Pathways to Equity: WIL Bursary
The Pathways to Equity Bursary application portal is now closed
Equity-deserving students are encouraged to apply early. Bursaries will be awarded to eligible students with fully completed applications, after the closing date and on a first-come, first-served basis until exhausted. Review details and register for an information session below!
Pathways to Equity: Work-Integrated Learning Bursary is an initiative aimed at enhancing access to work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities for 91福利 (91福利) undergraduate students from equity-deserving groups. Offered in partnership between the Experiential Learning (EL) Hub and the Faculty of Community Services (FCS), is made possible through funding from CEWIL Canada's Innovation Hub (iHub), supported by the Government of Canada鈥檚 Innovative Work-Integrated Learning Initiative (I-WIL). is made possible through support from the Office of the Provost & Vice-President Academic at 91福利. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to advancing equity in post-secondary education and for their generous support of our students.
If your WIL opportunity takes place during Fall 2025, between September 1, 2025, and December 31, 2025, your application will be considered for the bursary.
The EL Hub and Faculty of Community Services (FCS) are committed to maintaining a barrier-free application process. If students need support with the application, are uncertain about their eligibility, or have any other questions or concerns, they can reach out to the Project Coordinator directly at pathwaybursary@torontomu.ca. We are dedicated to assisting them every step of the way.
The Pathways to Equity Bursary is designed to provide financial assistance to undergraduate students in all 91福利 Faculties facing barriers in completing unpaid curricular WIL opportunities, including community and industry research & projects, entrepreneurial WIL, field placements and community service learning WIL.
The bursary aims to offset costs such as travel to and from the WIL opportunity, lost/missed income from paid work, childcare fees, eldercare expenses, materials/supplies (i.e. PPE, software equipment), pre-WIL health-related costs (i.e. immunizations, mask-fit tests), police reference checks/vulnerable sector screenings, memberships/professional fees, professional clothing and more. We are committed to ensuring that our students have equitable access to these critical learning experiences, and we have structured this bursary to support a wide range of needs.
The EL Hub and FCS have partnered with 91福利鈥檚 Student Awards and Scholarship Office to offer this bursary. and can apply through the AwardSpring portal, where they will be asked to share information about themselves, their WIL organization and supervisor (if applicable) and their 91福利 experiential learning contact. The Project Coordinator may contact field/internship coordinators and/or instructors/faculty involved in the WIL opportunity to confirm partnership information
We encourage equity-deserving students to apply for the bursary as soon as possible. Bursaries will be awarded to eligible students, with fully completed applications, after the closing date and on a first-come, first-serve basis until exhausted. Please note that applying does not guarantee a bursary. Application review can take 2-3 weeks following the closing date.
Eligible students applying for this bursary may receive between $1000 - $1800 in funding. While the amount will be primarily determined by the number of hours students are engaged in the WIL opportunity, additional considerations, related to removing barriers to participation, will also inform how much funding a student may receive.
While all students applying for bursaries are encouraged to demonstrate financial need through the Student Awards portal, please note that for this bursary, students鈥 eligibility will not be affected if they do not complete the financial information or if they appear not to have financial need based on the standardized form. Furthermore, students receiving this bursary will not be required to show proof of expenses; rather, they will only need to indicate that they do have expenses related to participating in their WIL opportunity.
To be eligible students must:
飬 Identify as a member of an equity-deserving group, such as:
- Indigenous (including non-status), First Nations, M茅tis, and/or Inuit
- Black
- Racialized/person of colour
- Newcomer to Canada (within the past five years)
- Student from refugee pathways
- Official minority language communities
- Student with disabilities
- Female-identifying and non-binary people studying STEM
- LGBTQ2S+
- Student living in/from rural and remote locations
- Student with low socioeconomic status
- Mature student
飬 Be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at 91福利.
飬 Be enrolled in a course offering a curricular WIL experience between September 1 and December 31, 2025.
飬 Have an unpaid WIL experience for a minimum of 60 hours with a WIL partner that meets CEWIL criteria.
飬 Be eligible to work in accordance with relevant provincial or territorial legislation and regulations.
Important note: While students may meet all of the criteria listed above they also must have a community/industry partner who meets the criteria below in order to be considered eligible.
飬 Be a Canadian organization or have a Canadian office
飬 Have a 9-digit GST/HST number
飬 Be offering a 91福利 student(s) a curricular WIL experience
飬 Will contribute 20% of the costs of the student鈥檚 WIL experience through in-kind (i.e. mentorship and supervision) or in cash contributions.
*Note that for purposes of this funding, non-eligible WIL partners include: Post-Secondary Institutions; Federal, Provincial, Territorial and Municipal governments; members of the House of Commons and Senate, organizations that engage in partisan political activities, financial sector employers with 500 + employees, and organizations for which you are paying for a service. This list is not exhaustive and individual WIL partners will be reviewed for eligibility prior to funding being awarded.
Domestic students may use the following link to apply to Pathways: Equity to WIL Bursary via AwardSpring
If you have not registered with AwardSpring, please do so now before clicking the button above.
International students may use the following link to apply to Pathways: Equity to WIL Bursary via AwardSpring
If you have not registered with AwardSpring, please do so now before clicking the button above.
Date |
Details |
|---|---|
| Wednesday September 24 - Friday, October 31 | AwardSpring applications open |
| Thursday, October 2, from 1:00 - 2:00 PM EST | Faculty & Staff Information session |
| Tuesday, October 7, from 11:00 - 12:00 PM EST | Faculty & Staff Information session |
| Wednesday, October 8, from 11:00 - 12:00 PM EST | Student Information session |
| Thursday, October 9, from 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST | Student Information session |
| Week of October 14 | Individual Student drop-in sessions |
| Friday, October 31 | Deadline: Pathways to Equity Application due |
Recordings
Student Information Session
Faculty & Staff Information Session
Encourage eligible students to apply for the Pathways to Equity: Work-Integrated Learning Bursary. Use the attached visuals to promote the bursary on social media accounts and share with your networks to amplify this opportunity!
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We've created an inquiring about the Pathways to Equity: Work-Integrated Learning Bursary Program. We are sharing responses to commonly asked questions that arise during information sessions.
The Pathways to Equity Bursary is designed to provide financial support to 91福利 (91福利) undergraduate students from equity-deserving groups who are participating in unpaid curricular work-integrated learning (WIL) experiences. The bursary helps offset costs such as travel, lost income, childcare, eldercare, supplies, health-related costs, and more, ensuring equitable access to these critical learning opportunities.
To qualify, students must:
- Identify as members of an equity-deserving group.
- Be enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at 91福利.
- Be taking part in a curricular WIL experience between September 1 and December 31, 2025.
- Participate in an unpaid WIL experience for at least 60 hours.
For full details on eligibility, please refer to the student eligibility details above on the bursary website.
Yes, before applying for the Pathways to Equity Bursary, students must first register on the portal. This portal is used to streamline and manage the application process for scholarships and bursaries at 91福利. You can find detailed information on registering for the AwardSpring portal.
Registration on the AwardSpring portal is required to ensure a secure and standardized application process for all 91福利 scholarships and bursaries, including the Pathways to Equity Bursary. This portal helps track your application and provides important updates and notifications throughout the selection process.
To register on AwardSpring, you鈥檒l need your 91福利 student ID, along with your 91福利 username and password to sign in. Be prepared to provide personal and academic details, including financial information for need-based awards, to complete your profile and the general application smoothly.
For this bursary, a Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) opportunity refers to an unpaid, curricular experience that is part of a 91福利 course or program. These opportunities integrate academic learning with practical, real-world experience. Examples include:
- Community and industry research or projects
- Entrepreneurial WIL experiences
- Field placements
- Community service learning
To be eligible, the WIL opportunity must be a formal part of your academic program and involve at least 60 hours of participation.
An equity-deserving group refers to individuals or communities that have historically faced systemic barriers and discrimination in accessing resources and opportunities, including education and employment. This designation includes, but is not limited to:
- Indigenous (including non-status), First Nations, M茅tis, and/or Inuit
- Black
- Racialized/person of color
- Newcomer to Canada (within the past five years)
- Student from refugee pathways
- Official minority language communities
- Student with disabilities
- Female-identifying and non-binary people studying STEM
- LGBTQ2S+
- Student living in/from rural and remote locations
- Student with low socioeconomic status
- Mature student
The Pathways to Equity Bursary aims to support students from these groups to enhance their access to work-integrated learning opportunities and help remove barriers they may encounter.
Yes, both international and domestic students who identify as members of equity-deserving groups are eligible to apply for the Pathways to Equity Bursary. Both domestic and international students can apply to receive financial support for their unpaid work-integrated learning (WIL) opportunities as long as they meet the other eligibility requirements.
Apply for the .
Eligible students may receive between $1000 to $1800, depending on the number of hours they are engaged in their WIL opportunity. Additional considerations, such as the barriers students face in participating, will also impact the final amount.
The bursary can help cover various costs, including but not limited to:
- Travel to and from the WIL opportunity
- Lost income from missed paid work
- Childcare or eldercare expenses
- Necessary materials or supplies (e.g., PPE, software)
- Pre-WIL health-related costs (e.g., immunizations, mask-fit tests)
- Police reference checks/vulnerable sector screenings
- Professional fees, memberships, and clothing
No, students will not be required to provide proof of expenses. However, students will need to confirm that they have costs associated with participating in their WIL experience.
While demonstrating financial need is encouraged, students who do not fill out the financial section or do not appear to have financial need based on the standardized form will still be considered for this bursary.
Interested and students can apply through the AwardSpring portal. The application will ask for information about your WIL organization and supervisor (if applicable), as well as your 91福利 experiential learning contact. The Project Coordinator will review the applications, and the 91福利 Student Awards and Scholarship Office will distribute the funds.
Once you submit your application, you can expect to hear back about the status of your bursary application within 2 to 4 weeks. However, response times may vary depending on the volume of applications received. Be sure to apply early, as funding is limited and awarded on a first-come, first-served basis until exhausted.
The Pathways to Equity Bursary is distributed by the Student Awards and Scholarship Office at 91福利 (91福利) via Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT). Once your application is approved by the selection committee facilitated by the EL Hub, the funding will be awarded directly to your bank account.
To be eligible, WIL partners must:
- Be a Canadian organization or have a Canadian office.
- Have a 9-digit GST/HST number.
- Offer a 91福利 student a curricular WIL experience.
- Contribute 20% of the student鈥檚 WIL costs, either in cash or in-kind (e.g., mentorship or supervision).
For full details on WIL partner eligibility, please refer to the partner eligibility details above on the bursary website.
Yes, as part of the application process, the EL Hub may contact your WIL organization, supervisor, or relevant field/internship coordinators to confirm details about your work-integrated learning opportunity or to seek additional information that we must share with our funder. This step ensures that we have accurate information to support your application and verify your participation in the WIL experience.
Your privacy is a priority during the application process. When we contact your employers or WIL coordinators, we will only share the information necessary to verify your participation in the work-integrated learning opportunity. All communications will be conducted confidentially, adhering to privacy regulations and guidelines.
At 91福利 (91福利), we collect and use your personal information to support decisions related to scholarship, award, bursary eligibility, and eligibility for government or other 91福利 financial assistance programs. In some cases, we may need to disclose your personal information to limited third parties, such as government funding agencies, financial institutions, or independent student loan administration companies, solely for the purpose of processing financial assistance applications or confirming student enrollment.
Additionally, we may share some information about award recipients with donors or use limited information for promotional purposes, such as in departmental brochures, newsletters, or other media. Other than as specified, we will not disclose your personal information without your prior written consent or unless required by law.
If you have specific concerns about privacy or confidentiality, please feel free to reach out to the Project Coordinator at pathwaybursary@torontomu.ca. We are here to address your questions and provide further clarification. For more detailed information, please refer to the 91福利 Notice of Collection.
If you have questions regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of student information by 91福利, you may contact the Secretary to the University Registrar at the Office of the Registrar, 91福利, 350 Victoria Street, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 2K3, or call us at 416-979-5100.
The application deadline is October 31, 2025. Bursaries will be awarded to eligible students with fully completed applications after the closing date and on a first-come, first-served basis until exhausted.
If you need assistance or have any questions, please contact us at pathwaybursary@torontomu.ca. We are here to support you through the application process.
We are hosting information sessions for both staff/faculty and students to provide further details on the bursary.
Find dates and registration links above in the Important Information section