Community Network Bursary

The Community Network Bursary application for 2024-2025 is now open!

Interested?

Students who would like to apply to the Bursary Program should first contact the community network in their region.

The Bursary Program

The Community Network Bursary Program provides financial support to students in health and social services programs; it is designed to respond to regional and local priorities for access to health and social services in English.

Community network partners are funded by Dialogue McGill to administer the Bursary Program in their region. The Bursary Program is part of Dialogue McGill’s Retention Program.

Bursary Amounts

Bursary amounts depend on the level of study and whether the educational institution is located within or outside the student’s home region.

Within Home Region

University |

$5,000

Cegep/College |

$2,500

$1,000 - $2,000

Vocational Training |

Outside Home Region

$10,000

University |

$5,000

Cegep/College |

$1,000 - $2,000

Vocational Training |

The bursaries are tax exempt.

Community networks paying bursaries should contact federal and provincial authorities (Canada Revenue Agency and Revenu Québec) to get appropriate information about the issuing of tax slips.

There is no maximum number of bursaries a student can receive under the bursary program. The participating community networks can create their own guidelines in this regard in response to local and regional dynamics.

Return for Service

For each bursary awarded, recipients commit to working in their home region, or the catchment area of the sponsoring community network, following the successful completion of their studies for a minimum of one (1) year full-time in a public health and social services institution.

The Bursaries in Action

Watch what our recipients have to say about our Bursary Program.

Eligibility

The Community Network Bursary Program is open to full-time students in Quebec regions who:

are Canadian citizens (or permanent residents) who have resided in their Quebec home region for at least 24 months;
have the appropriate English and French language skills to provide health and social services in a health and social services institution in Quebec;
are pursuing studies in a government recognized educational institution located INSIDE or OUTSIDE their home region;
- are accepted into or currently pursuing full-time studies in an eligible health and social service program;
  - Eligible programs are government recognized health and social services programs that permit the students to work professionally in Quebec upon completion of studies. Programs of study must prepare students for careers where they will be providing direct care and service; consult the list of eligible programs to learn more.
are registered full-time for the application period’s academic year;
are committed, following completion of studies, to working in their home region, or catchment area of the sponsoring community network, in a recognized public health and social services institution for a minimum of one year per bursary awarded;
- Medical program graduates will be required to work in a Quebec public health and social services institution for a minimum of one year per bursary awarded. A specific region is not required due to Quebec’s permit assignment system, known as the plans régionaux d’effectifs médicaux (PREM)
agree to participate in any follow-up, monitoring or evaluation of the Program conducted by Dialogue McGill and / or the community network.

Please note that the Bursary Program is not available to students registered in independent study programs, nor programs that do not lead to a degree or diploma.

Students are uniquely responsible for ensuring that any Dialogue McGill awarded bursary does not conflict with the requirements of bursaries awarded from another funding source or organization. We recommend that students communicate with their funding sponsors to clarify any potential conflicts.

Bursary Program Deadlines

The three important deadlines are listed below. Students and Community Networks who do not respect their deadlines are subject to refusal from Dialogue McGill.

Student Application Deadline

Students must submit all required documents to the sponsoring community network by May 7, 2024.

Community Networks

Community networks need to submit their recommendations to Dialogue McGill, which include all complete student applications by June 4, 2024.

Decisions Rendered

Decisions will be rendered by Dialogue McGill by July 23, 2024.

Vocational Training Deadlines

To accommodate the multiple starting dates of vocational training programs in Quebec, Dialogue McGill has opted to offer an open call for bursaries for students in vocational training programs.

How to Apply

Students who want to apply should first contact the community network in their home region that will sponsor their application.

Step 1

Students must fill out Form 1: Student Application, including the identification of their home region and the participating community network that will coordinate (sponsor) their bursary application within that region.

Step 2

Students must send the following documents to the contact person at their participating community network:

Form 1: Student Application, duly completed and signed;
most recent Curriculum Vitae;
official letter of acceptance into their program that they have received from their educational institution;
most recent academic transcript: if they are a first-year student after high school, they are to attach their latest high school transcript.

Step 3

Students must also provide two (2) references from within their community.

Students fill out section 1 of Form 2: Reference Providers and ask that their references complete sections 2-4.

Reference Providers email the completed Form 2: Reference Providers to the contact person at the participating community network in the student’s home region.

Selection Process

The selection of bursary recipients is a three-step process. The first step takes place at the community network level, the second at the regional level, and the third at the Dialogue McGill level.

Community Networks begin their selection process once the student application deadline has passed.

Community Network Verification Process

The sponsoring community network must first validate the admissibility of the student applications. This involves ensuring that they were submitted by the announced deadline, that the applications are complete, and that they meet the basic eligibility criteria previously listed.

The community network will submit all eligible and conforming applications to the Bursary Selection Committee.

Bursary Selection Process

The second step takes place under the auspices of a selection committee set up by the sponsoring community network. Bursary Selection Committees will involve community and public health sector representation (Dialogue McGill recommends having CISSS or CIUSSS representation).

The Bursary Selection Committee will review all qualifying bursary applications submitted to the community network. They will ensure that the application responds to regional priorities, and they will recommend a maximum of six (6) candidates for both types of bursaries (excluding vocational training bursaries) to Dialogue McGill, ranked by order of priority.

Community Networks may recommend a maximum of two (2) applications for students in vocational training programs and may do so at any point during the year. This maximum is independent from the maximum indicated in the bursaries for University- or Cegep/college-level students.

Selection Criteria

Bursary applicants will be recommended for approval by the participating community network based on the following criteria:

compatibility of the student’s field of study with the identified regional priority service areas;
student’s commitment, following completion of studies, to work in their field in a public health and social services institution in their home region, or catchment area of the sponsoring community network, for a minimum of one year per bursary awarded;
quality of the references provided;
quality of the student’s academic standing;
overall quality, content, and presentation of the student’s application.

The final selection of bursary recipients remains at the discretion of Dialogue McGill’s Bursary Recommendation Committee, and is contingent on the listed criteria along with the Community Network’s recommendations.

Recommendation to Dialogue McGill

Once the community network and the Bursary Selection Committee have selected the bursary applications they wish to recommend for funding, they must complete and sign Form 3: community network recommendation for each application.

Community networks are responsible for submitting the complete student applications to Dialogue McGill by the community network deadline.

The complete student applications must include:

Form 1: Student Application (duly signed and complete)
Student’s Curriculum Vitae
Letter of acceptance from Students Institution
Student’s official or unofficial transcript
Form 2: Reference Providers (x2)
Form 3: Community network recommendation (duly signed and complete)

Applications that are missing one or several elements are subject to refusal from Dialogue McGill. The decision to fund an application is reserved to Dialogue McGill. Community network recommendation in no way guarantees funding to a student.

Approval

Dialogue McGill Recommendation Process

The Dialogue McGill Bursary Recommendation Committee will evaluate the bursary applications submitted by the Bursary Selection Committees and community networks using an evaluation grid based on the selection criteria.

All applications will undergo Dialogue McGill review with funding priority given to higher ranked applications. If funds are available, applications that are eligible but have lower rankings may be waitlisted.

Bursary Payment

Payment to the Community Network

Once Dialogue McGill has approved the bursary funding, an amendment to the contract agreement between McGill University and the community network will be made and sent to the community network for signatures.

The bursary payment is distributed to the community network within forty-five (45) calendar days after the signing of the amendment to the contract agreement by both parties.

Payment to the Recipient

The community network is responsible for disbursing payments to the Bursary Recipient.

Bursaries are paid in out in terms in two equal parts each funding year:

mid-September
mid-January

Recipient Responsibilities

Recipients must return Recipient Form 1 : Attestation of Student’s Studies to the community network within fifteen (15) calendar days after the educational institution’s official registration deadline for the applicable semester.
Recipients must sign the Bursary Recipient Contract that sets out the specific conditions of the bursary that relate to default.
Recipients must complete Recipient Form 2 : Proof of Bursary Payment: Section 2C to confirm reception of each bursary payment received from the community network.

The Community Network is responsible for making sure that their recipients uphold their responsibilities. Recipients who default on their responsibilities, are subject to being withdrawn from the bursary program and having to return the bursary amount in part or in full.