Funding Opportunities

Writing the MCAT, DAT, or CASPer? 

As a part of the Johnson Scholarship Foundation (2016-2021) funding, Dalhousie designed a bursary to support Indigenous students (First Nation, Inuit, and Métis) and African Nova Scotians applying to health programs requiring entrance exams (i.e., medicine and dentistry). The goal of the program is to reduce or eliminate the financial burden associated with application requirements. Bursaries will be awarded as a reimbursement of cost. Applicants may apply more than once for this program, funding will be subject to availability and application review. 

Bursary Eligibility 

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the bursary: 

1. Identify as Indigenous or African Nova Scotian 
2. Confirmed registration for one or more of the following entrance exams: 
   • MCAT (Medical College Admissions Test) 
   • DAT (Dental Admissions Test) 
   • CASPer (Computer-Based Assessment for Sampling Personal Characteristics) Test 
3. Completed application form which includes a brief education plan 
4. Meet with program manager for PLANS (Promoting Leadership in health for African Nova Scotians), and/or Indigenous Health

APPLY HERE [Online Form]

These Scholarships support Indigenous and African Nova Scotian students who are accepted in the study of Health, Dentistry and Medicine.  They have been established through the support of several donors including the Johnson Scholarship Foundation, Mrs. Heather Smallman and the Estate of Anita Garbarino Girard.

Applications are closed for the current academic year.

Applicants must meet the following criteria to be eligible for the scholarship:  

1. Identify as Indigenous or African Nova Scotian
2. Confirmed enrollment in one of the specified undergraduate programs in the Faculty of Medicine, diploma or undergraduate programs in faculties of Dentistry and Health as well as entry to practice master’s programs in the Faculty of Health (see application for full list of eligible programs).
3. Registered as a full-time student and meets the academic expectations of the program.
4. Applicant must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident

Applications open November 1.

Dalhousie Faculty of Medicine’s Summer Research Program for Non-Medical Students aims to open new doors of opportunity to Black Maritimers/Canadians, African Nova Scotians, and Indigenous students interested in medicine and/or health research. The program is open to undergraduate students from these communities who are confident that health research will be part of their professional careers.

For more information and to apply

Dalhousie has a variety of awards for students of African descent – both entrance and during your studies. 

Entrance Awards: March 15 is the deadline to apply for entrance awards (i.e. for your first year of study) – if you have been accepted to Dalhousie, you must pay your deposit, and sign up for your Dalhousie email to access the application on Dal. If you waiting to hear if you are accepted, you need to submit a paper copy of the application. This information can be found on the Money Matters page.

Dalhousie’s dental school offers a number of bursaries to support students financially.  African Canadians enrolled in dentistry are eligible for specific funding – Kushel Entrance Scholarship.  More information can be found in the Academic Calendar

Dalhousie’s medical school offers a variety of bursaries to support all medical students. African Nova Scotian students in the program are considered for specific funding in this funding in this program based on ancestry and identified need. 

More information on specific scholarships and bursaries in medicine can be found at https://medicine.dal.ca/departments/core-units/admissions/accepted-applicants/scholarships---awards.html.

Nova Scotia Health Authority (Central Zone: Halifax area and West Hants) is continuing with its Diversity Bursary program as a step to creating a more diverse workforce that better represents the communities we serve. 

Post-secondary students who identify as African Nova Scotian, Aboriginal, immigrant and/or as persons with a disability are invited to apply for a diversity bursary. Students must be:

• continuing full- or part-time studies in a health profession 
• attending a Canadian post-secondary institution that is recognized by the Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada 
• a resident of Halifax Regional Municipality or West Hants 

Applications are evaluated on a number of factors including: community involvement, financial need, educational goals and field of study in health care.