Scholarships and Bursaries

May 18, 2021

The application period for our 2020 bursaries and scholarships is now closed, and winners will be contacted by September. The next application period will be in Summer 2021.

Since 1982, CMHA BC has been helping people with mental illness further their pursuit of post-secondary education through our scholarship and bursary programs. We are committed to lowering access barriers and would like to ensure that these scholarships and bursaries are available to anyone in British Columbia with lived experience who is pursuing higher education. Learn more about our values.

Several awards are available each year to BC post-secondary students who live with mental illness or addiction. Applicants may only apply for one of the awards listed below in a given year. Only electronic submissions will be accepted.

Lorne Fraser Scholarship for Mental Health Promotion
Scholarships worth $1000 and $2000 are available to two post-secondary students entering the second, third, or fourth year of an undergraduate program, or any stage of a graduate program, whose education and career goals are related to mental health promotion.

Lorne Fraser Educational Bursary
Several $700 bursaries are available to students for the tuition costs of a post-secondary education at an accredited BC institution.

Mental Health Fine Arts Bursary (FAB) Award
Two $1,000 bursaries available for students enrolled or accepted to a post-secondary program in the field of fine art.

Indigenous Mental Health Fine Arts Bursary (FAB) Award
Held at Vancouver Foundation, one $1,000 bursary for an Indigenous post-secondary student 18 years or older, who is pursuing fine arts at Emily Carr University of Art and Design and has accessed support/mental health services.

Janice Lee Blue Wave Youth Bursary
Several $700 bursaries are available for BC youth under the age of 20 who have experienced a significant mental health or substance use challenge.

Please note: Submissions received by mail or fax will be disqualified. Individuals who submit more than one application for the same year will be evaluated on the application submitted first only. An applicant may win a bursary or scholarship more than once, but will not be eligible to win an award two years in a row.

Through the Lorne Fraser Educational Fund, we’ve helped more than 200 British Columbians pursue their educational dreams.

“I cannot begin to thank Lorne Fraser and CMHA BC for selecting me as one of the Lorne Fraser award recipients. I was planning to take a hiatus from studies because I could not afford the tuition for fall and was very saddened by the situation. I cannot begin to find adequate words to elucidate the relief I felt after receiving your email and realizing I can indeed continue with my studies and portfolio … I am so happy you are supporting me on my journey to contribute to society on many levels.” – Bursary Recipient

With your help we can offer even more scholarships and bursaries each year. Please donate.

If you have any questions, please email bakht.anwar@cmha.bc.ca

Download the criteria used to evaluate applications for each bursary and scholarship:

Learn more:

Lorne Fraser crest