Now open for applications through May 2nd, 2025!
Interested in Professional Development bursaries for staff of community organizations? Click here.
General Eligibility Requirements
The Community Foundation offers bursaries to both graduating and returning students, including adult students, in the South Okanagan Similkameen region.
Eligible applicants must:
- graduate from high school in the South Okanagan Similkameen this year, or have graduated from high school in the region within the last five years; OR
- currently reside within the boundaries of the South Okanagan Similkameen (students living outside the region to attend a post-secondary institution must have their primary residence in the South Okanagan Similkameen).
The above requirements are inclusive of band territories in the region (Upper Similkameen, Lower Similkameen, Osoyoos and SnPink’tn Indian Bands).
Each of our awards may also have specific eligibility requirements. Please read through each of our funds’ eligibility criteria under the Available Bursaries section below.
If you have additional questions about our bursary program, please contact grants@cfso.net.
Timeline
The following chart shows the timeline for our 2025 bursary cycle:
| March 31, 2025 | May 2, 2025 | May 3 to June 30, 2025 | Early July 2025 | July 2025 onwards |
| Bursary cycle opens | Bursary cycle closes. All applications must be received by 5pm. | Applications are reviewed and award decisions are made. | All applicants are notified and award forms are sent out. | Award funds are sent to institutions or paid to students. |
Available Bursaries
The following funds will offer bursary awards in 2025:
- Sharon Amos Legacy Fund for the Arts
- Irene & Charles Armstrong Bursary Fund
- Belyea Brothers Bursary Fund
- Tara Bowie Bursary Fund (New)
- Culver Family Bursary Fund
- Thea Haubrich Legacy Fund
- Lynn & Brian Jackson Endowment for Fine Arts
- L&R Supplementary Bursary Fund
- Alanna Matthew Fund
- Morris & Birgit Rosenberg Bursary Fund (New)
- Eva & Herbert Rosinger Scholarship Fund
- Dr. John & Kathy Scarfo Bursary Fund
- South Okanagan Indigenous Education Fund
- Kaleden Bursary Fund (separate application process; please see instructions below)
Eligibility criteria for each of these funds are found by clicking on each fund name below. Please carefully review the criteria before starting your application. Applicants are welcome to apply for multiple bursaries, provided they meet the criteria of each bursary they apply for.
Sharon Amos Legacy Fund for the Arts
How to qualify:
- Pursue education in the Fine Arts, preferably performing arts
- Preference given to those with financial need
- Open to youth and adult students
2025 award amount(s): To be determined
Irene & Charles Armstrong Bursary Fund
How to qualify:
- Pursuing any form of education to improve their lives and better support their families
- Must demonstrate financial need
- Open to youth and adult students
- Open to students with a mental health impairment that impacts the pursuit of their educational goals
2025 award amount: 1 award of $1,520
Belyea Brothers Bursary Fund
How to qualify:
- meet the high school graduation requirements of the Foundation bursary program (see above) OR have been a resident of the RDOS for at the least the last five years
- attend a recognized college, university, technical or trade school in Canada
- demonstrate financial need
The character of the individual will be considered by the Grants Committee, as will the applicant’s academic record (if available).
2025 award amounts: 3 awards of $500 each
Tara Bowie Bursary Fund
How to qualify:
Bursaries from this fund will be awarded annually to students graduating from Similkameen Elementary Secondary School and looking to pursue post-secondary education to improve their lives.
Applicants must be graduating from high school in the current year from Similkameen Elementary Secondary School (SD#53).
2025 award amount: 1 award of $540
Culver Family Bursary Fund
How to qualify:
- Preference given to students entering at least the second year of an undergraduate degree program, or entering a graduate program in modern languages or linguistics, classic languages and native languages
- Second preference given to students entering at least the second year of an undergraduate degree program, or entering a graduate program in Humanities, which may include philosophy, anthropology or sociology
2025 award amount: 1 award of $1,500
Thea Haubrich Legacy Fund
How to qualify:
- Pursuing education in art and artistic training
- Preference given to those with financial need
- Open to youth and adult students
2025 award amount: 1 award of $1,430
Lynn & Brian Jackson Endowment for Fine Arts
How to qualify:
- Must be pursuing post-secondary education in a fine arts program at a university, college or trade school with recognized degrees or certificates
2025 award amount: 1 award of $1,970
L&R Supplementary Bursary Fund
How to qualify:
- Pursuing any form of education to upgrade employment qualifications (i.e. trades programs)
- Must demonstrate financial need
- Preference given to single parents
2025 award amount: 1 award of $6,860
Alana Matthew Fund
How to qualify:
- A person wishing to advance their education in the arts (including writing, dance, performing arts and visual arts)
- Demonstrated financial need
2025 award amount: 1 award of $590
Morris & Birgit Rosenberg Bursary Fund
How to qualify:
Bursaries from this fund will be awarded annually to newly graduating students as well as adult students wishing to enter the trades.
Applicants must be pursuing some form of education in trades from a recognized educational or training institution. A preference will be given to students pursuing agricultural studies.
Priority will be given to students who demonstrate financial need.
2025 award amount: 1 award of $570
Eva & Herbert Rosinger Scholarship Fund
How to qualify:
- Must be entering into or continuing studies in engineering or physical sciences (such as chemistry, physics, astronomy, biology, etc.)
- Demonstrated financial need
- The character of the individual will be considered, as determined by the Bursary Committee
- Demonstrate commitment to complete schooling
2025 award amounts: 2 awards of $2,865 each
Dr. John & Kathy Scarfo Bursary Fund
How to qualify:
- Pursue any form of education to improve their lives and better support their families
- Must demonstrate financial need
- Open to youth and adult students
- Must live an active & healthy lifestyle (no smoking/no drugs)
2025 award amounts: 14 awards of $3,510 each
South Okanagan Indigenous Education Fund
How to qualify:
- Student self-identifies as Indigenous
- Pursuing post-secondary education to improve their lives and better support their families
- Preference given to those with financial need
- Open to youth and adult students
2025 award amounts: 2 awards of $1,350 each
Kaleden Bursary Fund (separate application process)
How to qualify:
- Must live or have lived in the Kaleden area (including Twin Lakes/White Lake Road and St. Andrews by the Lake) and have attended Kaleden Elementary School. Mailing address must be in the Kaleden area (V0H 1K0)
- NOTE: You must apply for this bursary directly to the Kaleden Bursary Committee. Please click here to download the application instructions.
Application Process
PLEASE NOTE: We use a online application system. If you are unable to apply online, please contact our Grants Administrator at (236) 500-1243 or grants@cfso.net.
To begin your application, click the green “Apply Here” button below. This button will be active during the application period (March 31st through May 2nd). Clicking the button will open a new window where you can sign in to our online application system.
If you have applied to our bursary program in a previous year, you will already have your e-mail address and password registered in our system. Please log on using those credentials. If you don’t remember your existing log on information, please click the “Forgot Your Password?” link.
If you have not applied for a bursary before, click on the “Create new Account” link and follow the instructions.
Important Note: our application software is optimized for organizations, and that means there are some workarounds for an individual bursary applicant. When you reach the Organization Information section of the “Create New Account” page, ensure you do the following:
- Fill in only the starred (*) fields
- Organization Name: please use your family (last) name
- CRA Registration Number: enter 000000000RR0000 (9 zeros, RR, 4 zeros)
- Address: please use the address of your permanent residence
- Telephone: please use the number where you are most easily reached
Once you have created and or/signed into your account, you can start your application by clicking the “Application – CFSOS Bursary” link on your Applicant Dashboard. You can access your application at anytime prior to final submission by logging in with your username and password.
Link to application portal (from March 31st through May 2nd):
Congratulations to our 2024 Bursary Recipients!
- Dr. John and Kathy Scarfo Bursary Fund (11 awards): Maya Lefebvre, Daryl-lee Schalm, Camryn Sweeney, Amer Mach, Hashanah Cabug-Os, Riota Issacs, Brook Letourneau, Josephine Kay, Yar Mach, Daniel Nixon, Javier Carlos
- Eva & Herbert Rosinger Scholarship Fund (2 awards): Devan O’Gorman, Angela Omojuwa
- L&R Supplementary Bursary Fund: Larissa Watt
- Culver Family Bursary Fund: Amy Lucich
- Irene & Charles Armstrong Bursary Fund: Meghan Harms
- South Okanagan Indigenous Education Fund (2 awards): Kyra Souch, Ciara Browne
- Belyea Brothers Fund (3 awards): Taylor Bierlmeier, Owen Blaine, Viktoria Quindt
- Sharon Amos Legacy Fund for the Arts (4 awards): Tianna Ferlizza, Samuel Kleiver, Jackson van Raes, Starla Rorison
- Lynn and Brian Jackson Endowment for Fine Arts: Kyrah van der Merwe
- Alana Matthew Fund: Josephine Kay
