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: June 1, 2022, at 11:59pm EDT

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. Every year they award $5,000 scholarships to ten inspiring students attending a Canadian post-secondary institution for the upcoming fall semester. 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.

This year, they are raising the number of awards! Fifteen (15) eligible students will have a chance to receive the $5,000 AbbVie IBD Scholarship grant.

In 2021 they celebrated the 10th anniversary of the program and took a trip down memory lane! Watch their video yearbook – 10 Years of Student Success – to meet past recipients and learn their tips for applying to the program and thriving at school.

Past scholarship recipients represent students who are living well with Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis who not only strive to sustain an optimal level of wellness, but also seek to inspire others to do the same.

Criteria

Applicants of any age are encouraged to apply and 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 2022  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
  • Employees of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada or AbbVie and their immediate family members are not eligible for this scholarship
  • Past recipients of the AbbVie or Abbot IBD Scholarship are not eligible to reapply

How to Apply

All applicants must submit scanned originals of the following information via online by June 1, 2022, at 11:59pm EDT.

  1. A completed 2022 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 AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program is a competitive process. Applying for the program does not guarantee funding for the upcoming educational year.

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 one: AbbVie IBD Scholarship Sample Scoring Sheet

Winners will be notified during the month of August via a personal telephone call and a confirmation letter. After a winner’s educational enrolment has been verified for the fall 2022 semester, the scholarship cheque will be made payable to and directly mailed to the educational institution. All other applicants will be notified by email.

Individual scholarship amounts will be awarded $5,000 CAN to cover the recipient’s tuition and/or required educational materials (if a student does not have a minimum of $5,000 CAN in tuition and required educational materials, the scholarship amount will only cover the actual cost of tuition and/or required materials).

Eligible educational expenses for the AbbVie IBD Scholarship Program include:

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

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: 2022-07-22