Q: Am I eligible for the LGAC Scholarship Program?
A: You are eligible if you are a Canadian citizen or permanent resident of Canada and are pursuing an accredited graduate program in London for period of at least six months.
Q: Do I have to be registered at a London University or college?
A: No. You are also eligible if you are registered at a Canadian university or other non-London university and wish to do thesis research in London for 6 months or more.
Q: Do I have to be registered in a degree program?
A: Not necessarily. Non-degree programs that require a prior undergraduate degree, such as some diploma or post-graduate medical programs, are eligible.
Q: What is the deadline for applying?
A: The deadline is listed on the Scholarship Application Form.
Q: Where can I obtain a Scholarship Application Form?
A: You can obtain the Application Form from this website. Download the Scholarship Application Form (Word Document).
Q: What other information do I have to include with my Application Form?
A: You are required to send all Applicant Materials including the completed Application Form, a Statement of Purpose which describes your reasons for wishing to pursue your intended program in London for the year, as well as your broader objectives. The Statement of Purpose should not exceed 750 words. If you are pursuing a research thesis you are required to provide a Thesis Description of your thesis project (500-word maximum). In addition, you are required to have other parties send separately the required Supporting Materials, which include all post-secondary transcripts and three letters of reference.
Q: Can I include additional information that does not fit on the Application Form?
A: Yes, but only if it is relevant. The LGAC must review a large number of applications and is not receptive to lengthy documents.
Q: I am an art / music / architecture student. Should I send a sample of my work?
A: Samples are not required and may be ignored. You must use your own judgment. Samples will not be returned.
Q: Whom should I ask to send my reference letters?
A: The academic persons most familiar with your university record. If you have significant employment experience, an employment reference is acceptable.
Q: Can my referees fax or email you their letters?
A: Yes, but only if the LGAC receives the authenticate original shortly afterwards.
Q: Can I send more than three reference letters?
A: Only if it is fills an important part of your background not covered by other referees. A significant employer reference could be a fourth letter.
Q: Can I email the Application Form?
A: Yes. However, we must receive authenticated original copies of all transcripts and letters of reference.
Q: Are photocopies or faxed transcripts OK?
A: You can send a photocopy or fax, but only if the LGAC receives the authenticated original shortly afterwards.
Q: Can I send, or arrange for referees and university offices to send material by courier?
A: Application materials should be send to the LGAC's Post Office Box address. However, many private couriers will not deliver to a Canada Post Box, although Canada Post's courier service will. If you wish to use a private courier, the courier address is:
c/o Brian Cardie
1552 Arcadia Square
Pickering, ON L1V 6W6
Q: If I apply in one year and do not win an award, can I apply again the next year? If so, can my application materials be reused?
A: You are eligible to reapply the next year, if you still meet the eligibility criteria. The LGAC generally retains application materials for a period of one year and will retrieve letters of reference and transcripts from the previous year provided they are still current. In any case, you must submit a new Application Form, including a new Statement of Purpose and Thesis Description (if applicable) and must notify the LGAC that you wish to reuse material from the previous year's file.
Q: Will you let me know when you receive my application materials?
A: Shortly after the January deadline the LGAC will try, if possible, to let applicants know by email if part of their file is missing. However, there is no guarantee that the LGAC will be able to do this. The best practice is for applicants to check with their referees and university offices to see that the required letters and transcripts have been sent.
Q: What does the Scholarship pay for?
A: The awards pay the cost of accommodation (i.e., rent) in either London House or William Goodenough House in Mecklenburgh Square and are paid as a credit to your account. Award winners do not receive any cash. The maximum award level is currently ?4,000 (approximately $C 8,000).
Q: How many months of rent does an award pay for?
A: The rate for a single room is currently about £565 per month fro a single room. A £4,000 award will fund about 7 months of rent.
Q: If I win a Scholarship, but want to go to London the following year, will the LGAC allow me to defer my award?
A: No. The LGAC does not permit deferrals. You will have to reapply for the following year.
Q: Do the LGAC Scholarships take into account marital and/or family status?
A: The LGAC award does not take marital or family status into account in determining its awards or their level. Awards are based on a single room rate, although the LGAC attempts to secure appropriately sized residence accommodation.
Q: When can I take up my award?
A: Normally in September or October. Winners are expected to reside at Goodenough College for a full academic year. An exception may be made for up to two awards for 6 months residency for students undertaking thesis research.
Q: If I win an award, do you guarantee a space in residence?
A: Yes.
Q: If I win a Scholarship do I have to send in a College residence application form?
A: Yes. The Scholarship process and College residence application processes are separate. You must send the College a residence application form even if you win a Scholarship.
Q: I have not been accepted yet for my program in London, or have not heard the results of my Scholarship application. I don't want to miss the opportunity to stay at the College. Should I apply to the College in any case? Is there a deadline for applying for residence at the College?
A: There is no posted deadline for applying to residence. Generally, students apply for residence in April or May when their plans become firm. However, leaving the process until mid-June or later may be risky.
Q: Can apply to I renew my Scholarship for a second year?
A: No. Funding for Scholarships is for one year only. The only permitted exception is where an Honour Only winner may apply for a funded award in the following year.
Q: What are my chances of winning an LGAC award?
A: Competition for LGAC Scholarships is very high. Unfortunately, we are not able to fund many fine candidates. Typically, the LGAC receives anywhere between 60 to 100 applications per year and makes 6 to 10 awards depending on the amount of the LGAC's funding and the value of other awards received by our winners.
Q: What happens to the funding you award to students who decline your Scholarship or who change their mind at the last minute? Can I apply in the summer time for the un-allocated money?
A: Nice try, but no. The Scholarship Committee establishes a waiting list and works down the list to reallocate funding as it becomes available.
Q: When do I hear if I won a Scholarship?
A: In mid-April we inform candidates that their application resulted in one of the following three outcomes:
(i) Winning a Scholarship
(ii) Placement on the waiting list for a Scholarship
(iii) No Scholarship
Q: How long can it take to hear about a Scholarship if I am on the waiting list?
A: It depends. Most of the winners list is finalized by mid-June; however, the LGAC will re-allocate funding through the summer months and, sometimes, into September if funds become available from winning candidates whose circumstances change.
Q: What are my chances on the waiting list?
A: Each year is different, although if you are high on the list, your chances are likely to be very good in any year. The LGAC will provide some indication to candidates in April of the likelihood of an award.
Q: What criteria do you use to decide the winners?
A: Scholarships are awarded mainly on the basis of academic excellence and take into account the expected contribution that winners will make to the extracurricular life at Goodenough College.
Q: What if I win other scholarships, will the LGAC scale back its award?
A: If the amount of your other awards exceeds your tuition cost and a substantial living allowance, your LGAC Scholarship will be scaled back. Winners of major scholarships, such as the Commonwealth Scholarship, will not be provided any additional funding by the LGAC. All winners, regardless of other awards, will be guaranteed accommodation in residence.
Q: What happens if my award is reduced to zero?
A: The winners are designated as "Honour Only" winners and, of course, are still provided a place in residence.
Q: What if I do not hear from you about the results of my application?
A: You should be notified by letter about the status of your application by mid April. If you have not heard from the LGAC by then, you may send us an email. Please ensure that the LGAC has your correct mailing address.
Q: Does the LGAC have any other student aid programs, such as loan assistance?
A: No. The Scholarship Program the LGAC's only funding program.
Q: How does the LGAC corporate sponsorship program work?
A: The LGAC has received large donations from individuals, corporations and foundations to fund the Scholarship Program. In return, the LGAC designates a specific Scholarship winner to be the winner of a named scholarship in recognition of the donor’s financial support. This is a name designation only. There are no separate criteria and the amount of a sponsored award is the same as a regular LGAC award.
Q. How does the selection process work for the LGAC / Molson Foundation Scholarship for Francophone Scholarships?
A: All LGAC Scholarship applicants are considered on an equal basis, without regard for whether a candidate is a francophone or not. If one or more candidates that self-defines himself or herself as a francophone, based on the LGAC’s definition, is selected to receive an award, the LGAC will designate one of these francophone candidates (and in some circumstances more than one) to be winner of a LGAC / Molson Foundation Scholarship.
Q: What if it is not clear to me that I would meet the LGAC’s definition of francophone, but nonetheless feel that I am a francophone?
A: Please tick the box on the Application Form and provide a short explanation.
Q: How many Scholarships does the Molson Foundation sponsor each year?
A: The LGAC expects to award one Scholarship per year from funds provided by the Molson Foundation. If there is no francophone candidate among the list of LGAC Scholarship winners in a particular year, the LGAC will defer the funding and make an additional award in a subsequent year.
Q: If I self-define as francophone and tick the box on the Application Form, does this increase my chances of winning a Scholarship?
A: To the extent that one or more candidates that self-define as francophone are successful in winning an LGAC Scholarship, the total number of Scholarships awarded by the LGAC will increase, thereby raising everyone’s chances of receiving a Scholarship. Of course, the actual outcome for a specific candidate will depend on where the candidate places on the final winners list. Given the potential for increasing the number of Scholarships, it is important that the each francophone tick the box on the Application Form.
Q: If it is not clear from my education or other evidence on my Application Form that I am a francophone and I tick the box on the Application Form, will the LGAC require other information from me to show that I meet the francophone definition?
A: If you tick the francophone box on the Application Form and, in the LGAC’s judgement, there is insufficient supporting evidence on your Application Form, the LGAC will likely ask you to provide some supporting evidence if you qualify as a Scholarship winner. Ultimately, the LGAC reserves the right to determine if a candidate satisfies the francophone definition.
Q: If I tick the francophone box on the Application Form in good faith and the LGAC ultimately decides that I do not meet the francophone definition, will the LGAC penalize me?
A: No. However, the LGAC reserves the right to reject a candidate that submits false information in support of his or her application. This provision applies to any information submitted by an applicant and is part of the declaration each candidate makes by submitting the Application Form.
