Scholarship Information
Heaslip Undergraduate Awards | |
|---|---|
| Maximum Amount: | $20,000 |
| Status: | 2nd Year |
| Application Form: | Application Form |
| Deadline: | 01-Oct |
| Occasion: | Fall |
| Scholarship Type: | Award |
| Description: | These renewable scholarships are granted to UPEI students entering Year 2 of any four-year undergraduate degree program. Recipients must meet the following criteria: be Canadian citizens or Permanent Resident in full time studies of Year 2 of their degree; demonstrate financial need (as determined through review of their application); have a cumulative average of at least 70% in Year 1 of their studies, and maintain full time studies with a cumulative average of at least 70% in all subsequent years for the award to be renewed (for a maximum of three years of funding); demonstrate sustained community involvement on or off campus; and, not be in receipt of another major award. |
| Background: | Nona and William (Bill) Heaslip (1927Ð2006), O.C., LLD (Hon.), principals of the William and Nona Heaslip Foundation, established renewable scholarships at the University of Prince Edward Island in 2005 to support undergraduate students. Nona Macdonald Heaslip's father, Colonel Ronald Hugh Patrick Macdonald, FRCS, MC, DSO, was born in Summerside, PEI. He attended Saint Dunstan's College, a predecessor institution of UPEI, from 1901 to 1904. Nona Macdonald Heaslip, who passed away March 6, 2024, was a retired public relations executive, with a distinguished career in communications, spanning journalism, radio and television production; and public affairs. She served on the boards of major theatre organizations and was actively involved in education initiatives at many of the ten universities that award the Heaslip Undergraduate Awards, especially at her alma mater, the University of Toronto. William Heaslip, who passed away March 3, 2006, was the co-founder of Grafton Group Ltd., and built what became the second-largest retail clothing company in Canada. Mr. Heaslip received the Order of Canada, and an Honorary Doctorate from St. Francis Xavier University. William Heaslip envisioned creating renewable scholarships to provide a foundation so students could achieve their education goals. Insipred by stories from university faculty about students struggling to balance full time studies with nearly full time jobs, he aimed to provide enough financial support to free them from employment pressures. His goal was to empower deserving students to engage in community service, fully experience university life, and succeed in completing their undergraduate degrees. Today, the board members of The William and Nona Heaslip Foundation have reinvigorated their commitment to continuing Bill Heaslips's vision, more than 20 years after the first scholarships were established. The William and Nona Heaslip Foundation was established to support many charities to which the Heaslips donated. Bill Heaslip said, "Success comes from hard work and a lifetime of continuing education. I hope our recipients will give back to our country and the institution." Nona and Bill's enduring legacy is defined by their commitment to giving back to Canada's vital institutions, including higher education. This legacy is lives on the University of Prince Edward Island through the Heaslip Undergraduate Awards. |
