Longtime businessman and philanthropist Seymour Schulich is doubling his investment in the Schulich Leader Scholarships from $100 million to $200 million.
This science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) undergraduate scholarship offers the largest payout of any scholarship program, at a value of $80,000 or $100,000 to each recipient depending on the area of study. The increase in funding means the number of recipients will double to 100 from 50 annual awards.
“Schulich Leader Scholarships are the premiere STEM scholarship program in Canada and the world. With 100 outstanding students selected in Canada each year it is all but guaranteed that this group will represent the best and brightest Canada has to offer,” said Schulich. “These future leaders will make great contributions to society, both on a national and global scale. With their university expenses covered, they can focus their time on their studies, research projects, extracurriculars and entrepreneurial ventures. They are the next generation of technology innovators.”
Out of a pool of more than 300,000 potential candidates, 1,500 high school students are nominated annually. Students are chosen based on academic excellence, demonstrations of leadership and financial need.
“The doubling of funds for the Schulich Leaders program will help open the door to higher education for some truly outstanding students. In a hyper-competitive global knowledge economy, we cannot afford to leave any talent behind,” said York President and Vice-Chancellor Rhonda L. Lenton. “This investment once again shows Seymour’s incredible commitment to philanthropy, and the development of Canada’s future leaders.”
Since its launch in 2012, the program has continued to increase the value of its scholarships. York University has had 47 Schulich Leaders receiving a total of $910,000 in scholarships since the program’s inception. These students have joined the engineering program at the Lassonde School of Engineering, the Faculty of Science and other York Faculties. Outside of the classroom, these students have created new clubs on campus, spearheaded entrepreneurship ventures, conducted research projects and much more.
The Schulich Leaders program recognizes student leaders for their hard work, removes financial barriers and allows the brightest minds to pursue their passions while benefiting the economy and the world with their work.