Awards and Scholarships

RDP's General Awards Application is available between March 1 and May 31 annually. By completing the General Awards Application, students are assessed for the vast majority of RDP awards and scholarships. 

The General Awards Application will reopen in March 2024.

The Laurence Decore Award for Student Leadership honours Mr. Laurence Decore, former Edmonton mayor and leader of the Alberta Liberal Party. The Laurence Decore Award for Student Leadership recognizes post-secondary students who have demonstrated outstanding dedication and leadership to fellow students and to their community.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person (visa students are not eligible)
• Must be an Alberta resident
• Must be enrolled in a full-time post-secondary undergraduate program during the 2023-2024 academic year
• Must be in satisfactory academic standing
• Must be involved in:
  • student government, societies, clubs or organizations; OR
  • student organizations at the provincial or national level; OR
  • non-profit community organizations

Complete the Laurence Decore Award for Student Leadership Application in order to be considered. Please note applicants must provide a detailed description of their leadership involvement with their application.

Deadline to apply: February 1, 2024

The Dr. Gary McPherson Leadership Scholarship recognizes students who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, especially in the area of disability, and/or initiative to improve the conditions and lives of others.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident, or protected person (visa students are not eligible)
• Must be an Alberta resident
• Must be enrolled in full-time post-secondary studies (including apprenticeship programs) during the 2023-2024 academic year
• Must be in satisfactory academic standing
• Must have shown outstanding leadership, especially in the area of disability and/or initiative to improve the condition and lives of others

Complete the Dr. Gary McPherson Leadership Scholarship Application to be considered. Please note applicants must provide a resume and an essay with their application.

Deadline to apply:  February 1, 2024

If you are an Indigenous student attending full-time studies at Red Deer Polytechnic, you may be eligible for the Indigenous Careers Award! This award provides support to Indigenous Albertans in their pursuit of post-secondary studies in certificate, diploma, and degree programs. The award is valued at $2,000 per term, with a maximum of $4,000 per year.

The deadline to apply for the Fall term award has passed. Applications for the Winter term will be accepted starting in January 2024.

Students enrolled in and required to travel to practicum placements outside of the City of Red Deer for the Practical Nurse Diploma, Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree or the Occupational and Physical Therapist Assistant Diploma programs may be eligible for the Health Sciences Rural Practicum Bursary! This bursary is intended to offset the financial burden of traveling to a distant practicum location.

Before applying, you must:

• Have a confirmed practicum placement at least 100km from Red Deer Polytechnic
• Know the practicum/clinic dates and location

Complete the Health Sciences Rural Practicum Bursary Application to be considered.

Deadline to apply for a Fall 2023 practicum: October 31, 2023

Deadline to apply for a Winter 2024 practicum: March 1, 2024

Red Deer Polytechnic is proud to announce a new bursary available to students in practicum/field study placements this Fall term. Eligible students may apply for a one-time $1,000 Barrier Reduction bursary as well as a $500 travel subsidy, per placement. Find full bursary details in this document. 

Who can apply? Students in the following programs with practicum/field study placements taking place this Fall term:

• Bachelor of Education
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing
• Early Learning and Child Care
• Educational Assistant
• Health Care Aide
• Practical Nursing

Please note international students are not eligible for this bursary. 

When to Apply: You must apply during the month of your placement (ie. If your placement begins in October, you must wait until October to apply). 

How to apply: Complete the Accessible Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) Bursary Application once per practicum/field study placement. 

Deadline to apply: November 30, 2023

Do you reside on campus? Would you like to organize an event, project or initiative for the betterment of your fellow Red Deer Polytechnic students? If so, you need to apply for this scholarship! There are two scholarships to be awarded in the Fall term, and two to be awarded in the Winter term. The selected recipients will receive $200 to make their event, project or initiative a reality. Simply complete the Red Deer Polytechnic Tenants' Association Building Community Scholarship Application in order to be considered. Please note applications will be considered on a first-come, first-serve basis. 

Deadline to apply for a Fall 2023 project/event/initiative: November 15, 2023

Deadline to apply for a Winter 2024 project/event/initiative: March 15, 2024

Who said there is no such thing as free money? If you are a current high school student planning to attend a credit program at Red Deer Polytechnic next fall, with an average of 80% or higher in five 5-credit grade 11 or grade 12 subjects, you could get $1,000 awards towards your tuition. It’s easy to apply!  

Fall 2024 Applicants

Beginning October 1, 2023, email your transcript or Detailed Academic Report to studentconnect [at] rdpolytech [dot] ca (studentconnect[at]rdpolytech[dot]ca) and be sure to provide an up-to-date email address and phone number.

There are limited scholarships to be awarded. Be sure to apply early!

Eligibility Criteria:

• Must be continuing in full-time post-secondary studies
• Must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or protected person
• Must be an Alberta resident
• Must have completed 24 credits with a minimum GPA of 3.2 (to meet Jason Lang eligibility) or 30 credits with a minimum GPA of 3.7 (to meet Louise McKinney eligibility) over the previous two terms (not including Spring)
• Students can only receive one of these scholarships per academic year
• A maximum of 3 Jason Lang and/or Louise McKinney scholarships can be acquired in a student's academic lifetime

Current Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP) students meeting the above criteria will be notified via email to their Red Deer Polytechnic email addresses over the summer months. Nominees are required to complete the application linked in this email in order to be considered for the awards. 

Students who have transferred to other institutions (including those currently enrolled in collaborative programs at RDP) must contact the Financial Aid Office at their current institution in order to discuss their Jason Lang and Louise McKinney Scholarship process.

Current and prospective Red Deer Polytechnic athletes may be eligible for athletic awards and scholarships. Connect with the Red Deer Polytechnic team’s head coach to discuss your athletic award eligibility.   

In addition to Red Deer Polytechnic awards, maximize your scholarship potential by browsing our list of external award opportunities.