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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 will be accepted from May 12 – July 15, 2025. Download the application here.

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 will be accepted from May 12 – July 15, 2025. Download the application here.

Scholarship opportunities

Two (2) Brent Gawne Memorial Scholarships, each $2,000 &

Two (2) Mary Kehoe Memorial Scholarships, each $2,000

Two of the $2,000 scholarships are awarded to high school students entering their first year of post-secondary studies, and the other two $2,000 scholarships are awarded to post-secondary students.

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 25 years of age and under 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 will be accepted from May 12 – July 15, 2025. Download the application here.

2023 Brent Gawne Memorial Scholarship winners

We are pleased to share the winning essays for the 2023 Brent Gawne Memorial Scholarship.

The essay topic was:

The current Alberta government is not the first to propose greater separation of the Province from the Government of Canada. Recently, there have been announcements about withdrawing from the Canada Pension Plan, replacing the R.C.M.P. with an Alberta police force, instituting a $300 health account in place of Canada’s single-payer system, and of course, passing the Sovereignty Act which would allow the province to unilaterally decide which federal laws and regulations it will recognize. All this has stirred up debate between Albertans who support more separation (even ‘separatism’) for Alberta, and those who want our Province to be part of a strong, united Canada. You are asked to address this broad area of public debate in a well-structured essay of at least 2,000 words by: (i) describing some of the main areas in which demands for greater separation are being made (ii) discussing them in light of the current separation of powers under the Canadian constitution, and then (iii) addressing some of the basic questions underlying such a debate; e.g., What does it mean to be ‘Canadian? What should it mean? And, of course, How could AUPE members and other working people in Alberta be affected by the changes that are being proposed? As with all assignments such as this, your essay will be judged on style, clarity, evidence of research (footnotes, etc.), how well you support or substantiate your choices and positions, and whether you respond to all parts of this question.
 
High School Winner: Exploring the Debate Over Greater Separation in Alberta: Implications and Questions by Elena Torelli

Post-Secondary Winner: Alberta’s Great CANundrum – Can we reconcile our past and future in order to move forward as a country by Nicole LaMer

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

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