Awards and Funding

Scholarships and Awards

For complete details about awards and funding at Saint Mary’s, see Financial Aid and Awards.  

Entrance Awards: Saint Mary’s University is pleased to automatically consider students registered by March 1 for renewable entrance scholarships.

Admissions Awards: More than 200 undergraduate admissions awards are available, with a range of focus and criteria.

Other Scholarships: See the Scholarships section for a complete list of undergraduate, graduate, entrance, returning and external awards.

Faculty of Arts Awards 

The Edna and Velma Thomas Kane Writers Award

Launched in the fall of 2021, this award may be presented to an undergraduate student in the Faculty of Arts upon graduation. To be eligible for the annual $30,000 award, students must:

• be Canadian citizens or permanent residents who identify as Black/African descended, with priority going to African Nova Scotian students;
• have demonstrable financial need;
• be in good academic standing; and
• aspire to a career in writing, broadly defined.

APPLICATION FORM: The Edna and Velma Thomas Kane Writers Award  

Application deadline: Thursday, November 30, 2023

To apply, submit the online application form above. Applications must include a personal statement of about 500 words; a financial statement; and at least two writing samples. See the application form for more details. A short list of applicants will be invited to personal interviews with the Edna and Velma Thomas Kane Writers Award Selection Committee, chaired by the Dean of Arts.

The award aims to mitigate the burden of financial debt for African Nova Scotian students and students of Black/African descent in the Faculty of Arts, and to support them in pursuing further post-secondary studies or training to advance their aspirations for a career in writing. A career in writing could include, but is not limited to, creative writing, poetry, film/television writing, publishing, digital communications, or an academic career path in an Arts and Humanities discipline.

For more information, see this article, New SMU Scholarship Supports Aspiring Writers of African Nova Scotian Descent.

Dean of Arts Conference Award

This program has been established by the Faculty of Arts to assist undergraduate Arts students with travel and accommodation expenses associated with presenting a paper or poster at a conference. Maximum funding support available under this program is $400.

Completed applications are to be submitted at least 30 days prior to the event to the Associate Dean of Arts, Research and Faculty Support. Student applications must include the following: 

• a completed Arts Student Application Form for Conference Travel Funds (fillable PDF)
• letter from student giving rationale for the funding request
• budget of estimated expenses
• signature of the Department Chairperson or Program Coordinator in the student's major
• letter of acceptance from conference organizers and/or a copy of the conference program indicating student's participation
• abstract of the paper (if applicable)