been given for such cases? What have been their effects? Identify areas of our society that are best served by a strong public sector, and those that might be legitimately left to the private sector? Explain your choices. Please address this broad area of public debate by answering as many of these questions as possible in a well-structured essay of at least 2,000 words. Your essay will be judged on evidence of research (footnotes, etc.), style, clarity, how well you support or substantiate your choices and positions.

High School Winner - Alberta's Public Sector: Challenges and Potential by Lucie Yang

Post-Secondary Winner - The Public Sector: A Prerequisite to Health and Social Equity by Jan Schaller

Institution-based bursaries

Please note that the following information is separate from the Full-Time and Part-Time AUPE Bursary Applications discussed above.

Background: AUPE and Alberta Advanced Education established endowment funds jointly in 1986/87. These endowment funds are administered by the educational institutions on behalf of AUPE. Application forms are available at the educational institutions and completed applications must be returned to the institution. Please note the deadline date varies by institution.

AUPE members and/or their dependents can apply for the institution-based AUPE Bursary if they are attending one of the following post-secondary institutions.  Please click on institution’s name below for further information, including deadlines.

Eligible Institutions

Universities

Technical Institutes

  • NAIT – 780-491-3056
  • SAIT – 1-877-284-7248

Colleges