AbbVie IBD Scholarship

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada awards the AbbVie IBD Scholarship to students living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis who are entering or currently attending a Canadian post-secondary educational institute.

Amount: Up to $5000

Number Available: 15

Deadline: May 23, 2024, at 11:59pm

Crohn’s and Colitis Canada’s AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program supports students in achieving their academic goals while they make a lasting and meaningful difference in their communities. The program, made possible by an educational grant from AbbVie Canada, helps alleviate financial barriers, enabling students to spend more time on their studies, pursue their passions, and get involved with causes close to their hearts. You can learn more about eligibility and the application requirements below.

Criteria

Applicants must be:

  • a citizen or permanent resident of Canada
  • diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis by a health care professional
  • seeking a diploma, associate, undergraduate, or graduate degree from a Canadian university, college or trade school
  • enrolled in or awaiting acceptance from a Canadian-based post-secondary educational institution for the upcoming fall semester
    • full-time and part-time students are eligible to apply
  • a student who demonstrates academic aspiration and strives to sustain an optimal level of wellness in spite of their Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, allowing them to excel to reach their goals and inspire others to do the same

Applicants of any age are encouraged to apply.

Individuals who are not eligible for this scholarship:

  • Employees of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada or AbbVie and their immediate family members
  • Past recipients of the AbbVie or Abbot IBD Scholarship

How to Apply

All applicants must submit the following information:

  1. A completed AbbVie IBD Scholarship online application
  2. A completed and signed Proof of Diagnosis Form from your treating health care professional
  3. A signed and dated Applicant Consent Form 
  4. Two (2) letters of personal recommendation from a teacher, guidance counselor, school official, coach, mentor, health care provider, professional colleague or employer
  5. A one (1) page essay (500 words max) outlining how you demonstrate your academic aspiration and strive to sustain an optimal level of wellness, allowing you to excel to reach your personal and academic goals and inspire others to do the same. Questions to address in your essay:
    • Why do you strive for academic success?
    • How do you strive to sustain an optimal level of wellness?
    • What are your personal and academic goals?
    • How you inspire others through community and school involvement?
    • How you would benefit from the scholarship financially and psychologically?

Notes about the application process:

  • Ensure you have all supporting documents scanned and ready to upload before beginning your application
  • In order to prepare your application materials, applicants should print supporting documents in order to review and prepare the required information and documentation which must be uploaded
  • Failure to complete all mandatory sections will result in your application failing to be submitted. All fields marked with an * must be completed
  • You must submit the application online using the webform INCLUDING uploading all required documentation in one single step; you are not able to save your application and return to it at a future date, therefore it must be completed all at one time
  • In order to submit your application online, you must be able to scan and upload your supporting documents (total document file size must not exceed 20 MB)
  • The online application process may take between 30-60 minutes to complete, so please ensure you allow enough time to complete your application

Eligible educational expenses for the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program include:

  • tuition
  • student fees
  • required educational materials
  • on-site residency

Selection Process

Recipients are selected: 

  • At the sole discretion of an independent selection committee of leading gastroenterologists, community partners and patient representatives from across Canada
  • Based on two letters of personal recommendation and a one page essay (500 word maximum) outlining how a student has strived to sustain a high level of wellness in spite of their disease and inspire others to do the same
  • You can view a sample of a scoring sheet and criteria definitions that lists the criteria your essay and personal recommendations will be rated on: AbbVie IBD Scholarship Sample Scoring Sheet

After a recipient’s educational enrolment has been verified for the fall 2023 semester, the scholarship cheque will be made payable to and directly mailed to the educational institution.

Clinton Shard Memorial Scholarship

The Clinton Shard Memorial Scholarship honours the memory and impact of Clinton Shard, a 2012 AbbVie IBD Scholarship recipient who made significant contributions to the inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) community. One AbbVie IBD Scholarship recipient will be selected by Clinton’s family as the Clinton Shard Memorial Scholarship recipient in addition to receiving the $5,000 scholarship payment. Check out the Clinton Shard Memorial Scholarship webpage for more information on Clinton Shard and the memorial scholarship.

Contact Information

Please contact info@ibdscholarship.ca or 1-800-387-1479 ext. 281 with questions

See Also

Sources:

See other national scholarships // see other scholarships for physical disabilities // see scholarships open to all disabilities

Last Updated: 2024-05-05