Charmaine Letourneau Scholarship

The Charmaine Letourneau Scholarships are available to post-secondary students in Alberta who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing.

Amount: $2000-$7000

Number Available: varies (typically 1-2)

Opens: June 1st

Deadline: August 31st, 2023

Financial circumstances shouldn’t be a barrier to post-secondary education. That’s why Edmonton Community Foundation (ECF) offers a range of scholarships and bursaries to help students with financial need achieve their post-secondary goals. Since 1989, they have provided millions of dollars to more than 2,000 students, and provide more than $1.2 million in student grants annually.

The Charmaine Letourneau Fund was established at ECF in 2002 to support post-secondary education for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Albertans.

An educator and advocate, Charmaine Letourneau received the Order of Canada in 2011 in recognition of her work in improving the quality of life for Deaf people. Ongoing donations from many individual contributors and community organizations continue to support the fund and honour a community leader.

The size and number of the awards may vary based on donations and number of applicants.

Criteria

Applicants must:

  • be Deaf or Hard of Hearing (the extent of hearing loss must be significant)
  • be a permanent resident or citizen of Canada
  • be a resident of Alberta
  • be pursuing an academic or training program at a qualified post-secondary or vocational school in Alberta OR at an educational institution outside of Alberta specializing in programming for Deaf or Hard of Hearing students
  • demonstrate knowledge (whether basic or fluent) of sign language
  • demonstrate financial need

Consideration and priority will be given to those demonstrating:

  • involvement in local Deaf organizations and a demonstrated commitment and involvement as a volunteer
  • leadership within school or community
  • diligence and effort in studies
  • regular attendance and punctuality in school or in the workplace
  • a likelihood that their program of study will lead to employment or further educational opportunities
  • commitment to the qualifying program and the proposed field of study or employment

Applicants may re-apply in subsequent years, but each application is for a single school year only.

How to Apply

To apply for this scholarship, you must access the online application using the ECF online portal (log-in/registration is required).

The following documents are required to apply:

  • two (2) reference letters from people who have known you for at least six months, and who will be able to comment on how you meet the criteria
  • a personal letter describing how you feel you meet the award criteria and priorities
  • an audiogram or other medical documentation of hearing loss
  • a statement of grades from your most recent studies
    • high grades are not part of the criteria, they just want to see that you have potential to be successful in your planned studies
    • official transcripts are not required; a PDF or scan from a school website is acceptable
    • for high school grades, you can get unofficial grades from mypass.alberta.ca

The Awards Panel will review applications and select award recipients by the end of October of each year. Applicants may be invited to participate in an interview (in person or by Skype or Facetime). The interview will be conducted in ASL, or an interpreter can be arranged if the applicant’s knowledge of ASL is more rudimentary.

Candidates will be advised of the status of their application by email in early November of each year. Edmonton Community Foundation will notify accepting post-secondary institutions of any Charmaine Letourneau Scholarship recipients once all award conditions have been fulfilled.

Awards are intended to assist recipients with mandatory costs such as tuition and fees. In general, awards will be paid directly to the institution upon receipt of invoice. Awards to institutions will not be confirmed until all conditions are met.

Contact Information

For support with your application and answers to your questions, contact Anna Opryshko (Student Awards Associate):

Phone: 780-426-0015 ext. 107

Email: studentawards@ecfoundation.org

See Also:

Source: the Charmaine Letourneau Scholarships webpage

See other Alberta Scholarships // See other scholarships for Deaf or hard of hearing

Last Updated: 2023-07-24