The Ontario Professional Engineers Foundation for Education has enhanced the value of its scholarship program by 50 per cent for the imminent new academic year. The funding boost translates into $1,500 awards for 102 students in Ontario’s 15 engineering schools.

Aligned with a mandate to promote the training and education of future professional engineers, scholarship values have been increased to address a general escalation of university tuition and fees. The Engineers Foundation reports that it instigated “a more aggressive fundraising plan” out of concern that students are increasingly forced to take on burdensome debt and/or juggle part-time jobs with school work. It also decries this “affordability imbalance” at a time when the STEM pursuits of science, technology, engineering and math are seen as critical to economic development.

The extra funding will top up 30 entrance scholarships, previously valued at $1,000, which have traditionally been bestowed to one male and one female student beginning studies at each of the 15 engineering schools. It also augments the number and value of undergraduate scholarships for students in subsequent years of study who demonstrate leadership qualities along with academic achievement. Scholarships for the 2015-16 academic year continue the Engineers Foundation’s legacy, which has awarded more than $2.6 million to more than 3,000 students since 1959.

“I, myself, was a recipient of the Entrance Award as a first-year student entering chemical engineering at the University of Waterloo,” recalls Dr. Tom Duever, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Architectural Science at Ryerson University. “It meant a great deal to me at that time and I know these awards continue to be important for current students in our engineering programs.”