CREDIT: STUDENTS.UBC.CA
The only way to tap into student bursaries and scholarships is to apply. Fanshawe College has many bursaries and scholarships waiting to be applied for. Visit fanshawebursaries.com for a full list.

It's the start of a new semester, and in addition to new classes, new teachers and tons of homework, it's also time to get your hands on some free money.

The college wide awards have been open since early December and Winter semester bursaries just opened up a few days ago, so there are plenty of opportunities to apply — and now is the time to do it, as most applications are due on February 15.

There are some common questions students have when talking about student awards, said Danielle Steele, an awards officer at Fanshawe. First of all, what's the difference between a bursary and a scholarship? According to the Student Awards sheet distributed by the Student Awards office, a bursary is a non-repayable award given out based on financial need; a scholarship is also a nonrepayable award but is awarded based on criteria such as academic performance, leadership or volunteerism.

Students also want to know how they'll be notified if they win, continued Steele. If you are awarded a bursary or scholarship, you'll be notified through FanshaweOnline, so be sure to check your FOL account regularly.

Finally, students wonder how to apply. Check out fanshawebursaries. com, an easy-to-use online system that shows what's open and the criteria to apply. "We tell students … apply for anything and everything that they feel they meet the criteria for," said Steele.

Don't be discouraged by the bursaries or scholarships that require you to write an essay to apply. "A minimum award or scholarship is $500 for maybe a half-hour of work," said Steele. "You can't work (at a part-time job) for a half an hour and make $500 to $1,000-plus."

For a full list of college-wide awards currently accepting applications, head to www.fanshawec.ca/postsec. A few other resources to check out are scholarshipscanada.com and studentawards.com, two websites that make it their mission to connect Canadian students with the wealth of free money available.

If you have more questions or want some help navigating the world of student awards, the Student Awards office in K1003 is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.