Section 1: RNFOO Academic Scholarships Application Process

1-1 Question: Who can apply for RNFOO Academic Scholarships?
Answer: The mandate of the Foundation is to provide awards and scholarships to nurses and nursing students. Our Academic Scholarships are not based on financial need, but on academic and clinical performance.  In addition to the program requirements, many of the awards available have further criteria that you may or may not meet – for instance, for the Evelyn Cameron and MCNIG awards, you must be a member of the supporting RNAO Interest Groups; for the Mary Brunning Harkin Scholarship you must show that your focus in nursing is care for the elderly. You should read the 2024 Academic Scholarships Brochure carefully.  
Potential applicants should consult the Step by Step Instructions to understand the purpose and scope of RNFOO Academic Scholarships. If, after reviewing that page, you have any further questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our office.

1-2 Question: How many applications do I have to submit?  
Answer: We need only one complete application, regardless of how many awards you are applying for, so you only need to send one copy of all your supplementary documents, including your transcripts.

1-3 Question: How many awards can be applied for?  
Answer: The application system is set up so that within your one application, you can apply to any and all awards for which you meet the criteria. The Awards Page or the Awards Brochure will help you find the right awards for you. Applying for awards for which you are not qualified does not reflect well on your application.

1-4 Question: Am I eligible to apply for awards if I am studying outside Ontario?  
Answer: The important criteria for RNFOO Academic Scholarships is residency. If you are a resident of Ontario, you are eligible to apply for awards. The expectation is that residents of Ontario are planning to practice in Ontario after graduation. Your plan should be clear to the judges. Nurses working on further education must be registered with the College of Nurses of Ontario.

1-5 Question: Are there any awards for IEN’s?  
Answer: There is no award that is ONLY for IENs. However, IENs do meet the criteria for some of our awards, most notably the Regina Borowska Scholarship: there are 10 prizes available for that award. Check the Eligibility Chart, looking in the column for “Undergrad Degree PostRN BScN”.

1-6 Question: What awards are currently available for Practical Nursing students?  
Answer: If you consult the Eligibility Chart you will see the awards that are available to students currently in an PN program. (It is only recently that RNFOO has become involved in awards for PN students, so there are not as many donors of awards at that level.)

Section 2: Preparing and completing the application

2-1 Question: How do I start the application process?

Answer: If you have determined that you are eligible for RNFOO awards, you start in the Applicant Login box on the right-hand side of the Awards Information page. Click on the ‘Pay and Start the Application’ button. You will fill in your basic information, then be directed to the PayPal site to pay the $30 applicant fee. (Select “Pay with a credit or VISA Debit card” if you don’t have a PayPal account) . 
Once you have paid your fee, you will receive an e-mail message confirming your registration for the application process and providing you with instructions about how to complete the application. If you don’t see that message, check your junk mail. Because it is an automated response to your registration, it can get caught in some spam filters.
You can access your application as many times as you like before the deadline for completing the on-line portion. You must save/update your application before you log off from any session.

2-2 Question: How can I reset the password on my application?

Answer: There is a “Forgot Password” button underneath the Login button.

2-4 Question: Can I get a refund of my application fee?

Answer: In virtually all situations, the application fee is non-refundable. If you have a particularly unusual situation, you may submit a request for a partial refund.

Section 3: Submitting Supporting Documentation

3-1 Question: What is the ‘Confirmation of Enrollment

Answer: The committee is looking for proof that you are currently enrolled in a nursing program.  Without documentation of your enrollment for the current Winter term, your application will not be considered.  You should note that other than PhD candidates, most documentation dated before the beginning of the winter term cannot confirm your current enrollment.  Most universities have documents available through their school’s on-line records that confirm enrollment.  A letter from your program director or the registrar’s office would also verify your enrollment.
New this year: applicants must load their enrollment document to the application. Do not send it to the RNFOO office.
Unless clearly stated in the award description, applicants must be enrolled in a recognized nursing program.

3-3 Question: Do transcripts have to be “Official”? What is an ‘Official Transcript’?

Answer: All transcripts submitted to RNFOO must be OFFICIAL TRANSCRIPTS. In order to qualify as an official transcript, the document must come to the RNFOO office directly from the school, stating that it is an official transcript, or from a secure platform contracted by the university or college. If it does not include that wording, or if does not come directly from the university, we cannot accept it. Transcripts may be submitted by email to info@rnfoo.org or mailed to 4261 Highway 7 East, Suite A14-364, Markham, ON L3R 9W6. All transcripts must reach the office by the stated deadline. Documents released to students must reach the RNFOO office in an officially sealed envelope.

3-4 Question: Do I have to include transcripts for my application?

Answer: All applications must be supported by transcripts. All transcripts must be official documents that include your grades for the most recent Fall term. Contact your university/college to send your official transcript directly to the RNFOO office or mail it to the RNFOO office in an officially sealed envelope. Since COVID, most universities can send official transcripts electronically or by fax. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that electronic or faxed transcripts are clearly marked as official, and come directly from the educational institution. You should allow at least two weeks for transcripts to be delivered from Ontario institutions. You should ensure that you have a receipt that clearly shows the date that the transcript was ordered and paid. If the transcripts are coming from outside of Ontario, allow 2-4 weeks, and if from outside of Canada, allow 4-6 weeks.

3-5 Question: Do I need to submit all of my transcripts?

Answer: If your application has at least one transcript, it will be reviewed. If you are in a second degree or Graduate level program, judges expect to see all previous transcripts. Experience has shown that applicants who do not submit transcripts from previous degrees do not score as well as those who do. The more the judges know about your academic experience, the better they can evaluate your strengths and potential to contribute to the nursing profession.

3-6 Question: I am studying through on-line courses: who should I use as references?

Answer: You are looking for someone who can speak to your “commitment to the nursing profession, leadership potential, scholarship/academic potential, and/or your contributions (previous or potential) to the advancement of nursing practice”. Many of the students applying for our awards are studying on-line, and have had only ‘virtual’ contact with their instructors. Since most courses include on-line discussions, these instructors or teaching assistants can speak to your level of participation and your competence in the course, and comment about your ability to integrate new perspectives or knowledge with practice. Alternately, if they are aware of your current studies, a colleague or supervisor may be able to attest to the way that you integrate your studies with your work.

3-7 Question: How does information from my references get added to my application?

Answer: Referees must submit reference letters directly to the RNFOO office, preferably through e-mail. Please review the Reference Letter Guidelines and share that document with your referees to ensure that proper procedure is followed.

Please note: regardless of how many awards you select, the system can only accept one letter from each of your two references.

3-8 Question: Are there forms to complete for supporting documents?

Answer: There are no forms to provide for the supporting documents. You will find detailed instructions about reference letters and Official Transcripts in Sections 4 and 6 of the Introduction and How to Apply link.

Section 4: After you have completed the application: The waiting period

4-1 Question: Will my transcript get there on time?

Answer: We are aware that it takes some time for some universities to have Fall term grades available, which is the reason we allow time after the close of the on-line application for supplementary documents to be submitted to our office.

4.2 Question: How do I know that my supplementary documents have been received?

Answer: After the deadline, when applicants no longer have access to complete applications, you will be able to download a pdf of your application. This document will include updates made by RNFOO staff that will show transcripts and references that have been received. Login as you did to complete your application, go to the Dashboard page and click Download PDF.

4-3 Question: When and how will winners be notified?

Answer: RNFOO Awards and Scholarships winners are announced about the middle of March.  Winners are notified by e-mail.  Acknowledgements are sent to everyone whose application is completed.  The list of winners is then posted on the RNFOO website. Schools of Nursing are notified of winners who are registered in their programs.

4-4 Question: How can I find out why I didn’t win an award?

Answer: RNFOO is not able to provide individual feedback on applications. Some of the points that cause applicants to score poorly are:

Reference letters do not provide examples of students’ strengths and achievements
Explanations of Qualifications are not tailored to specific awards applied for
Career goals do not articulate commitment to the profession of nursing

If you have a question not answered here, please feel free to contact our office.