A Must Attend for Military Families Looking for Scholarships for Post-Secondary Education

In 2005, Brittany Palmer, then a high school senior, accumulated $56,000 in scholarships and went on to graduate from Simon Fraser University debt-free.

On May 28, Palmer will be sharing her formula for success with the military community in an interactive virtual session hosted by the PEI MFRC.

Together, Palmer and her brother, Bo, won 35 scholarships totalling over $125,000 in funds. In 2008, Palmer officially opened Unlock Your Future, a consulting business in which Palmer coaches students on finding scholarships and writing winning scholarship essays.

The May 28 session will cover topics ranging from building your scholarship foundation to creating strong personal statements.

“She is going to talk about the myths because everybody thinks you either have to have straight A’s or you have to be in financial need. The reality is it’s only 15 per cent that need those qualifications in a scholarship and the other reality is that there’s more than $5 million in scholarship that never get claimed simply because no one applied,” said Margaret MacKenzie, Virtual Program Coordinator for MFRC-PEI.

MacKenzie explains that there are more than 80,000 scholarships available on Scholarship Canada alone, totalling almost a quarter of a billion dollars.

“She’s going to debunk those myths because people will say ‘I’m not going to apply for scholarships. I won’t win. I didn’t get straight A’s’ but that’s not what’s important,” adds MacKenzie.

Palmer will also coach participants on what to look for in a winning scholarship essay and how to write “from heart, not regurgitation, but from heart and honest.”

She will also explain the importance of bringing military experiences to the essay.

“Because with all the moves and deployments and everything else that military families go through, those are the kind of skills that organizations will celebrate with reference to wanting to give them scholarships,” said MacKenzie.

Palmer will also be giving away door prizes, a 40-page resource booklet.

MacKenzie stresses that the workshop is open to anyone thinking of seeking higher education from military spouses to parents.

“So, it’s not just for your 16-year-old going into first-year university it’s for Ph.D. levels, it’s for masters, it’s for certification of skills,” notes MacKenzie.

The session will be limited to 40 participants and registration is filling up fast. MacKenzie warns that those interested should sign up quickly.

The interactive session: Scholarships; Essay, Myths, Tips & Tricks, will be held on Saturday, May 28 at 2 p.m. EDT.

Visit the MFRC PEI virtual workshop website to register click here.